the ineffable allure

just got the latest issue of STEP magazine and there is an interesting article about automotive designers ("a breed apart"). In the introduction there is this paragraph:

"Car buyers want performance and safety, but what propels them far more than anything else is the ineffable allure of the new car, the emotional rush...that which makes it call out to the human heart and appeals to the human yearning for beautiful form. This is the realm of automotive designers, and it is where they find their greatest challenge."

who's reading Donald Norman?

This was in last saturday's funnies (cincinnati enquirer)

(by the way, my mom (proabably your grandmother's age) still uses the toaster she got as a wedding gift (1953). I'm sure it's a collector's item but it still works fine).

Emotional Design & Design Portfolios

While working at P&G one of my tasks was to sort through a filing cabinet full of design firms portfolios. My boss told me to write down in a spreadsheet some of the information about each company. He wanted a list of information so that they could send some emails out. He told me to feel free to look at the portfolios and if I didn't think some were impressive that I could skip over them and throw them away. One of the portfolios I looked at had a really bad print job and you could feel the ink on the pages. It gave me the feeling of fingernails on a chalkboard. I threw the portfolio away. Their work wasn't really bad, but I thought that they should have put more detail into the emotional response that their possible clients would have from the horrible print job. Just thought that it was interesting.

Fair Trade part 3

Starbucks does offer fair trade coffe by the way

One cup at a time Since establishing an alliance in April 2000 with Transfair USA Starbucks has become one of the largest purchasers of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee in North America. Starbucks Fair Trade CertifiedTM coffee is available as whole bean in our company-operated stores in the U.S. and Canada. It is also available to our Foodservice accounts including colleges and universities, hotels and restaurants

http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/fairtradeinstores.asp

emotional design in switzerland

this is a public toilet in switzerland. it is enclosed in one way mirrors where you can see out to the street when you are in it but people can't see in, they only see reflection. How many think you would be comfortable using it? An exercise in mind control.

Coffee?!

As a non-coffee drinker I think its funny to listen about all the hype about coffee. I've tried it before and really have not the slightest desire to even sip it again. I don't think coffee drinkers are crazy at all. Its just not for me. It is interesting though because pretty much most all of my friends do drink coffee and "love" Starbucks. So, I usually feel like an outsider in Starbucks. Whenever I go with them I feel really odd because I feel like everyone knows I don't like coffee. I know that it just my crazy mind, but I really do feel that this "outsider" feeling is something that has really pushed many people to drink coffee. A good majority of the friends I mentioned above didn't use to be coffee buffs like they are today. Coffee drinkers have an very real community.

coffee shops

if i am not mistaken didnt the buzz go out of bussiness? even though it fit the market as a "social" environment, as a coffee shop and a place to really relax for the college crowd... how would you explain its failure in this market? especially when taking into consideration the incredible growth in this market in the past few years. so what would you attribute to their loss in this market? as far as other coffee shops, starbucks and the buzz are really the only two shops around here that i am familiar with.

Starbucks

It is interesting to compare different coffee shops. I feel that Starbucks serves its purpose as a get in, get out business. People go their to buy coffee, not to socialize (well at least the majority of the people I talk to). I think it is obvious that there is a market out for places like starbucks. I've noticed that they cater to the workplace, at starbucks they make it easy to buy for multiple people at one time. But if someone wants to experience a more intimate environment and actually have a conversation most people wouldn't want to go to starbucks, but I don't think it is designed for that.

re: experience cafe

It is subjective. That's why several coffee shops can co-exist within a block of each other. In Davis Sq, (a particularly hip area next to Cambridge, MA) there is a Starbucks in the middle of a block, directly across the street is a coffee shop called Diesel Cafe and then one block down is the Someday Cafe. They all thrive despite the competition. Why? The area is glutted with college students (aka CS) (someday cafe), upwardly mobile yuppies (aka UMY) (starbucks) and young alternative rebels with money (aka YARWM) (Diesel Cafe). Each coffe shop gives it's demographic their own status symbol. YARWMs wouldn't be caught dead in a Starbucks, the CSs can't afford Diesel's weird but eclectic tastes (just give me a regular cup of coffee man, i gotta study) and the UMYs are scared to venture into either the Diesel or the Someday.

Somerville, MA demographics

Land area: 4.1 square miles

Median resident age: 31.1 years
Median household income: $46,315 (year 2000)
Median house value: $214,100 (year 2000)

New: Somerville, MA residents, houses, and apartments details

Races in Somerville:

White Non-Hispanic (72.7%)
Hispanic (8.8%)
Black (6.5%)
Other race (5.0%)
Two or more races (4.8%)
Chinese (2.4%)
Asian Indian (1.8%)
Other Asian (0.7%)
Korean (0.6%)
American Indian (0.6%)

(Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

For population 25 years and over in Somerville

High school or higher: 80.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 40.6%
Graduate or professional degree: 17.7%
Unemployed: 3.5%
Mean travel time to work: 27.8 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Somerville city

Never married: 51.6%
Now married: 35.1%
Separated: 1.7%
Widowed: 5.5%
Divorced: 6.1%


29.3% Foreign born (13.3% Latin America, 8.8% Europe, 5.4% Asia).

Somerville compared to Massachusetts state average:
Median house value significantly above state average.

Black race population percentage below state average.

Hispanic race population percentage significantly above state average.

Median age below state average.

Foreign-born population percentage significantly above state average.

Renting percentage above state average.

House age significantly above state average.

Number of college students above state average.

Percentage of population with a bachelor's degree or higher above state average.

Population density above state average for cities.

(compiled from www.city-data.com