Published inMagnetic Notes·Dec 152 things I learned in 2023This year I worked on fascinating projects in food, media, storytelling, AI and health at Magnetic, and learned many learnings. In a recent experiment, “a group of domesticated birds were taught to call one another on tablets and smartphones.” They enjoyed it and made new friendships. [Schuyler Velasco] A group…52 Things7 min read52 Things7 min read
Published inMagnetic Notes·Dec 1, 202252 things I learned in 2022This year I worked on fascinating projects in energy, media and health* at Magnetic, and learned many learnings. A bolt of lightning contains about ¼ of a kilowatt-hour of power. Even with recent energy price rises, it’s only worth about 9 pence. [Sarah Jensen — although other sources suggest bigger…6 min read6 min read
Published inMagnetic Notes·Dec 1, 202152 things I learned in 2021This year I edited another book, worked on fascinating projects at Fluxx, and learned many learnings. Every day, one million people upload pictures of their coffee grinds to the Turkish app Faladdin and get a personalised fortune reading back in 15 minutes. [Kaya Genç] In the early 19th century, cowpox…Innovation6 min readInnovation6 min read
Published inMagnetic Notes·Nov 30, 202110 lessons in productivity and brainstorming from The BeatlesThe first part of Peter Jackson’s epic Beatles documentary Get Back is a masterclass in facilitation and creative management. Paul McCartney tries a stoned, grumpy band through writing, arranging, recording and performing dozens of songs within a short deadline. He’s using the Design Thinking playbook, 20 years before it was…Design Thinking6 min readDesign Thinking6 min read
Published inMagnetic Notes·May 9, 2021The how and why of Net ZeroHow organisations are creating movements for change — Back in early 2020, as the pandemic hit, businesses found themselves turned upside down almost overnight. Companies delivered a decade’s worth of digital transformation in a week. We all changed the way we work, probably forever. As customer priorities changed, companies changed their products and services, faster than they’d ever…Innovation5 min readInnovation5 min read
Published inMagnetic Notes·Dec 14, 2020Our future isn’t necessarily mobileSharon Cooper of the The Economist Intelligence Unit on AI, building new products and taking Thursday night drinks global Experimenting with new ideas inside one of the world’s most recognisable brands is never going to be easy. Enter Sharon Cooper; Chief Digital Office at The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Sharon has incredible foresight and a brilliant track record of experimenting and leading change with a clear focus on modernising…Product Development3 min readProduct Development3 min read
Published inMagnetic Notes·Dec 1, 202052 things I learned in 2020This year I edited another book, worked on fascinating projects at Magnetic, and learned many learnings. Most cities plant only male trees because it’s expensive to clear up the fruit that falls from female trees. Male trees release pollen, and that’s one of the reasons your hay fever is getting…Innovation7 min readInnovation7 min read
Published inDebugger·Aug 16, 2020How to Build a Very Slow Movie Player for £120 in 2020Ambient home cinema was the perfect lockdown project — In December 2018, Bryan Boyer published “Creating a Very Slow Movie Player.” It’s a wonderful essay about light and Brasília and architecture. Boyer describes building an e-paper display that shows films at 24 frames per hour, rather than 24 frames per second. …Makers8 min readMakers8 min read
Published inMusic Thing Modular Notes·May 10, 2020Human-sized musical interfaces 🎛This year I’ve been thinking about scale. Miniaturisation is unstoppable, but maybe there’s a way we can have our cake and eat it. — Eurorack6 min readEurorack6 min read
Published inMagnetic Notes·Dec 2, 201952 things I learned in 2019This year I edited another book, worked on fascinating projects at Magnetic, and learned many learnings. [NPR’s Planet Money covered this year’s list in Episode 959: Things We Learned in 2019] Each year humanity produces 1,000 times more transistors than grains of rice and wheat combined. [Mark P Mills] The…Innovation8 min readInnovation8 min read
