Lemonade...the before and after business models

When my students come up with an idea, sometimes they are so passionate about it that they are blinded to the possibilities of just playing with the business model. Inspired by the good, old lemonade stand as a symbol of the entrepreneurial spirit of neighborhood kids, I played a bit with the looking at humble lemonade along the lines of reducing it to its core and imaging added value from raw materials through products, services and experiences. Surely this is not comprehensive but representative of what could be done with a simple idea if would be entrepreneurs are willing to step back and take a look at what value they want to create for their customers (c2c or b2b and the in-betweens)along a spectrum of possibilities.

update: 18 July 2013

45 uses for lemons...

Plane not Plain: Random Input in-flight

My plane rides give me the time to indulge in some easy reading fare. The free newspapers handed out and the onboard magazines offer some random input to break up my daily routines. Here are some news bites that caught my attention: From the Wall Street Journal: Pumpkin Pie Wars in Cincinnati, Ohio Usually its David vs. Goliath stories in small towns which have you rooting for the small guy but in Ohio its taking the hi(gh)larity route. Two rivals have started a humorous mock fight over pumpkin pies. This story is appealing as their seems to be no looser. They are using the rivalry to increase sales for both because customers are entertained with the ongoing exchange of banter and pranks as well as the seasonal, well crafed hometown, home cooked, all-american fare. For more, visit the original story online by Caroline Porter, Nov 7, 2012: In Your Face: In Cincinnati, a Pie War Heats Up

From Kaleidoscope - Lot Airlines in-flight magazine Recycling goes to New Heights with Sustainable Design in Focus The on-trend idea of upcycling takes on new dimensions when inspiring designers in this article by Agnieszka Rodowicz, Taste of Luxury feature - The second life of things like those by TING London; Dutch Designer Tejo Remy; and Michelle Brand with her environmental design that utilizes overlooked plastic bottles for inspiration and creative expression.

Learn Twitter through Data Visualization

While Twitter is in widespread use across the USA, its just gaining speed in other parts of the world. wefollow.com reports that Croatia's most followed list includes in the top spot "vbahun" with over 53,000 followers in the number 1 spot and but rounding out the top 50 is "dinanipedro" with just over 1,800 followers. If you want to simply figure out how it works and if its right for you to let people know the answer to "what are you doing" then for your viewing pleasure, enjoy this infographic.

Visit the originalsource at http://twiends.com/how-to-twitter

Learn about business intelligence tools.

8 Sites to Eye - Doodles and such

I love to collage so I will begin my series on blogging using my 8 Sites to Eye where I collect 8 websites on one topic.  My first is for all those notebook artists, who draw to think, imagine, dream and turn into Doodle imagineers.

Play at Work

As anyone who has taken my course over the past five years can attest, I am all for toys in the workplace.  I am sure this comes as no surprise as I try to integrate toys into the retraining of adults to think more creatively and get in touch with their inner child.  This in no way should be interpretted as going for a gag but is rather a systematic approach to enticing creativity out of those who have gotten so serious that they can have a hard time lightening up and illuminating their own great ideas.  In search of the keys to unlock all the potential students, friends and even myself often bury, I think having toys, trophies, random words, pictures and games within easy reach helps a great deal.  Here is a recent article on CNN which highlights the issue with their article and accompanying slide show on "Toy story: Office playthings come of age" by Rose Hoare.  The article does advocate creating a workplace setting inclusive of toys for purposes beyond creativity, the author investigates overall work place well being and illustrates a few examples of professionals in different career settings and their unique personal toys of choice.  What are yours? Are you pro or con for toys in the workplace?

Visualizing Data

(Images by Otl Aicher for the XXth Olympic Games, 1967-1972)

I began this blog in honor of being selected as an offical speaker for TEDXZagreb in 2010.  It was such a special experience and the common thread is that people who think for the next generation get together and share whether they are speakers, participants, organizers or volunteers.  TED is a part of all the classes I teach and so is this blog.

The inspiration for this blog is that last rite of passage of my doctoral dissertation that is organizing and sharing all the data I have collected physically, electronically and now presenting so others can understand and use it.  My original title was Understanding Social Entrepreneurship in Croatia and I turned it into Visualizing Social Entrepreneurship in Croatia about 6 months ago.  I got brave enough to fully embrace mindmaps, infographics and push their scientific application that simplifies the complex and requires quite an immense amount of reflection and clarity.

