Creative Ways To Make Complex Information Simple

I applaud the creativity used and out-of-the-box presenting of complex information. Take this for instance — an org chart. Typically they are presented in a linear fashion from top-down (pyramid) to left-to-right (flow). This circle is another way to present the information that communicates in a unique way both emotionally and philosophically.

Others, like Common Craft, are using video and illustration to communicate complex issues in a simple to watch and understand format. Interestingly, the creativity and innovation used to create this kind of content is by no means simple. It takes hard work to find the right method and format to communicate complexity.

clipped from www.visualcomplexity.com

Eco Friendly Creative Learning Game

Here, from Sust, is another creative learning game. Teach your child how to build an Eco-Friendly house and more… Enjoy!

clipped from dustbowl.wordpress.com

Designer Chair for Dr. Evil? (PIC)

OK, this made me laugh. I mean, it is a legit design and I am sure it is very comfortable, but it made me think of Dr. Evil.

You could also lay the chair on its back and use it as a basinet. Hmm…

I am certainly for creative and fun ideas, but I cannot see this in anyones home – sorry.

clipped from dustbowl.wordpress.com

USA Today and Creative Learning – About Time!

By E. Brown

I read an article in USA Today that was about the new and creative use of technology amongst university professors as a means to teach and meet with students. Utilizing technology to bridge distance and time and make connecting easier.

Certainly, I am glad this is in the news, but the fact is, it’s not new news. Using computer technology for mass training and teaching started gaining popularity in the early 1980′s. I think back to Clement Mok’s kiosk that he created using Apple HyperCard. Anyone remember that? This new use of technology was used at a convention to connect attendees. So, what paradigm has changed between then and now (outside of the obvious fact that technology is more widespread and more powerful)?

The articles stated:

Harvard University computer science professor, David Malan, is one of a growing number of professors nationwide turning to Internet technology to enhance course communication and connect with students.

“There is a tremendous advantage especially when it expands on the potential for learning and allows students to access materials in different ways,” says Jillian Kinzie, associate director of the National Survey of Student Engagement.

The article goes on to say:

Richard Lillie, an accounting lecturer at California State University-San Bernadino, says virtual office hours and other means of communication are the future of education. “It’s going to have significant ramifications. …We have to think, ‘How can we really use these tools creatively to communicate and still guide the learning process?’”

Hmmm…sounds vaguely familiar. How can we use these tools to creatively teach and communicate?

Note to self: Start a blog that discusses tools, techniques, and tips on using technology for equipping and training with a creative twist — call it ‘WeirdGuy.’

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Can Starbucks Come Back?

By E. Brown

If you’ve been keeping up with news and trends, you have no doubt heard about the downward spiral of Starbucks. This necessitated Howard Schultz, founder, to take back the helm of the floundering coffee kingdom. Amidst this, fast food chain, McDonald’s, claims they are going to take a significant portion of market away from Starbucks by offering coffees, lattes, and cappuccinos in their new McCafe’s.

Can McDonald’s Win?
The answer is “no.” Although McDonald’s is making a dent they will never have the same environment as a Starbucks. Many still see the McDonald’s brand as a family/kid friendly hamburger joint. The tile floors make the space very noisy and the booths do not invite patrons to slide over a chair and chat. I am sure the breakfast crowd will like the new selection of coffees as they drive thru, but for the most part, the stores are designed for something entirely different than what you get in a Starbucks experience.

Can Starbucks Survive?
The answer here is “yes.” Starbucks can and will survive. Howard is supposed to announce his strategy at the end of January 2008. We’ll wait and see what he has to add to his previous pronouncements of slowing domestic growth, growing internationally, and a new health-oriented product line. Until then, let me make a few suggestions and observations.

• The stores are designed with a lot of flat surfaces and hard floors. These make the environment too noisy. It is becoming harder to hold conversations. Have you ever tried to talk on your phone when the barista is making a latte?
• Lose the gimmicky unrelated products. I am not going to play Cranium while at Starbucks. I am not going to buy Cranium while at Starbucks.
• Lower the price of your coffees. A friend of mine choked after he added up how much he was spending on Starbucks each week. He now goes a lot less.
• Offer free Wi-Fi. This encourages people to stay and when they stay they buy.
• Get the people up front to be proactive and up-sell products. Give out samples. Encourage patrons to try new things. Who knows, they may become their favorites and when they do, they will tell their friends.

Another Threat?
In my area, the biggest threat to Starbucks does not come from McDonald’s. It comes from Panera Bread. Panera has good coffee, good bagels, great salads and soups, and free Wi-Fi. I see people all the time in there with laptops and food. There are two in my near vicinity and they are always packed. I was in Starbucks last week and this morning and there was only 9 people. The drive-thru was not very busy either.

