tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55227661269247669152024-03-19T12:17:44.215+08:00The right wordsprettysmart* thinking about words and the art of communication in generalUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-68187412108411799102011-03-29T13:46:00.004+08:002011-10-27T18:22:30.154+08:00Where to find me nowYou can go to <a href="http://natashagolding.wordpress.com">http://natashagolding.wordpress.com</a> to read what I'm saying these days.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-84452027335851544742010-03-31T15:11:00.003+08:002010-03-31T15:44:38.447+08:00Permission<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Urrr</span>, just been thinking about how lovely it is when you you give or receive permission. When you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cheerlead</span> for an idea or have someone say ‘you totally know what to do next’. Got 20 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mins</span> until a meeting, can I write and publish by then?<br /><br />I like thinking of personalities as having different parts. Everyday different parts of us come up and lead and affect what we say, what we think and how we feel. Most the time 'me' is in charge.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Deviation:</span> I've heard some people use the classroom analogy (thanks Andrea) and the parent of family analogy (thanks Helen). Another lovely friend uses the idea of a coven of witches that fly together into a clearing, but they're all her.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Continuation:</span> Sometimes a part takes the lead and 'me' becomes quiet and tricky to be/hear. Parts that are hurt can make us experience doubt, self-criticism and injustice. 'Me' can normally remind us that this is a part, 'me' can say 'OK, part thanks but I'm in charge and I don't think that's true'. This is difficult to do when parts are really hurt.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Main point: </span>Anyway, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">cheerleading</span> is about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">bigging</span> up the 'me'. Giving the 'me' permission to be in charge, to follow her/his instincts and ideas. Parts are useful to listen to and gain wisdom from - they are like barometers. They can tell you when you've had a button pressed or not paid attention to a festering feeling.<br /><br />Wow, this is getting rather far out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Simple conclusion type bit: </span>Another more palatable version of the same ideas is giving people permission to be themselves. Reminding them about their own sovereignty. I think we spend a lot of time doing what we think we need to do (the land of 'should'). Adventuring around the perimeters of my own personality has been a bit of a life long mission. I like encouraging others on their own adventures and seeing their eyes glint when they feel they know <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">themselves</span> better.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(Written but not published in time!)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-73759802957145412642010-02-23T15:24:00.005+08:002010-02-23T15:54:16.320+08:00Some as yet incomplete thinking about purpose<span style="font-weight: bold;">Complex version</span><br />I'm beginning to see a process that gets you on the path to creating a smart piece of communication.<br />i) Understand the intent - what do you want people to do<br />ii) Understand how the style, the execution, materials etc. reflect the way your business is, its personality - I'm bored ***<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tless</span> of the word but 'brand' is often used here.<br />iii) Explain the logic of your decisions based on point ii).<br /><br />It all seems a bit complicated. Here's version two <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Getting more refined...</span><br />1) Work out what you're about<br />2) Decide who you're talking to and what you want them to do, make sure these things fit with 1)<br />3) Explain the logic to yourself - I'm all about community, I want to talk to people I make sense to, I want them to trade with me and/or introduce people to me who I can trade with.<br />4) Take action, execute - given what I know, investing time into connecting with people through the people I know and being open about my world view would make for a smart plan of action.<br /><br />I'm back to business argument thinking - once you know what's at the core of your business you can make decisions with confidence. We're about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">XYZ</span> so we should definitely make an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">invetsment</span> in ABC <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">becuase</span> it makes sense.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The final edit</span><br />Know your purpose and ask yourself whether your choice gets you closer to it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Examples in action..</span><br /><br />Purpose: get people to feel good about being active<br />Decision to be made: need to plan coaching sessions for clients<br />Thinking routes: What makes people feel good about getting active? What do they need - space, refreshment, positive reinforcement, privacy, systems for counteracting self criticism that comes when they don't do enough.<br /><br />Purpose: help female led small businesses feel confident about handling their finances.<br />Decision: ways to get more business?<br />Thinking routes: When do we accept help on a topic we feel low in confidence about? Where do we go for sources of help when we're in this situation? What gets in the way of us taking action?<br /><br />Think I've moved on to something more...hmmm...need some extra brain space to run this through. Will report back once the thinking is done.