innovation playground Idris Mootee

I Miss Bruce Nussabum's Business Week's Innovation Pullout So Much That I Decided To Publish A Magazine Focus On Design And Innovation.

I was having a casual dialogue with a friend/client in London about strategy making and paradox of resources management between investing in today’s business vs. tomorrow’s business. As usual I went into explaining the 50 reasons why innovation is so hard for larger organizations (and the 50 tactics to deal with each of them). There is no simple and quick answer to that question; it is like asking how a company can become more profitable. The answer is growing your top-line and control your bottom-line. That doesn’t help. The same for innovation, the quick answer from consultants is separate the business and treat it like a new venture. Well yes and no. If only if it is that simple.

The answer lies in how strategic planning is being carried out today and company quickly ignore any of non-quantitative and non-financial data. And there are a lack of tools for them to collectively imagine the futures and sense-making of massive data in large organizational settings is another challenge. And how different organizational designs can allow the strategic agility needed to cope with external shocks. There are so many things in our current management practices that are outdated and even business schools are behind. 

My friend was complaining that he didn’t find magazines such as Harvard Business Review useful or interesting to read anymore. For me, I stopped reading that about 3-4 years ago, especially after they switched to monthly from quarterly or bi-monthly and the quality of the editorial was not as good as before. At least 90% of the content are not of interest to me anymore. Not sure if it is me or it is them. But I am sure they are doing well from an advertising revenue perspectives as well as circulation, it has gone mainstream and mass market and did a great job optimization every revenue opportunities from the content. But it is no longer a publication for senior management at least that’s not what I think. But it is a solid publishing business with a healthy bottom line.

On the other hand, MIT Sloan Management Review and California Management Review have not been able to get beyond being academic journals but produce very high quality academic content. Both are more managerially friendlier than the other 100 plus academic journals basically catered for small academic communities.

Strategy+Business is the shinning star and has remained to be extremely relevant for senior corporate managers and the editorial and layout design is far better than HBR and others. I think it is the only magazine that circulation was still growing last year.  I think they get it right. I personally like the editorial direction, design and the format. There's a very consistent senior management perspective across all issues and riogr in editorial selection. And it is not academic, very practical in everysense.

Rotman’s magazine offers a lot of fresh ideas and has the most up-to-date ideas on management, although the design is pretty bad from a readability perspective. It is just difficult for me to read. I suspect their circulation base is very small.  LBS' Business Strategy Review has gone through a completely redesign and not sure why they decided to go for a smaller size, but it has become less academic and more managerially relevant, always there is a seriousness in it the LBS style. Very global in nature and almost aims solely at the C-suite and policy makers.

And then there are Fast Company, Fortune, Forbes and Business Week.  Other than Fast Company, all are very traditional business magazines and other than Fast Company, everyone is getting a bit boring. I don’t have time to read magazines, but I always love having a copy of Fast Company lying around and occasionally pick it up and scan for 5 minutes. There are also a dozen of local magazines un the UK, Netherlands and Australia on design and innovation, but they are very local in nature.

In view of that, I decided to publish our own magazines.  Here’s what I think is needed: We need a magazine that talks about innovation including design, art and business, which have traditionally been viewed as three totally different domains. There is no innovation magazine out there, Business Week used to have an innovation section which I like so much when Bruce Nussbaum was still there. That should be the future of Business Week. They missed that opporunity big time. Unfortunately Bruce left and there was a big restructuring. So far, only Fast Company is the sole business magazine that bridges the gap between design and business.

The idea of this new magazine is bring design and business together - the d-shool meets b-school idea. I want to see a magazine that is easy to read, non-academic and professionally relevant, provides alternative concepts and ideas on design, strategy and innovation, blurs the boundaries of design and business, talks design not in technical sense or as a craft but as a way of problems solving, introduce new innovation frameworks and processes to power up strategy, illustrated by contemporary photography and delivered in a cool and edgy editorial design. Some one mentioned it will be Wallpaper plus business and innovation and minus furnitures and fashion. Interesting. I do want a nice cover that makes you want to leave it on your coffee table. That’s kind of the implicit goals and will probably take us a few issues before we get it right.