Wise up Starbucks! You are no longer the only player in this space. You can be on top again with some well executed strategy that involves listening to the customer and improving the brand.

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Steve Jobs vs. Amazon’s Kindle

Is Steve out of touch with reality or is he onto the next “insanely great” idea? Read for yourself.

What do you think: Is reading books a fading past time or a changing paradigm?

clipped from www.nytimes.com Amazon’s first iteration of an electronic book reader is the Kindle. Introduced in November, it weighs about 10 ounces, holds more than 200 full-length books and can display newspapers, magazines and blogs. It uses E Ink technology, developed by the company of that name, that produces sharply defined text yet draws power only when a page is changed The Kindle is expensive — $399 — but it sold out in just six hours after its debut on Nov. 19. Since then, supplies have consistently lagged behind demand, and a waiting list remains in place. Steven P. Jobs, the chief executive of Apple, has nothing to fear from the Kindle. No one would regard it as competition for the iPod. Yet, when Mr. Jobs was asked two weeks ago at the Macworld Expo what he thought of the Kindle, he heaped scorn on the book industry. “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is; the fact is that people don’t read anymore,” he said. “Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year.”

Weird Week In Review – Jan. 25

Your one stop to review all this weeks articles on WeirdGuy. Have fun!

Quotable Quote – Benjamin Disraeli
The greatest good you can do for another is…. Read more

Creativity, Innovation, and Online Learning Reading List and Links
Here is the current pile I am reading through with links. Fun! Lot’s about innovation, creativity, online learning, and more. Read more

Creative eLearning – Teacher Tube
TeacherTube, launched in March 2007, has the goal of creating an online community for sharing instructional videos. It is a site geared to provide just in time (JIT) professional development. Read more

iPhone Air Guitar
Guitar frets on your iPhone! Great for parties and finding new ways to impress your geek friends. Read more

More Convertible Furniture (PIC)
I love the idea. It will not go with my current decor, but I love the creative idea! Read more

Quotable Quote – Thomas Gaines
It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and… Read more

6 Steps To Online Branding
Kirsten Dixson and William Arruda provide these six steps to creating and maintaining your personal online brand. Use the steps that make sense for you. Read more

Ant and the Grasshopper: Old Story, New Twist
Here is a creative, humorous, and poignant, twist on an old Aesop Fable. Enjoy! Read more

Related Links
- Weird Week In Review (Jan. 18)
- Weird Week In Review (Jan. 11)
- Weird Week In Review (Jan. 4)

Ant and the Grasshopper: Old Story, New Twist

Here is a creative, humorous, and poignant, twist on an old Aesop Fable. Enjoy!

OLD VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on prime time with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when they sing, It’s Not Easy Being Green. Others exclaim in interviews that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper and call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, there is drafted the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government.

A law firm represents the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of judges. The ant loses the case.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant’s food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant’s old house, crumbles around him because he doesn’t maintain it. The ant has disappeared in the snow. The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Morals? We don’t need any morals!

6 Steps To Online Branding

Kirsten Dixson and William Arruda provide these six steps to creating and maintaining your personal online brand. Use the steps that make sense for you. Maintaining and controlling your online brand is significant in today’s digital world. There are many who would like to corrupt, steal, or hijack your online identity. Be intentional with what kinds of information and how much information you release.

Publishing
Write articles or whitepapers, and get them published in online publications that your target audience reads.

Posting
If you’ve purchased a book from Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com, you can post a book review on these websites. It’s key to review books that are relevant to your area of expertise.

Pontificating
Posting comments on others’ blogs is a powerful way to build your brand – yet it’s probably the most overlooked online branding tool. Be sure to link the comment back to your own blog or website if you have one. You could also link it to your LinkedIn or Ziggs profile if you don’t have your own site.

Publicizing
Write press releases about your endeavors and post them to free press release distribution sites like www.prleap.com.

Partnering
One of the most important elements of your brand environment is your professional network. Since your network can extend your brand for you by spreading the word about your unique value, it’s ideal to get others to write about you online. Also, leverage social networking sites like LinkedIn, Ryze, ecademy, and Facebook.

Profiling
Use services like Ziggs, LinkedIn, Naymz, and ZoomInfo to create a basic online profile and increase the volume of Google results for your name. If your professional information already appears online, you are likely to have a profile in Zoominfo. To get the most out of these sites, post content that is consistent across all of your profiles and that matches your resume.

William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson are the authors of Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand and partners in Reach , a global leader in personal branding for career-minded executives and professionals

Quotable Quote

It is good to dream, but it is better to dream and work. Faith is mighty, but action with faith is mightier. Desiring is helpful, but work and desire is invincible.