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-48471615215668135882010-02-08T18:26:00.003+08:002010-02-08T19:05:14.919+08:00A year of thinkingI took a year off it seems. It felt shorter. I took a year off yoga. I took a year off blogging. Never planned to take a year. Just stopped. Much like I stopped smoking one day in 2000. Haven't found a good reason to start smoking again since then. But think yoga and writing might be different.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lesson learnt during the year no.1</span><br />Something to do with intent. I wonder if everything is neutral in the first instance, neither preferable nor unwanted. The intent a thing has affects the thing itself. Peaceful intent makes for peaceful things. Harmful intent makes for harm.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lesson learnt no.2 </span><br />Something to do with complexity. I could never make the division of the world by good/evil or good/bad make sense to me, seems a bit too simple. I wonder how opinion operates in a new world where there are a million different ways to be. I like the idea that confusion is the default human state of mind.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Can we make any of this relevant to communication?</span><br />Yes...<br />1) The truth will out, as Mr Shakespeare explained, so if your intent is not one you'd like to reveal to yourself or your readers you should know that it can only ever be thinly veiled.<br /><br />2) We live in a time when much of the communications we interact with are aimed at helping us define ourselves as a consumer. They help us feel part of 'lifestyle type' that has it's own clothing, foods, postal addresses, cars, credit card, choice of hardware and more. Communication that lets an individual truly define their own opinions, without fear of judgment, would be a breathe of fresh, sweet, very human air.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-82917637056496660982009-02-12T14:12:00.006+08:002009-02-12T15:59:21.379+08:00Managing our brainsWe had a great workshop on Tuesday evening. The subject was "what you need to know before you start work on your website". Since then I've been reflecting on the ways our brains, and our selves, affect the way we do, or don't do, our work.<br /><br />I procrastinate. There is a small pile of receipts laying in a box in testimony to that fact. These days I manage it. I know how to trick my brain into doing. I also know how to see the guilt feeling and not get in a whirlwind of reactions.<br /><br />Whether or not you procrastinate, you have a brain that enables and disables you in different ways. Ultimately living, and working, is about learning how to manage yourself and your brain. It's about knowing how to use your brain skilfully and how to nurture it.<br /><br />It amazes me that doing work, as an employee or a business owner, is always about dealing with our own humanity. No, hang on. It's not the fact that amazes me, but that I thought the world was telling me that business was somehow separate from humans.<br /><br />There is more to be thought of and said about this. I'm looking forward to the conversations.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-9774587470187120412009-02-01T12:55:00.005+08:002009-02-01T18:44:13.169+08:00I’m a text supremacist because…<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br />ONE</span> Before you design your logo, before you communicate anything, you have to know what you are and what you want to say. Your message and the way your business feels are first captured in words. Well it’s in someone’s brain first, as a concept, but then it gets written down.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">TWO</span> The way your business looks, from the colours to the website and the office sign, communicates your message and your feel. The people who design this stuff have to know what you seek to say. That’s why you have to start with point one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">THREE</span> I think you should write your website text before you create the design. A website is a piece of communication. It should be designed to enable people to read it, use it, understand the message and experience the feel of your business. It’s illogical that the words come last and get rushed because <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">everyone's</span> had enough and just wants to go live, now!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">FOUR</span> I would love to see more well designed text online. Huge swathes of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">blocky</span>, fully justified text looks dull and can be difficult to read. I think some sort of online typesetting revolution is in order.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">FIVE</span> I think you should only ever employ designers who can, and do, read and understand the words you give them to turn into newsletters, websites and printed communications.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wo</span> ho, text is best.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-19117843777237054692008-12-12T18:37:00.002+08:002008-12-12T18:47:41.845+08:00What the hell websites have to do with decision-makingA website is trying to get me, the reader, to do something. But, before I take action I have a whole bunch of questions that need answering. There are many decisions I have to take before I do anything. No 1. "Should I even bother reading this?".<br /><br />I’m on a journey to find something useful, interesting or entertaining. The website is hoping to be my destination. Once there perhaps I bookmark the page for later, physically go visit the business, send a link to a friend, join the mailing list, buy something or call up for an appointment.