In today’s day and age, it is all about extraordinary experiences. Younger consumers have high expectations and like to see out of the box thinking. As the consumer market grows in saturation, brands must come up with new, refreshing strategies to stand out and entice their customers.
Partnerships and collaborations have always existed because it is a great marketing and advertising strategy to boost awareness and break into new markets for both parties. For a partnership to work, it must be a mutually beneficial arrangement. However, cross-industry partnerships have been booming in the last few years where unexpected brands from different fields come together to create unique products and experiences.
Not only are they tapping into new customer bases, there is a certain novelty factor when customers are surprised with limited edition collections or one-off collaborations. …
It is hardwired in our DNA to constantly compare. We might think that we have something that works great and fits the needs, but when we discover something better, instantly the previous item is discarded and replaced. With all design constantly trying to be “better”, it would seem difficult for there ever to be a resolved solution.
Perception is a fundamental of great design that is key to interpreting and understanding. As humans, we are accustomed to distorting reality to create new ones for ourselves. When a new update or better product is released, we instantly think of the older versions as “bad” but if we had not known about the new improvements, we would have remained satisfied with our existing products. If we were to continuously design a “better” solution, there would be no end to finding a resolved solution to the problem. Instead, we should be trying to design perceptions.
I was once part of…
Universal design principles — we all follow them, sometimes even guilty of assuming it applies to everything, whether it is a shopping app for the Chinese market or a food delivery app for the European market. It is not unusual to forget that cultures are an important context that underlines user-centric design.
Within each culture, there are different types of behaviours, habits and influences that define people. Applying one, universal design principle to every culture is not possible.
Recognising the need is the primary condition for design. The details are details. They make the product. The connections, the connections, the connections.
— Charles Eames
As highlighted by Google Interaction Designer, Min-sang Choi in an Awwwards talk, a common argument for any design is “it’s better than…” but the key here is to question what, or who? What are you comparing to? Forget cities and countries but consider target markets in a more…
It has always been the mystery million dollar question where both sides have provided plenty of arguments as to why designers should, or should not code. Rather than write an extensive, lengthy response on this never-ending debate, here are my simple, personal two cents on the matter.
There are mostly two types of people during the recent COVID-19 lockdown. The Chilly Millies who are enjoying some personal time alone, taking things easy and the Go Getters who are busy getting the most out of it by building on self development or learning a new skill.
Wedged between the two, I found myself taking up several online courses to give something new a go — coding. It has been a solid month of intense self learning everyday. However, when I woke up this morning, it felt more like one of the odd Chilly Milly days. …
Inspiration is all around us. As designers, we are used to different ways of thinking and approaching complex problems. Like the tools in a plumber’s tool box, we all have our varied methods of working. Some are common knowledge, others are combinations of our own processes and experiences.
The Flâneur, or flâneuse (female equivalent) is a French word that means “stroller” or “lounger”. Historically, they were representatives of the urban higher class with the freedom to wander detached from society for the purposes of acute observation. Being a flaneur carried all sorts of rich connotations — urban explorer, idler and man of leisure.
The main purpose is to wander, without any real objectives though, it is the opposite to doing nothing. According to Honoré de Balzac, Flânerie is “the gastronomy of the eye”. Walter Benjamin, German Jewish philosopher described the flaneur as a modern urban spectator and investigator…
Cassandra Tang
A multidisciplinary designer who is fascinated by experimentation, human behaviour and sushi. http://cassandratang.me
