Oh, Scotch Tape! What Have You Done?

This landed in my inbox this morning. What is it? Well, it's a promotional tape dispenser shaped like a high heeled shoe, of course! I'm stunned. Scotch is a brand I've always respected--a classy company that makes tough, practical products. What on earth makes them think I'll collect shoe dispensers from them?

I also don't get the timing of the promotion. Maybe this is a Mother's Day push that got stuck on the boat. That's the only vague tie I can find to validate a high heeled dispenser. Even then, I really question if this is in line with Scotch Brand consumers--this dispenser is huge, must be out on a table, can't fit in a drawer, looks awkward to actually use, and would require regular dusting.

Those aren't product characteristics I think moms are screaming for. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong--perhaps tape dispenser collecting is the next big wave in scrap-booking.

Sephora + Pantone = Cool?

Billed as a "breakthrough partnership" between two giants in the world of color trends, Sephora and Pantone have launched an exclusive color of the year campaign. Pantone's marketing of color trends is undeniably sexy, down to the name for the color of the year: Tangerine Tango.

Are average consumers familiar enough with Pantone's brand for the collaboration to matter? It may not matter, because so far the marketing strategies and visuals are compelling and cool. Passerby may wonder what the heck a "pantone" is, but in the end all they made need is the juicy colors and assurance that these colors are exclusive to buy in.

 Promotion for the collaboration includes an undeniably cool pop-up shop(featuring pantone's trademark color palettes in super scale), which was just in Chelsea in March, and can be viewed at The Grove in LA from April 18-22.

Steve Jobs, Product Design,and Me

Yesterday's news was a bummer. I can't help feeling that with the loss of Steve Jobs presence, Product Design is changing irrevocably - our leader has left the building. For years now, much of traditional product design in the US has been slipping away, small parcels sneaking off to China, India, and beyond until what remains is a shadow of the former glory. Manufacturing exited the building first, quickly, soon taking engineering with it. Now, overseas factories provide modeling and tooling, promoting their own products to clients who used to pay for American design.

Nearly every client I've ever worked with has expressed their desire to emulate Apple, to be a leader in their industry, to be like Steve. Honestly, few have had the dedication and guts to risk long-term research and investments the way Steve Jobs did. But his standard still pushed everyone to do a little more. He made me more diligent. He made us all feel like everything is possible.

I hope that Steve Jobs pulls off another miracle, hits yet another grand slam, and surprises us all by debuting another astounding, design-minded company in a few years. I still hope to meet the man some day. But for now, take a listen to his Commencement speech at Stanford, it's classic Steve Jobs.

How do you Start from Scratch?

The conversation tends to go like this:

Me: I'm in product development
You: Really? I have this great idea I always wanted to make, let me tell you about it.
I listen to the idea, then you ask: So how much would it cost? You know, to make it?
I describe many caveats and exceptions, but eventually I have to name a number, and your face falls.

The reality is that making something new isn't easy, and it sure isn't cheap. So how do you start from scratch? How do you know if it's worth the risk? This is an area where research meets design to generate a strategic plan. The development process relies on identifying a quantifiable market opportunity - there must be money to be made in the first place. The process equally relies on understanding your users to the degree that you can spot these opportunities, harvest sufficient insights, and produce a desirable solution to a user need.

I recently embarked on this journey for the first time with a true start-up entrepreneur. Over the years I've heard a thousand great ideas, but this was the first one that had the opportunity, insight, and solution to potentially make it. Visit Goat Gear to learn more about the product you're seeing below.

Couponed Out Yet?

Extreme Couponers is on TV. A million group coupon emails are in your inbox. Stores you "like" push incentives onto your Facebook wall. There's a coupon just about everywhere you look these days!

Why now? What's the trend all about? A new generation of consumers, who no longer subscribe to print papers, are discovering coupons for the first time through other mediums. Bloomberg values Groupon's IPO at $15B - $25B. To maintain that value Groupon will need to evolve - consumers are already experiencing coupon fatigue, and only 10% have actually purchased a group coupon. People are still vary of jumping down an internet rabbit hole chasing after a coupon - it's a little more sketchy than flipping through the Sunday paper coupons.