- Thomas R. Gaines

More Convertible Furniture (PIC)

I love the idea. It will not go with my current decor, but I love the creative idea!

clipped from dustbowl.wordpress.com

iPhone Air Guitar

Great for parties and finding new ways to impress your geek friends.

clipped from dustbowl.wordpress.com So so fun… google shows you how….. code.google.com

Creative eLearning – Teacher Tube

TeacherTube, launched in March 2007, has the goal of creating an online community for sharing instructional videos. It is a site geared to provide just in time (JIT) professional development with the goal of teachers teaching teachers. It is also a site where teachers can post videos for students to view in order to learn key concepts or skills.

TeacherTube was the idea of Jason Smith, a 14-year veteran educator. Jason has been a teacher, coach, campus administrator, and district administrator in the public school system. Asking the question, “Why can’t teachers, students, and schools utilize the power of the web for learning?”, Jason decided to create a site and get started himself. His brother, Adam, used his technical skills to develop the site. Jason’s wife, Jodie, joined the team to populate the site with videos and help improve communication. She too has 14 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, campus technology integrator, and district curriculum coordinator.

Some of the video channels they offer cover topics such as:

• Elementary
• Middle School
• High School
• College & University
• Math
• Fine Arts
• Reading
• Writing and more…

Visit Teacher Tube today and continue your personal development.

Creativity, Innovation, and Online Learning Reading List and Links

Here is the current pile I am reading through. Fun! Lot’s about innovation, creativity, online learning, and more. Below the image are links for those of you who want to grab copies for yourself.

Spread the knowledge — spread the love.

Spark: Be More Innovative Through Co-Creation
by John Winsor

ZAG: The Number 1 Strategy For High Performance Brands
by Marty Neumeier

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity
by David Allen

The Ultimate Question:Driving Good Profits and True Growth
by Fred Reicheld

Weird Ideas That Work: 11 1/2 Practices For Promoting, Managing, and Sustaining Innovation
by Robert Sutton

The Creative Leader: Unleashing The Power of Your Creative Potential
by Ed Young Jr.

UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity And Why It Matters
by Dave Kinnaman & Gabe Lyons

Working Knowledge
by Thomas Davenport & Laurence Prusak

If Only We Knew What We Know: The Transfer of Internal Knowledge and Best Practice
by Carla O’Dell & C. Jackson Grayson

Designing Web-based Training: How to Teach Anyone Anything Anywhere Anytime
by William Horton

The Wealth of Knowledge: Intellectual Capital and 21st Century Organization
by Thomas Stewart

Innovation And The General Manager
by Clayton Christensen

48 Days To The Work You Love
by Dan Miller

The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes & Barry Posner

The Virtual Student: AProfile and Guide to Working With Online Learners
by Rena Palloff & Keith Pratt

The E-Learning Fieldbook: Implementation Lessons and Case Studies From Companies That Are Making E-Learning Work
by Nick Van Dam

Quotable Quote

The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.

- Benjamin Disraeli

Weird Week In Review – Jan. 18

Your one stop to review all this weeks articles on WeirdGuy. Have fun!

How To Create A Small Business Continuity Plan
Business Continuity Plans are sometimes referred to as Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP) and the two have much in common. Read more

Do It Yourself Publishing
WordClay – This simple, yet highly sophisticated publishing tool was developed with you, the book-savvy author, in mind. Read more

New WALL•E Teaser From Pixar
If you have not seen it, the latest teaser from Pixar Animation Studios is out for its upcoming release. Read more

Social Networking Roundup
Of the social networks listed below, which one do you like best and why? Read more

10 Building Blocks To Engaging Presentations
What is it that sets good speakers apart from others? With these simple building blocks you can be on your way to giving engaging and meaningful presentations. Read more

Quotable Quote – Maya Angelou
There is not greater agony than… Read more

Free Tree Silhouettes (Vector Files)
Cool! Free downloads to use with your latest creative project. Thanks again, Bittbox. Read more

Guns, Eggs, and Fry Pans – Oh My! (PICS)
This is creative and hilarious! Every little boys wish for breakfast. I am sure Ted Nugent has a set. Read more

Bag Designs From The U.K. (PICS)
Fun, out of the box product design! These are very creative. Read more

7 Steps To Successful Freelancing
From Freelance Switch, Collis Ta’eed offers these seven steps to start you off into the ever growing world of freelancers and Web workers. Read more

10 Myths of Entrepreneurship
I got this from Guy Kawasaki’s blog. Good reality check! Read more

Quotable Quote – Harvey Cox
All human beings have an innate desire to… Read more

Are You Content In A Job, Career, or Vocation?
Today, employees are asking themselves if they are truly making a difference with their lives in regard to work. After all, in the western world, work is such a big part of one’s life, you cannot help but wonder if there is any lasting impact. Read more

Related Links
- Weird Week In Review (Jan. 11)
- Weird Week In Review (Jan. 4)
- Weird Week In Review (Dec. 28)

Are You Content In A Job, Career, or Vocation?

