WALTER AMERIKA BLOGS

WHAT SCHOOLS DON'T TEACH. AND IS THAT A BAD THING?

Code.org is a non profit foundation dedicated to growing computer education. Their goals? Spreading the word that there is a worldwide shortage of computer programmers basically. And that it therefor should be part of any curriculum in any school. I am not so sure yet to agree on this. Obviously technology is omnipresent in our daily lives, but so is food for instance. Or money. And there certainly is a need to educate ourselves and our children on all these subjects in a general way. Writing code is a specific skill belonging that is becoming more mainstream. True. But making it compulsary, is leaving out something else out of the curriculum. I see the point, but somewhere in the back of my mind there's doubt. Anyway, have a look and tell me what you think... 

 

A Thousand and One Retail Stories?

    

Just arrived back from a four day stay in Istanbul. On invitation of the Masters Department of Dutch Fashion Academy ArtEZ and Istanbul Fashion Academy IMA, who started a research project called Crafted Retail, I gave a keynote on socio-economic trends and did workshops on the changing retail landscape there. 

13 million registered inhabitants (unofficially they speak of 18 million( and growing. Rapidly. Every hour 14 people more. At least up to 2025 is the prediction. A city full of contrasts, like any with that size. Huge wealth, great poverty. An unemployment rate of about 12% and a average income which is more than half less  of that of Berlin for instance*. 

One of the most interesting questions to be answered concerning emerging economies is whether or not they are simply going to be duplicating Western market standards or going to find new hybrid forms of mixing longstanding traditional learning’s with innovative 21st century possibilities. And if they do, will that create a socio-economic advantage in a globalized playing field.

Turkey in this respect is especially interesting because it is a predominantly free market economy, with a strong entrepreneurial sense. Istanbul, being one of Europe’s largest urban agglomerations, is therefor the place to conduct research on topics like niche versus mass, craft versus commodity or product versus service.

How do the existing textiles and crafts industries within Istanbul connect with upcoming fashion and design retail needs and demands? Which creative (design, fashion, architecture) retail stories are there to be told, which unique experiences are there to be encountered and which creative concepts are there yet to be brought alive? Hopefully the combined talents of the Dutch and Turkish students will provide some interseting insights in all these questions. As far as I experienced during the workshops they were on the right track. 

Andy Warhol goes to church

Went to see Andy Warhol's famous Last Supper in the New Church in Amsterdam. It is the only piece of art in display in this beautiful church right on Dam square in the middle of the city. And my expectations were high, especially because it is based on (or copied from if you like) Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece. So being, like many, inspired by both (although more by good old Leo to be frank) I bought my ticket just before closing time. I had twenty minutes max to admire it. After ten I was done. It failed to grab me, although the pink glow was unusal in this setting. Purple is a color I associate with western religion, but pink...?

The only thing that struck me as interesting was the horizontal stretch of the painting. Somehow I had in the back of my mind that was the original seize. Which isn't because Warhol doubled the picture (as he did with many of his paintings). And for some reason this size seems more appropriate. The wider the better I would say. Guess I have to go to Italy now to see the real thing in Milan, next time I'm there.

 

History of the future (hoax or not)

Some things belongs to a generation. Although most of the music festivals like Woodstock at the end sixties I would love to experienced myself, I was simply to young. Had to wait till the mid seventies for my first Lou Reed concert. But at the age of ten I fully witnessed the first landing on the moon. For me as a young kid who had read Jules Verne this was the real thing: Neil Armstrongs small step (or giant leap). The future had landed. 

Last week Scott McKenzie died, singer of the Flower Power anthem 'San Francisco' (if you're going, be sure to wear a flower in your hair). I know the song, but the moment then was not mine. The landing was. This weekend Neil Armstrong died at the age of 82. Someone called Tjan paid him on Twitter the only iconographic tribute possible. Small deed, great gesture. See pic.

I hope I get to live to see the first astronaut (probably Chinese, hopefully female) land on Mars.