As companies accrue more and more data about us, the offers will become more specialized and the targeting will be fine-tuned. But are you really getting a discount(meaning real cash value) from the coupon offers that appeal to you? Or is this just advertising dressed cleverly in sheepskin? After all, you're not saving money if you're buying something you didn't plan to buy in the first place.

The Old VW Beetle is New Again

Well, according to VW the new bug design is going to tap into new buyers:

"VW, which wants to triple its U.S. sales of cars and trucks over the next decade, says the changes will appeal to more buyers, especially men."

But I just don't buy it. I think they should've designed a new vehicle for men if that was their goal. My husband loves his GTI - and it doesn't look like that! Why not release the Corrado in the US? This is a man's car!The Beetle is only a Beetle because of it's visual brand language. They seem to have dismantled that in a search for new market potential. If anything they should've moved back to classic lines, with solid metal body and details. They should've celebrated their heritage instead of throwing it away. Just looking at the new Beetle makes this designer sad.

The Flip is Over!

I'm both surprised and not surprised that Cisco is shutting down Flip. The designer in me is frankly shocked - that they're willing to throw away the wealth of good brand faith that Flip has earned in such a short time. The strategist in me says, why on earth did Cisco buy Flip in the first place? It's a shame that the great PD that went into the original Flip will die with this company - although the ID work was outsourced, so maybe not so much. Smart Design was responsible for the ground breaking user interface, and for much of the population this technology is still relevant. Yes, smart phones abound, but much of the population can't afford those - the Flip brought simple video capture to those who couldn't afford more expensive products, or who had limited familiarity with computers. It was one of the first video cameras that almost all users could understand how to download.

Why's it going away then? Well, a product line (and a company for that matter) have to be loved to succeed - you have to fight for your brand these days, and have the vision to lead it. Cisco doesn't have that vision for consumer products and frankly they shouldn't have tried to buy it like a commodity. While it makes sense for their bottom line to drop Flip now, it's a waste of brand potential. Overall it's sad that the original Flip owners sold to a bidder worth $40B who would never really have much stake in a $40M company.

Get Ready for Earthv2.0

This is a little bit of a stretch for what I normally write about, but the news just too darn exciting! There's a "100%" chance that another planet out there can support life - no biggie, i know - but for the first time we know where it is! Now we just have to get there...maybe a minor in aerospace engineering is well warranted, ID students! "Design what people need" is a mantra I prescribe to - and the challenges of intersolar-system research and travel will be one of the most exciting and imperative challenges on the table for designers for centuries to come.

Read more here!

After China, Where to?

This may not be news to companies already migrating out of China, but the momentum of change seems to be picking up...

Where once low-tech factories and scant wages were welcomed in a China eager to escape isolation and poverty, workers are now demanding a bigger share of the profits. The government, meanwhile, is pushing foreign companies to make investments in areas it believes will create greater wealth for China, like high technology.

Many companies are striving to stay profitable by shifting factories to cheaper areas farther inland or to other developing countries, and a few are even resuming production in the West.

"China is going to go through a very dramatic period. The big companies are starting to exit. We all see the writing on the wall," said Rick Goodwin, a China trade veteran of 22 years, whose company links foreign buyers with Chinese suppliers.

"I have 15 major clients. My job is to give the best advice I can give. I tell it like it is. I tell them, put your helmet on, it's going to get ugly," said Goodwin, who says dissatisfied workers and hard-to-predict exchange rates are his top worries.

Read the full article here, and consider that if the mainstream media is talking about the end of cheap China, the time was yesterday to look for newly affordable options Stateside.

Verdict: Water Bottle Buddies are...

If your dog craves crunching water bottles, these toys are for you. Water Bottle Buddies like those sold by Kyjen provide an adorable sleeve for your water bottle, protecting your dog from bottle shards. When the bottle's shot, toss it in the recycling bin.

