when voyages-sncf.com surprises a few travellers | Comments: 0

Should you book your French train ticket on the main online reseller, you might end up with a surprise. :-)

Should you book your French train ticket on the main online reseller, you might end up with a surprise. :-)


How to innovate in Education using less square footage | Comments: 0

The International Institute of Multimedia in Paris asked me to participate to a brainstrom : "how can we innovate in education using less square footage". As I could'nt make it to the brainstorm, I put together a presentation, and as I did

The International Institute of Multimedia in Paris asked me to participate to a brainstrom : "how can we innovate in education using less square footage". As I could'nt make it to the brainstorm, I put together a presentation, and as I did it for free, I'm sharing it with you guys.


when Andreas Lutz makes you all zen | Comments: 0

With this website that allows you to navigate through your microphone and your webcam, you will, if you are anything like me, a sense of zen. Changing the music ambiance with a slow wave of the hand, reminds me of a tai-chi session. Try it for

Move your hand slowly to change the music ambiance

With this website that allows you to navigate through your microphone and your webcam, you will, if you are anything like me, a sense of zen.

Changing the music ambiance with a slow wave of the hand, reminds me of a tai-chi session.

Try it for yourself : www.andreaslutz.com


when it's all about having to make a choice | Comments: 0

I know. What about you? What are you?

Team Edward or team Jacob, Mac or Pc, iPhone or Blackberry, Html5 or Flash, Rice or pasta....

  • I know.

What about you? What are you?


when Rory Sutherland calls Experience Designers, Small Detail Officers | Comments: 0

Rory Sutherland, in this video, describes my dilemna when it comes to creating a new job title. And asks how we could call it. Through a series of examples like those Virgin Atlantic Salt and Pepper Sets that everyone want to snitch at some point.

Rory Sutherland, in this video, describes my dilemna when it comes to creating a new job title. And asks how we could call it.

Through a series of examples like those Virgin Atlantic Salt and Pepper Sets that everyone want to snitch at some point. They hold an inscription underneath that says "Stolen from Virgin Atlantic".

Lydmar Hotel, ambiance music buttons in the elevator

Or this other example of the elevator at the Lydmar Hotel in Stockholm that by choosing your floor, you also set the music ambiance.

He also gives an example of an NGO offering a kilo of lentils to every mother that brought her family to get an inoculation.

To him, should it be in marketing or NGO's, it's about putting small things together that can make a big difference, almost a butterfly effect.

He asked in his speech, how this job should be called. He comes up with Small detail officers, in the 190 comments, you can read 

- art,

- ingenuity,

- design,

practicality, 

- common sense,

CED (Chief Executive of Detail) ,

- anti-institution,

- elegance,

- butterflies.


Well, my new job description could be Emotional Leverage Officer

To him, small things are much more potent when it comes to marking your users memory.  And I agree. :-)


when Apple has a new foe | Comments: 0

You know how much story telling there is in Apple communication. I hadn't realized what was the other great advantage of fighting putting Flash on iPhone & iPad, apart from the obvious business related (you can get a lot of games, tv shows and

You know how much story telling there is in Apple communication.

I hadn't realized what was the other great advantage of fighting putting Flash on iPhone & iPad, apart from the obvious business related (you can get a lot of games, tv shows and music for free is you have Flash and Silverlight), performance reasons (Flash is not good for the planet). I see another benefice of this choice, they have a new foe, a new battle to fight. Creating along side millions of people, commenting and taking sides.

In Steve Jobs' last sentence in his now famous "Thoughts on Flash", he might as well have throw down a glove

I find it utterly entertaining, whenever I witness debates among tech teams. The dilemna is so big, being forced to take sides. So many emotions, frustrations, allies and antagonists emerging.

As the battle PC-Mac / iPhone-Blackberry are still continuing amoung users, Apple has created a new one.

It's plain beautiful story telling, as good as Jacob and Edward. Are we going to see Team HTML 5 and Team Flash t-shirt appear?

It's about having the strength to say "no"

Showing personality, whether you are a person or a corporation, is about what you say "No" to.

If Steve Jobs says "no" to Flash, you, what do you say "no" to?


when writing a novel turns out to be a wonderful experience | Comments: 0

Here a preview of my upcoming novel. To me a novelist is the ultimate experience designer, out of the most commun technology, you can find out there these days, the author can get you to cry, laugh, feel heart broken, have you hope and fear... for a

Here a preview of my upcoming novel.

To me a novelist is the ultimate experience designer, out of the most commun technology, you can find out there these days, the author can get you to cry, laugh, feel heart broken, have you hope and fear... for a fictional character.

The other thing, I find amazing, is how one person can sometimes make such a big difference. It's not like a film, it doesn't take hundred of people and millions in budget to get the product to exist.

My research in how emotion emerge, has taken me into studying the anatomy of best-selling novels and blockbusters. One thing, leading to another, I thought, why not me, could I also create a whole new world, characters that you love, others that you hate, could I make people laugh, wonder, hope and fear for my characters... could I get people to trade a few nights sleeps for a fabulous adventure in another universe? Could I create a fiction that make you glad that you have a 5 hour train ride? Could I write a book that there is "no way" you are going to forget home?

Anyhow, I don't know if readers will feel all those emotions, but I do know that I really enjoy the proccess of writing it. It fascinates me how I'm starting to really love some of my characters.

The other day, I was re-reading the lastest chapter, conscious that I still hadn't written the rest. If I had turned the page, there was nothing to be read. Yet, I felt the urge, the compulsion to read what was coming next. Cool, hein? :-)

I sit down twice a day on my computer, with now the same desire... to find out what's coming next. I spend bus ride and any available minute of my time, creating metaphores and situations I could be using in my book.