Here's a frist glimpse of the cover, the cover pic was shot in Milan and the cover model was chosen from a dozen of models to best reflect elegance. The magazine name MISC stands for Movement/Intuition/Structure/Complexity. The name just came to me one night while I was talking on a conference call with a client, but I like it. First issue in newstands late Jan/early Feb 2011 in UK, US, Canada, France, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Here is a preview of the different cover designs. I am excited about it. And I really need to get some sleep.

 

 

 

Expect To See A Next Generation Of Lighter And Tougher IPads, IPhones and iMacs. All Made With Carbon Fiber.

Do you ever wonder why everything I getting lighter and lighter and that include the airplane that you fly in and your car? If you ever get a chance to fly Qantas in an A380, you’ll find the economy class seats are all carbon fiber. It is very commonly used in planes due to lightweight.

Carbon fiber is basically plastic, it refers to plastic reinforced by a graphite textile. It is also know as alternatively as carbon fiber reinforced plastic or carbon fiber composite. Carbon fiber is not cheap, but has a fantastic weight-to-strength ratio and that’s why they are used in high-quality cars, boats, bicycles, and planes, including popular Formula One racecars. A small piece can withstand an impact of many tons and still deform minimally. Carbon fiber composite is currently the best material that the world can produce in appreciable quantities. Introducing carbon nanotubes into the fiber is currently in late research stages, and may offer improved ratios of 10 times or greater – a space age material indeed.

Apple engineer Kevin M. Kenney sees the future of carbon fiber and tablets, they are applying for a patent called simply "Reinforced Device Housing" that describes a way for various weaves to be backed by carbon "spine" to provide greater torsional rigidity -- to keep you from twisting it and cracking an LCD. Imagine the next generation of lightweight iPad, iMac and iPhone. IMac is still have a weight and heat issue. In face, Panasonic started making a ultra lightweight laptop many years back, but not for export. Some needs to overcome the perception that plastic is cheap as this is no ordinary plastic. Sony as early as 2005 launched two new VAIO TX series notebooks both made of carbon fiber making them the strongest and lightest with the least amount of thickness. They were ahead of Apple.

Apple’s patent text is pretty broad and it raises some issue: Embodiments may house any number of electronic components. For example, certain embodiments may be used to form the exterior surface of a mobile telephone, a laptop or notebook computer, a tablet computing device, a desktop computer, a television, a stereo receiver, or practically any other electronic device. Expect to see a generation of lighter and stronger Mac products soon.

For Now Tablet Is Dominated By iPad, And Then There Are Hundreds Of Others Who Want A Piece Of The Action.

Microsoft just posted a really good quarter and has been openly criticized for its lack of strategy in the tablet market and other consumer market. This software giant has failed to innovate in many fronts despite massive resources and strong talent based. The company has also failed to create any buzz on their product launches; you wonder what is not working with this company. It is not lack of money for sure, and not about lack of talent either.

The iPod has only been on the market for half a year, the buzz has quiet down but adoption is high and broad unlike previous products. This is an instant success and looks like no one us close to being a threat. Though Samsung, LG, HTC, Dell, HP and Lenovo, and others are unveiling their own tablets, no on has the advantage of full software and hardware integration. Apple's complete integration of hardware, software, operating system, and applications is a major competitive advantage.

Many think Galaxy is only potential threat to Apple. The Galaxy's screen has about three times the surface area of typical smart phones, including the phone. When it comes to tablet features and performance, here's how the Galaxy measures up to the iPad. The Galaxy is about the size of large paperbacks and don’t expect battery to last more than 8 hrs.

Samsung has identified two problems to solve as a competitive weapon to compete against iPad. First is flash. And then the other is face-to-face communication. The Galaxy has two cameras, one facing you and the other facing away, and you can use the Qik app to videoconference with other online members. This is an attractive feature and for sure will be matched quickly.