The Good: I love anything that reuses the things we discard. Plus, you're eliminating stuffing from hitting the trash bin. Cuteness, economically priced under $10.

The Bad: These aren't as durable as they should be. Westminster Pet Products makes the sleeves you see below, which are extremely durable but could stand an infusion of cuteness.
The Verdict: Can someone please marry the two? Nylon sleeves should be able to achieve both cuteness and durability. Then this product would be truly excellent.

The Price of "Made in the USA"

I know most people wonder if buying "Made in the USA" really matters. It can seem like it's just another marketing ploy. It's also really hard to walk away from a similar item that costs hundreds of dollars less, just to buy a homegrown product.

Viking, the makers of those gigantic shiny ranges, has been hard-hit by the economic slowdown and the slow migration away from domestic products. They're diversifying their business to try to survive - offering matching cabinets and cooking classes to try to stay in your lives. The one thing they can't do is explain to consumers that there really is a difference between imported and domestic products. You can't see it, but I can, and here are some things you should question before you buy a cheaper model:

• Is that really metal? Cheaper models use plastic coated with metal, much less durable
• How thick is that metal? If you don't like dents, you might want to ask how thick the sheet metal is - in other words, what gauge is this metal? Thicker is better for safety and durability. Similarly, you want thicker gauge wire for the racks inside a range.
• Are those buttons for real? Thin shiny plastic panels won't look so hot in a few years, physical switches are always a plus.
• How serious is the hardware? Look at the door hinge. Big thick metal parts are better than thin or even plastic parts. The oven door is a common failure point for ranges.

If you take the time to become familiar with some of these terms and materials, the differences between high and low-end will become apparent. Often a cheaper model will save money upfront, but the pricier model will last significantly longer. Hopefully, there will always be a place for Made in the USA, and Viking for one says they're going to "build in America no matter what."

Dominos Fesses Up...

...and I LOVE it! They're admitting their old pizza was crap so that you'll give the new stuff a chance.

Check out the full article here, but this quote pretty much sums it all up:

"The old days of trying to spin things simply doesn't work anymore," President Patrick Doyle, who will become CEO in March, told The Associated Press in an interview. "Great brands going forward are going to have a level of honesty and transparency that hasn't been seen before."

Please, let this succeed and educate the other American companies who are still looking to squeeze margins and pull fast ones on customers in order to save their bottom lines.

"Momtrepreneurs" a Sign of the Times

Cottage industries are popping up all around us as the unemployment rate continues to increase. Many, many people are asking themselves that question we all face at one point or another, "what do I really want to do?"

The answer for many of us involves bringing something new into the world, rather than answering to someone else's beck and call. Putting something new into the world takes guts, determination, some financial risk and a lot of faith. But don't let that discourage you, because lots of people are doing it right now and finding tremendous success. Remember, if you have a need chances are many other people share it with you....and they're just waiting for you to solve their problems for them.

A great example, from a self-described "momtrepreneur" is the Bath Luve line of baby bath products - specifically the original Luve washcloths designed to cover and warm a baby while in the bath. A simple, intuitive and easy to produce item that connects with parents in an instant at retail - a great strategy for a startup. This mom took advantage of her experience as a consumer and it will most likely translate into success, unlike companies who enter markets with which they have no real connection. A lesson for the future of business = be true to your passions, for only then will you offer consumers a product that connects with theirs!

"Global warming isn't just bad for the planet; it's bad for BUSINESS."

The Financial Page of the October 19 New Yorker has an interesting piece about several big-name companies exiting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Exiting" is a bit of an understatement; really they're quitting. The Chamber is opposed to global-warming legislation, and Apple, Exelon, and Nike have all defected because they don't agree with the stance.

Historically, this is a new thing. Companies don't come and go from the Chamber, because they want to present a united front. They make statements and have varied opinions, but generally they stay in the Chamber.