Today, I wondered how to relay the importance of the visual elements to the storytelling nature of my qualitative dominant research.  Through my search I discovered that the infographics trend began as an attempt by the Olympic games to better organize and communicate to athletes, coaches, organizers and spectators.  While they started as "pictograms" at the London Games 1948, their advancement took of at the Tokyo Games of 1964, they evolved through experiment in Mexico in 1968 and finally reached a critical appeal point at the 1972 Olympic Games.  With the awareness of the Olympic games and the number of countries involved the interest in using visuals to inform and communicate accelerated.

Today, infographics have been mainstreamed because the information overload through satelite, cable, wireless, online software and hardware devices needs help directing the consumers to what's important and why fast.  Infographics are used to illustrate and inform in one image and text visual with many symbolic elements in an eye appealing way.  Some examples include static information or can even be set in motion to show dynamic change over time and space like the work of TED alums Hans Rosling, David McCandless, JoAnn Kuchera-Morin and Anders Ynnerman.  The application of visualizing data crosses borders and fields of far ranging interests.

Resources:

Moss, L. (n.d.). Visual Data. Retrieved from http://www.scoop.it/t/visual-data/p/1473462724/openstreetmap-overlays-turn-digital-maps-into-watercolors

Munich Organizing Committee. (1972). Die Spiele: The official report of the Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXth Olympiad Munich 1972. Munich: pro Sport Munchen.

Popovic, J. J. (n.d.). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://1stmuse.com/pictograms/

The Wondrous.com Design Magazine. (2012, March 20). 12 Inspirational Infog

raphic Designs. Retrieved March 31, 2012, from TheWondrous Design Magazine: http://thewondrous.com/12-inspirational-infographic-designs/

Applying your gifts and experience to things you care about.

The trick about really being creative and getting the most by giving authentically starts simply.  The formula is most easily understood by two factors: goodness and caring.  Everyone has got the goods.  Each one of us has talents and experience and gifts that come naturally.  Then we add to that the things that pull at our heart strings and motivate us with passion.  Sometimes its hard to come to terms that just activating that goodness with that immense inner concern could be combined to create something really special and authentic. 

When I came across an example, 2x in one week, I knew it was time to pass it on. 
Good photographer + concern for shelter animals = attention drawing images which give mutts a light hearted hug.  The photographer in the spotlight is Amy Chadwick Williams: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/shelter-photographer-talks-about-her-hilarious-series-of-dog-blooper-snapshots?WT.z_mod=RP. The link has a spotlight interview with the artist talking about her crafty approach to raising issues about unwanted pets.  She uses a bit of reverse logic, making the animals appear so ugly they are irresistbly cute.  The key to her likability is that through her lens she captures alot of personality and uniqueness in her canine models.  Check out her whole gallery and have a smile all the while thinking about how you could combine your goodness and caring.

BARTER NOW - Getting Creative with Promotions

No money needed?  Bludot was featured in an article about how the Minnesota, USA based company is running a promotion that features an online swap meet.  They post pictures of their furniture and let the public bid on the items with anything they have to offer.  When I checked out the online auction in progress on 8 March 2012, some items being offered and accepted were:

Offered
Tatto Space - in exchange for a sectional sofa a man from California offered up a choice spot on his arm for the company's logo. (see photo above)

Hand Sculpture - in exchange for a "one night stand sleeper sofa" a man from Utah offered up a "time management" sculpture of a hand with money, house, car, dog, people symbols floating over the palm. Clever.

Accepted
Iconic Architecture Retreat - in exchange for a sectional sofia the Blu Dot executives will get treated to a Creative retreat at a Frank Llyod Wright designed home in Wisconsin.

Love - in exchange for a lamp a women from Massachusetts will carry the lamp around with her for 24 hours over 7 days.  She proved how it would look like in her arms by photoshopping it in.

Bid or check out the activity going on through 16 March 2012 yourself.  Here is how it works according to the Bludot site:

The cool part is that visitor's to the site can also vote if they think the matching is "swap worthy".  What are some other authentic ways to make the old fashioned barter systems and social media blend in interesting ways?  Leave your comments below.