A NICE NEW WAY TO ORGANIZE GOOD CAUSE CONCERTS (WITH A SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE VIP PACKAGE DEAL)

 

Want to see Foo Fighters, Neil Young and the Black Keys in New York's Central Park during the Global Festival, organized to help fight poverty around the world? Then you have to take action. This September, as the world’s leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, the Global Festival will bring top artists and 60,000 change makers together on the Great Lawn of Central Park on September 29 to urge our leaders and fellow citizens to do more to help end extreme poverty.  As the site says: "This advocacy concert will celebrate the progress already made in fighting extreme poverty, secure financial commitments for tackling extreme poverty and disease, and mobilise thousands of ambassadors for change. We'll unite around a simple yet powerful idea: that by giving every child a chance to thrive, our generation can end extreme poverty". 

So far nothing new. We still remember the Live 8 concerts, I'm even old enough to have vague memories of the first big one: The Concert for Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison. However this one's different. The Global Festival is a free, ticketed event. To go in the draw for tickets, you have to register as a Global Citizen, and then earn three or more points by learning, sharing, or taking action to tackle extreme poverty. For instance: Watching a short video on an issue related to extreme poverty get you 1 point, as does sharing that video on social networks. Adding your voice to a petition. buying Fairtrade products (3 points) gives you 3 points and calling a representative in Congress even 10 points.

I quite like the basic idea behind it. Get involved instead of buying your way in. The only thing I do not understand is why they still have VIP packages on sale. If money comes easy to you, you can see the show (I really, really want to go. How can I guarantee myself a ticket?) for some $250 dollars. I would labels those as VNIP tickets: Very Not Involved Person.

 

 

 

End of Summer

Been a nice few weeks, doing the necesarry relaxing and hanging out with family at the #beach. Now it's back to business. Picture taken during one of many beautiful and warm nights.

Active Aging by Madonna

Saw #Madonna perform in the new Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam last Saturday. Clearly she is not afraid of growing old actively. Although her music is not a reason to keep me waiting for an hour to leave a parking lot, the show was. Some stunning visual effects around, mostly digital. Though act for Miss Gaga to follow.

Global Cities of the Future: Creative Industries have to wake up and go to work

A new report from the McKinsey Global Institute, Urban world: Cities and the rise of the consuming class, finds that the 600 cities making the largest contribution to a higher global GDP—the City 600—will generate nearly 65 percent of world economic growth by 2025. However, the most dramatic story within the City 600 involves just over 440 cities in emerging economies; by 2025, the Emerging 440 will account for close to half of overall growth. One billion people will enter the global consuming class by 2025! They will have incomes high enough to classify them as significant consumers of goods and services, and around 600 million of them will live in the Emerging 440.

That means that for the creative industries in the developed countries huge opportunities arise. With the ideas and the knowledge how to implement them, they are looking at huge opportunities. As long as they start now to build up networks, learn languages, dive into cultures etc.

See the interactive chart

Developing design education

On my way again to further develop the educational curriculum for Design Academy Eindhoven. Times are changing and so is design education. How can DAE build upon a great past and look towards an even greater future. Design is moving more and more towards the centre of society. It's about product, services, systems, experience design nowadays. Influenced by technology, connected with the arts, still struggling with sustainability...it surrounds us. From the cradle to the grave. It's a joy to contribute to the thinking and doing within DAE to give form and meaning to a program that suits some of the best design talent in the world.

Not nearby Eindhoven, but I don't mind because it's great
to contribute to the thinking and doing within DAE to give form and meaning to a program that suits some of the best design talent in the world.

Did Apple forget to register 'Steve Jobs' as a brandname? And if so, who's the owner now?

Did Apple really forget to register 'Steve Jobs' as a brandname? And if so, who's the owner now? That question pops up today as a result of the fight of Apple against the ' Steve Jobs Doll'. Website PaidContent.org runs an article in which they claim that Apple is going to loose the case, because in most US states ii is legal to portray a dead person. Five years ago it was confirmed that no one for instance holds the image rights to Marilyn Monroe. But much more interesting is the fact that on Apple's long list of registered trademarks the name of Steve Jobs does not seem to appear. Did Jobs own this brand himself (seems logical on one hand, but not from a corporate point of view) than his family probably may call themselves lucky. Or was there some smart ass who figured out that investing in the brand Steve Jobs might one day pay off. Let's wait and see...

more than the sum of all parts (dutch creative industrie 2012 invitation to join up)

 http://creatieveindustrienederland.ning.com/?xgi=0URdQWvknpUU1y

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR BEST WISHES

Influencers, Short Docu on 'how trends and creativity become contagious'