There are a handful of Qik enabled phones out there, but it still hard to find someone to talk than using Skype. iPad2 might incorporate a camera and FaceTime. Android have more apps, above100, 000 apps but the proportion of high-quality apps that you have to pay for has not gone up significantly. Apple leans way the other way on this, limiting some of its 300,000 apps solely to iPad distribution. And most are willing to apps for the iPad. Mobile usage has become pervasive. Mobile devices (smart phones, tablets and whatever in between) will be experienced dramatic evolution in the next 5 years. It is the new competitive ground and becoming a real category on its own rather than something as complimentary to the PCs.

These tablets or large smart phones are fast becoming mini-computers with nearly 13 million iPads shipped this year and expect to grow 3x next year. These tablets’ bigger screens promise more immersive experiences for marketers. The web will become more app like and the user experiences will converge. I can see tons of innovation opportunities to drive new behavior. It is so easy to view content on iPad and people considered that as less private, and more willing to share. 2-3 users sitting in a coffee shop can easily view the screen. And as a shared device, the iPad invites social interaction and imagine design apps for real life social interactions rather than virtual. A game that can be passed around and played or something that people can use in a retail environment, sort of self-help navigation in mall and view merchandise and promotions etc. I can come up with another ten scenarios.

I am looking forward to see the Blackberry Tablet rumored to cost just under $500. The PlayBook will have a smaller screen than the iPad (7-inch PlayBook versus 9.7-inch iPad), and there won't be a 3G option (it shouldn’t as it should use the BlackBerry connection). The screen resolution will be similar the iPad, but will translate to more pixels per inch. The PlayBook will also have bigger ram than the iPad (1GB PlayBook versus 256MB iPad), and RIM also included in two cameras (5MP back, 3MP front). I think this is useful for BalackBerry users like me and will guaranteed a minimum adoption. Great, now I’ve got one more thing to add to my briefcase.

Spend A Few Hours Here Should Earn You 2 Credits For Your BA In Design. i Want To Make This Place My Office.

Whenever I go I love to hand around cool places ..and cool people. As the last stop of the 5 countires business trip (Germany,Italy,Japan,China and Korea), I get half a day to visit a few cool places. Seoul is not Paris or London, but I still manage to find a few unique places to do some work. This is aA Design Musem/Cafe, and it is a must see in Seoul, you need places like this to remind you there is life beyond concrete buildings.

It is not so easy to find but it is worth the trouble. It is located in a side street between HAPJEONG and HONGDAE, you will see an old three storied building and go up stairs you will see the entrance. Everywhere is full of chairs and I love chairs and I have collected a few dozens over the years, but this guy the owner is a chair lunatic. You can practically find any chairs you can imagine (except the electric one) from different periods from modern vintage to modern Bauhaus to Scandinavian and art nouveau.

The café is nice with both small tables and a few communal tables and there is a parquet floor (like a raised ‘study area’ in a library) for people to sit and work with their laptops and provides the best view of the entrance and main seating area below. The café floor is a cavernous, double height room with exposed cement walls; there is also an outdoor space that is roughly half the size of the ground level and covered with a solid canopy.

The place is not busy, I am not sure becaue I was visiting in a Monday or because the museum hasn't yet opened. Their plan is to have shop, bookstore and exhibition space. This is no Dean and Deluca, this is one of the coolest cafés I’ve seen in the world, yes I’ve seen many. The menu is small but good enough.

This is not a place that wants to be famous for its food. The basement will be used for the museum space, which won’t open until June 2011. The curator Jung Kyung Suh gave me a quick tour and it is a treasure room, everywhere scattered with funky furniture pieces and there is a giant hanging shark in the middle of the space. Unfortunately it was dark there so I couldn’t take more photos.

This will be my hang out place in Seoul just as Ace in New York. My social space is getting smaller and smaller, we’re talking about a dozen of places in major cities. What do I care, as long as there is Facebook.