By E. Brown

Did you know that many people use the words, job, career, and vocation synonymously? Are you one of them? These words are actually very distinct with distinct definitions.

The Dictionary says of these:

Job – A paid position, responsibility, or piece of work.

Career – Time spent in an occupation for a significant period of one’s life.

Vocation – A strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or a person’s main occupation.

When thinking about your work, how do you see yourself positioned? Many newbies to the workforce see themselves in particular jobs for the money. Yet studies have shown that after 5 to 10 years, money is not the prime motivator many thought it was. Many lack passion in what they do, but it pays the bills so they stick it out in an environment they dread returning to each Monday morning. Today, employees are asking themselves if they are truly making a difference with their lives in regard to work. After all, in the western world, work is such a big part of one’s life, you cannot help but wonder if there is any lasting impact. “Is this all there is?” many are asking.

So, how about you? Are you in a job, a career, or a vocation?

Dan Miller offers the following definitions as you think about your life and its purpose as related to work. Read on.

Job – A job is the most specific and immediate of the three terms. It has to do with one’s daily activities that produce income. The average job is 3.2 years in length, meaning the average person will have 14 to 16 different jobs in his/her working lifetime. Jobs will come and go….

Career – Career comes originally from the Latin word for “cart” and later from the Middle French word for “racetrack.” In other words, you can go real fast for a long time but never get anywhere. That is why in today’s work environment, even physicians, attorneys, CPAs, and engineers may choose to get off the expected track and choose another career. You can have different careers at different points in your life.

Vocation – Vocation is the most profound of the three, incorporating calling, purpose, mission, and destiny. This is the big picture many people never identify for themselves. It’s what you’re doing in life that makes a difference and builds meaning for you, which you can review in your later years to see the impact you’ve made on the world. Stephen Covey says that we all want “to live, to love, to learn, and to leave a legacy.” Our vocation will leave a legacy. The word vocation comes from the Latin vocare, which means “to call.” It suggests that you are listening for something that is calling out to you. Everyone has a vocation or calling. (48 Days To The Work You Love, pages 38-40)

Anyone can do a job. The question is, have you been listening for your vocation? Are you fulfilling a purpose beyond the weekly grind? Are you proud and excited about the legacy you are leaving?

These are not easy questions to answer. They will take some introspection but in the end you will find the time you took was worthwhile. You will approach work with exuberance.

You will have fun.

You will find yourself content.

Contentment is not a word used much anymore. Yet, isn’t that something we all want at the end of the day – contentment?

Go. Pursue your vocation and at the end of your life you will find contentment!

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Quotable Quote – Harvey Cox

All human beings have an innate desire to hear and tell stories and to have a story to live by.

- Harvey Cox

10 Myths of Entrepreneurship

Got this from Guy Kawasaki’s blog. Good reality check!

clipped from blog.guykawasaki.com This is a guest post by Scott Shane as a follow up to his entrepreneurship test. He is the A. Malachi Mixon Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies at Case Western Reserve University. He is the author of seven books, the latest of which is The Illusions of Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths That Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Policy Makers Live By. Many entrepreneurs believe a bunch of myths about entrepreneurship, so here are ten of the most common and the realities that bust them: It takes a lot of money to finance a new business. Venture capitalists are a good place to go for start-up money. Most business angels are rich. Start-ups can’t be financed with debt. Banks don’t lend money to start-ups. Most entrepreneurs start businesses in attractive industries. Most entrepreneurs are successful financially. Many start-ups achieve the sales growth projections that equity investors are looking for. Starting a business is easy. The growth of a start-up depends more on an entrepreneur’s talent

7 Steps To Successful Freelancing

From Freelance Switch, Collis Ta’eed offers these seven steps to start you off into the ever growing world of freelancers and Web workers.

clipped from freelanceswitch.com 1. Create a Name and Logo There are a few important things to keep in mind when choosing a name: It should be memorable It should be (relatively) distinct It should be you! 2. Register Your Business Choose a business structure Fill Out Some Forms & Lodge Them Wait for your Certificate of Registration 3. Prepare Your Web Portfolio CarbonMade – www.carbonmade.com – Example Portfolio It’s quick, it’s free for a small portfolio (5 projects) and it’s cool in a cutesy web way. Designer’s Toolbox Coroflot Behance - www.behance.net – Example Portfolio Like Coroflot, Behance is more of a social network with portfolios as the centre piece. Nonetheless WordPress 4. Take Some Work on the Side Here are a few of the benefits of taking on side jobs: You get to test the waters You can build a client list It’s less stressful 5. Prepare a Mailer It’s important to make your mailer: Brief Professional Contain a Call to Action 6. Scour the Job Boards for some First Jobs 7. Figure out how much to charge