 

Presenting Dutch Design Week to a bigger audience

 

Nachbarn Niederlande

I recently was interviewed for German online magazine Fluter who did a theme issue on their neighbor Netherlands. Among the subjects also of course Dutch Design. Only this time, next to a more historical glance in the past, with quite an interesting twist. Dutch Design and its role in a multicultural society. Read the article here  

Occupy Wall Street's Moral margin call

The 'Occupy Wall Street' movement is in itself not sure what is they are protesting against. Reform of the banking system is one and understandable, breaking down capitalism is another and already less well thought through and certainly less easy to force. So let's stick with the first one for a moment.

In my point of view, the first of two things that should be set in action is getting commercial banks (with interests of individual clients) from the stock market system. I see no reason at all why they were allowed to go public in the first place. The moment unknown shareholders get into the picture, you know you can loose control and that you are in for a struggle for survival.

The second big change should be to maximize the seize of banks. The model of clientgroup driven banks seems more than adequate in modern times. The handling of clients in a 21st century internet environment leaves enough profit (if you want to make it) also with a lesser nummber of clients.

But even then, it's in the end about people. People who are aware that they represent others peoples money. And therefor other peoples mortgages or rent, healthcare, education, in other words lives, in other words futures. Because this is not only affecting this generation, but also those to come.

So basically I guess, it starts with a Moral Margin Call to anyone in the financial system. Get rid of the standard suits and ties, the decorum, the bonusses, the attitude...and just go to work, work hard, have fun, live happy. Be one of of us again. You have a great profession like any surgeon, any schoolteacher or any plummer. Nothing more, nothing less.

The movie Margin Call, a thriller that revolves around the key people at a investment bank over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the financial crisis, is opening early November in Dutch cinemas. Trailer below.

Breakfast Talk at the Stedelijk Museum

 I was invited yesterday morning to address entrepreneurs from the Amsterdam Area on the subject on culture and business. Tried to make clear that there's a mutual charasteristic between creative people and entrepreneurs. They both dare to take risks. And that they need each other in order to both grow their business. The statements made resonated quite well with the full room audience. Nice thing about the early talk was that it was situated in the renewed Stedelijk Museum which I did not get a chance to see previously. And although I was a bit pressed in time, the quick glimpse gave me a good feeling. Light, spacious, qualitatively done...the rooms and halls have a nice atmosphere to them. Not as big a change as I expected, but maybe that's not a bad thing.

By the way, I can recommend the current show on display on Design Master Wim Crouwel. If not for his outstanding work, than surely only for the great 60's picture of him by Paul Huf when you enter. 

 

#iSadLogo . Feel free to use in remembrance of #SteveJobs, #iSad

 

The new business paradigm: Creative Company Culture

Interesting article In the Dutch Financial Newspaper this morning on failure and success of innovation. It highlights the results of a recent survey by Booz & Company (still to be published), that indicates that there's no direct correlation between investments in R&D and company results. Booz came to this conclusion by analyzing 1400 innovation cycli of media-and software companies in The Netherlands, France, the UK en the US. Basically, I guess, it makes sense. Although results might be different if the study was done amongst more traditional industries. But overall it doesn't make sense to spend huge sums of money on research and development if there no such thing as what I call a Creative Company Culture (instead of what Dutch Professor Henk Volberda calls social innovation, a term I associate with for instance city or public service improvement). I mean an open environment that connects R&D with Design Management and Brand Building, led from within the Board in close cooperation with the Floor. Personaly I am astonished by the fact that modern companies like Apple and Google are well known examples by now, but that making that transition by more traditional companies takes so long. Especially in these times: as everybody says, don't waste a good crises. What better times are there to reset you company culture, bring in fresh blood, improve your innovation lifestyle and embrace creativity as a driving force for future growth and added value. 

Back to Business

Summer(?) is over. It's back to the business of creativity and innovation, brandbuilding and design, industrial and educational...love it. Looking forward to the opening of the Academic Year at Design Academy Eindhoven and preparing for things to come, waiting on decisionmaking Ministry of Innovation for policies on Dutch Creative Industries, negociating new television appareance, working on new wine idea, etc.