I have challenged myself to write it in English. After Google define and translate for synonymes and spell checks, let me introduce you to my new friends:

Both of them, help me find the appropriate words, cultivate diversity amoung my vocabulary.

Having this project, makes me more aware of how others write. I feel like, just by having this project, I improve my writing skills. I have a nephew who is going to spend a few days with me on vacations, I'm going to try to have him write his own story. I bet his spelling is going to improve way faster than with normal class.

My other, best friend in this project is the website 750words.com but I'll write a whole post describing how wonderful it's been to me. And for that website, I have to thank a tangible friend, Nathalie Magniez, the nut grinder of information.

My goal is to have it finished and edited by Sept 1st, 2010. Here is the official countdown:


when Seth Godin says "Choose to be extraordinary and the rest will follow" | Comments: 0

Interview by Lucky Jean Noël Chaintreuil. "Choose to be extraordinary and the rest will follow" Seth Godin. In his last book, Linchpin, Seth Godin encourages us, to do more than what we are asked for. To choose to make the experience feel

Interview by Lucky Jean Noël Chaintreuil.

"Choose to be extraordinary and the rest will follow" Seth Godin.

In his last book, Linchpin, Seth Godin encourages us, to do more than what we are asked for. To choose to make the experience feel different and therefore create products and services that are worth more than customers paid for.

He argues, in this video (6:53) as well as in the book, that in order to leap into unbeaten tracks, probably more appropriate ones, we have to accept the fact that we might be laughed at. He adds, that our brain is hard wired to avoid being the source of ridicule. Therefore should we want to realize who we are, in our uniqueness, we have to face that reptilian brain of ours, because this is were the real foe resides.

And, I have to admin, I know what that feels like. :-)


when setting the date gets excitment pumping | Comments: 0

As of today, there is 1 day and 17 hours before The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, a Twilight novella is out. 26 days to go before the 3rd episode of the Twilight saga is out in theaters. 7 days to go before the kick-off of the soccer world cup.

bree-twilight.jpg

As of today, there is 1 day and 17 hours before The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, a Twilight novella is out.

Eclipse-countdown.jpg 26 days to go before the 3rd episode of the Twilight saga is out in theaters.

fifa-south-africa.jpg 7 days to go before the kick-off of the soccer world cup.

toy-story-countdown.jpg 15 days to go before the release of Toy Story 3 in theaters.

harry-potter-Orlando.jpg 15 days to go to the grand opening of Harry Potter Theme Park in Orlando.

iphone-4g.jpg

wwdc.jpg 4 days to go, before the new Apple keynotes, would there be an iPhone 4G? A white one? What a suspens!

Countdowns are usually fan made. If you google "countdown twilight", you will see how many websites, mention them.

Setting an official release date is always a good idea, to keep your team focus as well as stiring up the crowds with buzzing speculations. Smilies appearing in blog posts, witnesses of the excitment.

Creating an official countdown is probably a good idea as you keep the control over what to show once the countdown is over. The main feature to consider is a sharing button allowing it to be shared on social platforms and blogs. The Bree Tannen count down is actually a pretty good one. Narrowed width countdowns are also great, as you want them to be place in the right column in blogs, therefore they will usually show on every single page of that blog.

The countdown and the actual announcement of official release dates allow to create some "new" out of pretty much nothing. And that is always a good idea for production teams.

If you are a fan of any of the things above, I bet your heart started to pump harder at some point. Excitment, expectation, questions...all firing in you. A part of your brain, probably organizing how you're going to go about it. Organize a trip, tell a friend,...

Isn't that great? :-) And what about you, where is your countdown?


when you first experience an iPad | Comments: 0

When you first experience an iPad, you turn it around, you say "hellloo" while putting it up to your ear, you play on car games turning around the iPad as if it was a steering wheel and bang, it hits you: you see a scratch on your screen.

illus-ipadA.gif

When you first experience an iPad, you turn it around, you say "hellloo" while putting it up to your ear, you play on car games turning around the iPad as if it was a steering wheel and bang, it hits you: you see a scratch on your screen. Your heart misses a beat and you are filled with dispear and disbelief... I might be going overboard here. :-) Anyway, after a few moments, you realize that it's just the wallpaper that has trails on it and that your new, particularly expensive, toy is safe. Ouff.

The scratch-like marks are the trails left by stars, as the picture Pyramide Lake, was taken, with long shutter speed, by photograph Richard Misrach. Click here to read the story of how this picture ended up as the wallpaper of 2010 trendiest piece of technology. It's pretty nice.

Did they do it on purpose?

There is definitly some experience design here. Experience is about ups and downs, it's not all about ups. This scare brings an added sense of fragility to the piece of equipment. I wonder if they did it on purpose. Did they choose to show fake scratches on the screen to warn people of what would happen to their iPad if they didn't treat it with cushion?

Here is the culprit of those few missing heartbeats that are to happen around the world : Pyramid_Lake_at_Night_2004.jpg Photo by Richard Misrach, of course.


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Our publications

Intellectual tourist city guides to San Francisco, Geneva, Paris....

We publish every 3 new moon, a publication (?). Next one: Intellectual tourist city guide to Geneva, fev 13, 2010. How exciting!


and then: LeBrandLoveMeter, let's measure the love of the crowds for brands.

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Kenazart Experience Designers

adds a little sugar to sturdy products.

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Have your users make that face

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