You Can Criticize South Koreans For The Lack Of Creativity, But You Cannot Criticize Their Hospitality. I Think They Beat The Japanese.

Seoul is really a surprisingly friendly place. It was a surprise even for me as I am so used to different hospitable culture. Despite the city is a little too much concrete and dull, the younger generations of Koreans are bringing life to the city. They are different from the Shinsedae (means new generation in Korea in the 80s) who are now older, the current generation of young people is technologically savvy, heavily immersed in consumption both material and cultural and they are the first generation who have the opportunity to travel abroad for visit or study with the liberalization of overseas travel and the advent of an era of information and communications. Funny after the first day of meeting till 7pm started right when I arrived the afternoon, my Korean friends conmplained the next day they were tired and I worked them too hard. Funny coming from a Korean.

I think the Korean hospitality is worth a mention, here are my three stories happened the last few days. Despite the language barrier, people went all the way to help me as a foreigner. There is something about Korean hospitality that is little known.

I was looking for the location of University of Seoul and I went into a tailor shop to ask for direction, he didn’t understand what I was saying so he bought me to another tailor shop (custom made suit) and the guy called another person to the store. After 5 minutes of Korean conversation (no idea what they were saying), he picked up the phone and then there was a male voice speaking English on the other side. I told him where I was going and next thing was, the tailor shop owner closed the shop and walked 30 minutes to show me where the school is. I felt bad he actually had to walk that far to show me the place. He was probably around 45, and didn’t speak a word of English.

Then the next day I was looking for this tiny place that I was supposed to meet my friends after they’re done with the G20, no taxi driver can find it even with detail address. I stopped and asked 2 young guys on the street, they pulled out their iPhones and then looked it up for me, didn’t get it as I might not have the English spelling of the street right, then he stopped another two girls on the street, in 5 minutes I have 4 people searching on their iPhones to help me to locate the place. Not sure you will get the same service in a 5 stars hotel in the US or Europe. So when you travel to Seoul, there is no need to bring a map. These young people can communicate in English and all equipped with smart phones to help. Anything you need they have a widget for it.

Yesterday, The third one is I was having a quick lunch in a small Italian place before rushing to a meeting, there was a song playing in the restaurant that I really like. So I asked the waiter who’s the singer. Two minutes later the chef came out and turned on an app in his iPhone, he said it listened and then searched for the artist name. Didn’t work for the first time, then he bought out another person with the same app and tried again near the speakers, it worked this time. The hospitality is not trained, it is truly authentic. He is not a hotel concierge he is the chef.

I feel there is no distance between them and me even there is a language barrier. I have never experienced that level of authentic and sincere hospitality. And yes, they even give out free hugs. I didn't experience thta as I was in a rush, next time. Also, I'd prefer to have a few girls to chose from. This is no Thailand or Japan where everyone is polite and smiles at you. They did that because you’re a tourist or a customer or because they were taught to be polite, this is not the case. The only disappointment is taxi drivers usually don’t speak any English and don’t know the city well. In London, they know the city inside out, but not here. I don’t know why Samsung or LG can easily solve this problem, a voice based language translator in every taxi. Type in the text on your mobile phone and it will be translated and broadcasted to the taxi’s radio.

But in generally, there is still a deep-rooted conservatism in the Korean culture, even for the young people. The government is doing everything they can to encourage creativity and entrepreneurialism, with some success, but still a long way to go.

When Obama praised the Korean education system came as a surprise to many South Koreans at that time as the country's education system has been under intensed public criticism due to its lack of creativity and heavy dependence on private tutoring. In fact, very common among Asia. Keep in mind that Western social and political values such as democracy, individualism, the equality of the sexes, and national self-determination were only introduced by late 19th century Korean reformers and foreign missionaries, who made profound, affect upon the development of Korean education and cultural values. These concepts have played an increasingly prominent role in South Korean life the last few decades. Have talked to more a half dozen of local design professionals to get a sense of their views on design and art and the changing Korean culture, that’s a next post. Need to catch my flight.

