The human factor.

For the past 45 days, I have been coming to Teague with the primary intention to work hard, conducting research and articulating strategy, leaving little time to bond (grab a beer) with my colleagues. So being a newbie in this place, it was great to be “let out of the cage to run around a bit.”  Last Friday night, deep in the basement of the Garage, Teague came together for an employee-exclusive bowling party. Opting out of the bowling bit, I was free to play cheerleader and snap a few candid pics…and a few not so candid pics…”Just take one more…just one more.”  Hanging with my fellow Teaguers and talking about life in general…your dating life after divorce, your horoscope sign, your teen’s money making efforts… all helped me see another side of the gang. Now back in the studio, form and function continue to dominate, but that night it was all about the human factor.

Here kitty kitty.

I have three neighbors—two of them are named Emily. One or more of the people in my building have cats. Recently, there have been catfights outside my bedroom window in the early morning. I don’t like it. Though they deny it, the numbers suggest that one or more of these bloodthirsty animals could belong to one or more of my neighbors.

Last week I came across this beautifully designed poster a block from place, and I can say with absolute certainty that this is one of the cats that’s contributing to my restless nights.

Note, the poster says to call Emily…

The poster says a lot actually, it speaks to me; the information is clear and concise. The design is simple, with just a touch of decorative flair. And perhaps best, it’s emotionally captivating.  After all, who doesn’t want to drop whatever they’re doing to find a cat that can speak from its behind?

Community and coloring? Yes please!

I have to admit it—I love engaging advertising.

This video, by the Dulux Let’s Colour Project, combines some of my most favorite things: time-lapse film, music, color, and community.

I’ll spare you my nerdy lecture of how much I love time-lapse video, how great I think the music of Sigur Ros is (even if I don’t understand his lyrics), and how much color rules my world to focus on what really captures me: community.

Without verbalizing anything, Dulux took two minutes of my life and challenged my concept of community engagement and urban improvement. Drab, gray, graffiti-ridden sets of walls were transformed overnight into a vibrant, cohesive, village full of life.  With a lot of hands, and a little organization, the locals of this video greatly improved the look and feel of the places they live.

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In search of Mars.

A lot of debate goes on in design. Not long ago, a hunger-fueled late night in the studio sparked a riveting debate: Does a Mars bar have nuts, or not? The Americans insisted that a Mars bar does indeed have nuts. The Europeans, baffled, argued that it did not.

Wouldn’t a Mars bar with nuts be a Snickers? No, of course not, that’s an entirely different breed of bar. And anyway, a Mars bar has almonds not peanuts. A Milky Way is the one without nuts, kinda like a Three Musketeers with caramel. No way, the real Milky Way is like a Three Musketeers, period. There is no caramel…

And off they went, into night in search of a Mars bar.

As it turns out, they were all right—depending on where you’re at, in the U.S. or the U.K., it is just as it was described. Now that that’s taken care of, it’s back to reinventing the world!

Molly Moon’s, I quit you.

If you’re in Wallingford for a frozen treat, forget standing in line at Molly Moon’s. Even if there isn’t a line, forget it. Instead stroll down (or up) to the Fainting Goat.

I’m not gonna beat around the bush—in terms of quality, flavor and presentation, Fainting Goat destroys Molly Moon’s.

I eat a lot of ice cream; I also eat a lot of gelato. And I do it year round. I’ve tried every ridiculous flavor at Molly Moon’s, and until Fainting Goat moved in, I thought they were a-okay, pretty good in fact. But you know how it is when something new and better comes along, the sweet seduction…it’s like a romance—you’re in it knee deep, loving every minute—until you’re not. And then, at least if you’re like me, you’re completely over it. It’s dead.

Molly Moon’s, you’re dead to me.

I want a shop with soul. You try too hard—with your silk-screened hoodies, branded ice cream scoops and oh-so minimalist décor. You’re so on point, so cool, that you’re not cool. Not anymore.

Fainting Goat, you’re the one.

Grrrrrrrrrr.

A swinging 70’s concept that never made it off the ground, the Tiger Lounge is one of my favorite classic Teague designs!

Designed to demonstrate the possibility of true in-flight comfort, the mock up featured shag carpet, a spiral staircase and a fully stock bar. I’m pretty sure there’s a few people in this photo that still work here—because we treat our designers so well some of them never leave!

IDEO’s big bowl of fruit.

I was just checking out a slideshow showcasing a few of IDEO’s global offices; they’re all pretty nice, but there was definitely a standout, Boston.

In IDEOs’ Boston studio café they’ve got some big art, and a great big bowl of fruit.  For some reason the heap of fruit seems more impressive than the art, but both are pretty great.

A few months back I saw a bowl of apples here in the kitchen—lets take a tip from our pals at IDEO and snuggle up to the softer side of produce; no one really wants to collaborate over the crunch of a Granny Smith…but a Georgia peach, maybe.

Another crap retail experience.

Dear LUSH,

I was in your Seattle Westlake store last week where I had probably the worst retail shopping experience in my entire life. I thought you might want to know.

Of special note, a hard sell coming from a teenage mouth with braces is gross.

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