Until now. It seems that the impending financial and housing crisis wasn't enough to make companies leave 5 years ago, but the price of ignoring global warming is too high. The resignations may just be a matter of self-preservation, but then again we can always hope that maybe there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed.

Snobject: Folding Bike, Brand TBD

RCA student Dominic Hargreaves' design for a folding bike:

According to Treehugger,

The Guardian reports that three companies have already shown interest in making a production model, which would make the Contortionist "one of those extremely rare items that move directly from design student project into the shops."

via treehugger

WS Now Selling Compelling Narratives

Check out the August 2009 Williams-Sonoma catalog. It features "New American Chefs," pairing each chef's cuisine with the tools you need to make each dish. Less catalog and more magazine, these pages are nice to look at. They stop short of offering the recipes, instead teasing you to their ecommerce site to get them.

I would've preferred the full monty in the catalog, but still it's great to see cross-promotion among their departments. Too often great product stories are lost when items are broken up across different buyers - they don't like to work together to promote a story. But great narratives like these will sell product and hopefully Williams-Sonoma is translating this to retail as well.

Ecommerce Hits Back to School

Very interesting reads here from the International Advertising Bureau. Topline summary: Ecommerce continues to be ahead of the game during this recession, while store sales remain stagnant. Interestingly, parents are also using online research moreso than ever to try to save money on Back to School purchases. The most popular/successful/$$$ ecommerce sites provide video, hi-res images, blog tie-ins and a real depth of info.

Add these two articles together and I wonder when someone will swoop in and offer head-to-toe online shopping for Back to School, and capitalize on the late-summer spending surge while saving parents time and money. Stuck on You has done this for label-making; someone will become a one-stop shop for BTS while the competition (Fiskars, Its Academic, Mead, Crayola) struggles to maintain an updated web presence, much less a comprehensive one.

The Magic of Smaland

As a parent, you have to love IKEA. Drop off your kids to play while you find your way through the maze of goodies relatively unencumbered. As a retailer, you have to wonder if this could work for you. In the spirit of McDonald's classic PlayPlaces, IKEA has found that the investment pays off. Parents buy more because they're happier and free to shop. They even feel obligated to buy more in return for the childcare service. On the way out you can also grab lunch for 2 for under $10. Every time you leave the house with kids in tow, it's an adventure. By serving every part of the adventure, IKEA gets more of my dollars.

OXO + Staples = $?

It's been a few months since OXO and Staples announced their collaboration. Now products are on the shelf. Gotta say, "office" was a good choice for expansion into a new product category. It's a close periphery to kitchen...everyone knows what to expect in the junk drawer, and half of it belongs in the office. Very easy to switch loyal kitchenwares customers over to purchasing OXO office gadgets.

The question I have is, will they go to Staples to get them? Target would've been a no-brainer, but luckily many Staples are right next door to a Target, right?

Article in Business Week's Innovation section

Polaroid Lives On, Sort of...

You still can't beat a Polaroid for pure nostalgic emotional appeal. I last owned a Polaroid when they made the Joycam, which came out about the same time as the I-zone - remember that?
Not long ago, Polaroid discontinued their iconic instant print camera, presumably due to the fact it was old-fashioned and not making them enough money. They shut down the film factories, too, and we creatives freaked out. Polaroid film has never been more expensive!

Then, in a misguided attempt to redirect the company, they developed a new digital camera that prints photos instantly on sticky-backed paper, the PoGo. The prints are crystal clear and hi-res - everything a Polaroid shouldn't be. They left their brand's core value behind. Sure, we all love that the print is instantaneous but that trick would get old soon. What made people fans of Polaroid was its intrinsic emo quality, the look of a captured moment.

They should've asked themselves, how can we offer the core value of our product in new formats? They needed to take a big step into an entirely new arena. The answer most likely would've been something like Poladroid software, or any of the other vintage-effect apps that make your too-crisp, too-clear, too-real digital snaps into something more warm and fuzzy...a Polaroid. Could they have reinvented themselves as a software company? Maybe, maybe not.

Read more in this well-written Article in Newsweek