Now Everyone From Samsung to Nokia and LG Is In A Perpetual Competitive Race To Get The Next Gadget Out In The Market. It Is Becoming Crazy.

My last stop before heading home is Seoul, a few more meetings and I am ready to head back. Only today I managed to take a few hours off and visited some art galleries. Korea is really trying to become a key player in the world of design, so much goverment money is pouring into supporting the industries.  The emphasis on design is very much focused on industrial, brand and graphics and not a higher leve of design thinking and applications. They are at least 5-7 years ahead of China and Taiwan. They should be starting from understanding that the design is not only part of industrial/economic policy but a strategic capability to affect all areas of industries and national competitiveness.

For those of you that are gadgets lover, we’re stuck with a constant upgrade cycles and every 6 or 9 months we ask ourselves the question: Do we the new iPhone 5 or iPlate or iGlasses or the new Blackberry Torch or Thunder or Storm? The strive to do more with gadgets and inventing new features and functions and even applications are making our life easier, but not most of the time. These companies are, and will forever be, in a perpetual competitive race to release the next gadget, phone or software that will revolutionize (and complicate) our lives.

Retailers, consumers and carriers are all stuck in between their wars in this age of technology. Nowadays, technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that causing many companies to win fast and lose fast. The game of business is now like currencies trading and highly leveraged. There are no signs of any slowing down. I think at some point it will hurt PC and netbooks will be obsolete. Chocolate Agency (China) will be introducing the futuristic mobile phone that is green and beautiful. Samsung, Nokia and LG phones will intensify the innovation battle, Motorola is trying for a comeback.

Everything here is all touch; everyone I’ve seen the last two week in Japan and Korea is using some touch phones. Samsung launched a full-touch cell phone "Nori" designed for women. The product's name Nori is from the pronunciation of a Korean word, which means play. Typically Asian style, the exterior of the phone reminds you of a cute toy. You can put character stickers on both front and back of the phone, and 3D motion photo function enables you to convert 2D pictures to stereo ones.

And LG launched the first full-touch cell phone "XOXO" with the highest resolution for female consumers that featuring a collaboration with the fashion brand "Lovcat". A heart which is the Lovcat's symbol is printed on the case. It is the attempt to position the phone as more of a designer bag. Very Asian idea but will work here.

And then there are other addons one such as the ZTE Peel available for $80. The Peel is a custom-developed case for Apple's iPod Touch that adds 3G radio capabilities to the Touch, but no voice services. The Peel connects to 3G data network and creates a Wi-Fi mobile hotspot, allowing the iPod Touch and one other device to access the Internet via Wi-Fi. No contract is required. It is compatible with Windows and Apple computers, and offers up to 3 hours of battery life. Want to see one that adds Voice capability to iPad.

Japan's Structural Barriers To Innovation Is Hurting Them. Korea And China Are Just Around The Corner Ready To Take Over.

It is nice to be back in Japan this week although I am just here for 3 days and off to Seoul. Went to this restaurant in Subuya,impressive design where the kitchen is raised and opened like a theater and the manager is the conductor. Although he looks more like a headmaster standing on a podium. I wish the chefs can come out and sing a tune or two once 30 minutes.

I used to spend a lot of time in Tokyo 15 years back and it was probably the most innovative city in the world for a long time. Is this still the case? I don’t think so. Many ask me the question why is Japan so innovative and at the same time so conservative? Obviously many top Japanese companies are struggling with the speed of change outside Japan as well as the switch to software-based competition. As a gadget geek, Japan was a paradise I don’t find much excitement these days when I walk the streets of Akihabara, I feel they are now years behind the curve. May be because I am ahead of the curve or my expectations need to be managed.

Here I define innovation as "the application of knowledge in a novel way, primarily for economic benefit," Japan, Switzerland, the United States and Sweden used to the top, I think Korea and China is quickly moving up on the list. Japan as a resource-poor economy has long taken an 'innovate or die' approach, but the legacies is hurting them. China is not the second largest investment in research second only to the US, and Europe is still in a catch-up.

Things are doing wll here. At least this chain of used goods department store are growing. This is the first in the world I think. Why Japan struggles with innovation? It is not the lack of technical expertise, hard work or creativity.

First, there is the curse of large domestic market and combine with intense local competition, the executives of these large Japanese companies cannot afford the distraction. Second, many of the mental models of design in Japan do not transfer to overseas, it is basically exporting the Japanese behavior and hopefully it will be picked up elsewhere. And third, the obsession with quality has prevented many Japanese companies to successfully compete time-based. Plus the country’s working population is shrinking daily and has the oldest population on record. The people are living comfortable but not as rich as they were in the 1980s and domestic consumption was once the lifeblood of the Japanese economy. Manufacturing (hardware) is moving overseas to China, Thailand and Malaysia and the components are from everywhere. The high value work are the concept development and interface/software design, US is still the leader. South Korea has usurped Japan's seat as the leading consumer electronics maker or on its way.  I think all Japanese consumer electronics giants need to seriously rethink their long term strategy, reimagine their future, restructure and reset.

Maison Moschino Milano - Il Mio Tipo Di Hotel! The Boutique Hotel Craps From Big Chains Are Bascially 4 Stars Fast Food.

Boutique hotel is my thing, it is not about being cool or be seen, I’ve passed that stage and it is not about the brand. Do I care if it is W or X or Y? I am sick of staying at the Sheraton or Marriot of the world, it is not only depressing, it reminds me that I am another those global travelers without a life. Although that’s not quite the case. I travel around the world for a reason, a good one. It is my job. And I am a byproduct of globalization. With a handful of passports, hotel loyalty cards and Facebook contacts (used to be Roladex), I am at home anywhere in the world.

I like boutique hotels because it reminds me that life can be special, there is more to it. It is about reflecting individual’s style, it is about efficiencies and it is about design. For me, I have a handful of favorites but ACE is on my top ten lists, Morgan’s is nice. I am definitely add Moschino Milano to the list. And that’s where I am staying this week. Maison Moschino is located in the old neoclassical railway station on Viale Monte Grappa. The four (or five?)story building has 54 and a few suites each with its own unique look. Rossella Jardini and the Moschino creatives designed the space themselves with whimsical fairy-tale rooms like the petal bedroom shown at right. I think there are 16 styles of rooms (vs. one in Sheraton or Marriot) My favorite is the box room.

The next one for me to check out will be the Christian Lacroix hotel. I love the flouncy and bright fashion style, the Hotel du Petit Moulin is in the Marais district of Paris. Lacroix has decorated each of the boutique hotel's 17 rooms . differently mixing various time periods and styles in riotous combination. Toile on one wall, a space mural on the next, a lipstick red bathroom and liberal use of color is cool. It is the opposite of the minimalist style which I still like.

And for London, I don’t stay in hotel there (since I usually stay with family) so no luck to taste the best in boutique hotels. The one that I really want to try is 40 winks. It is a great idea by interior designer David Carter. It is a great place for magazine photograhy. Carter is now offering his two spare bedrooms to paying guests on a B&B basis. Yes two rooms and no TVs. Carter is also happy to arrange visits from beauty therapists and reflexologists for those in need. If I am living in London, that’s probably what I would do two, rent out two rooms and one is D-school room and the other is you-know-what, B-school room. The dining room is where D-school meets B-school. I can arrange visits from organizational psychologists and behavioral economists for those in need.

Honestly, I have enough of the boutique craps from the big chains, they are still better than their main stream brands. Those are killing the minute I walk into a lobby. They are like 3 stars fast food chain that offers a bed too. Another big problems are the fact that all hotels seem identical, few incorporating local features or better to say local flavors.