<br /><br />At every stage I’m deciding whether to carry on. I’m matching what I find against my internal criteria. In each second there are a list of doubts and concerns that what I see has to overcome. After all I’m human, I’m brilliant at finding the reasons why not.<br /><br />As a human I’m also all about relating. Every time my needs are met I feel more secure and I feel more trusting. As my anxiety decreases I’m ready to start thinking about action.<br /><br />Your website needs to be a beautiful place for your audience’s minds to be in. They should float along on clouds of useful information, insight and friendly service. They should be embraced by your credibility and trustworthiness. Ahh...now they’re ready to call you up.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-48265333717645142008-10-31T13:44:00.005+08:002008-11-01T13:08:37.981+08:00The all new The Right Words: repackaged, refocused and renamed<strong></strong><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;">Here's a short Q&A I did with myself about the changes that are happening in the business.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"><br /><br />So what was the business about before and what is it about now?</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />The Right Words was about user-friendly written communications. Clear, honest communication that expressed the personality, or brand, of the business I was working with.</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family: arial;">PrettySmart is about user-friendly online communications.</blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">Same idea but now we specialise in one medium and offer a broader range of services beyond writing and editing.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Besides the words there is much more that goes into creating the experience of being on your website. The typesetting, the visuals, the tone of voice of the design and text, the way users can move around the site and how the information is organised. We help businesses improve this whole experience and as a result create better relationships with the people who are, or will become, their clients.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />We offer consultancy and advice at an affordable hourly rate as well as DIY planning and writing tools. If you want someone to handle the whole job of creating the website then we can also collaborate with other technical specialists to do this for you.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Why the change?</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Business for me is about finding that point where what people need, and will pay for, meets with your own expertise and vision.</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family: arial;">The new business is a response to what I’ve learnt from my clients and about myself. </blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">The issues I’ve found that people need support with include:</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Branding and planning: What is their business really about and what’s the singular message they need to communicate to potential customers?</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />How to: Where do they get started with planning the content for a website? How do they decide what to put in and where to put it? Who do they need to employ to help them – a website designer, graphics designer, copywriter or programmer? Can they do it themselves?</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Writing: How do they overcome the daunting feeling that comes with having to write? How should they talk to people online? What information is useful and relevant to the reader?</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Getting it done: Whether they do it themselves or outsource the work, how do they find the time to do the work required: the writing, the design briefing, picking the visuals? And how do they keep the focus so that it doesn’t keep drifting on, with 6-9 months gone and still the project is not finished?<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I personally get excited about the internet and about communication. I think modern business communication is about building relationships. It’s about being direct, thinking about exactly who you’re trying to talk to and making it easy for that person to relate to your business.</span><br /><blockquote style="font-family: arial;">I celebrate the way the internet has changed the way we talk with one another, making us more open, more respectful and more connected.<span style="font-family: arial;"><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m also a closet geek who actually likes reading techie blogs and attending talks where research scientists explain the problems of 'discovering the grammar of visuals'.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Business-wise, the new company will offer more variation in terms of services. The projects will vary in length, from just a couple of hours to several months, and vary in price and profit margin. These changes will help with planning time and managing cash flow.</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial;"><br /><br />And the new name?</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Well it took some time, but I’m really pleased with it. Lists and mindmaps of words and ideas bought the thinking around to my interpretation of communication. For me it’s not just about words, it’s about how things look. So suddenly there was the ‘pretty’ and the smart came from thinking about being straight, concise, functional, clever, effective and really making sense to people.<br /><br />The runner-up prize went to The Golding Communication Factory.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-74041637276455628672008-09-12T18:02:00.005+08:002008-09-12T19:06:28.458+08:00News from the world of business repositioningI've repositioned.<br /><br />I was about communications, from leaflets to e-newsletters. I'm now about user friendly websites.<br /><br />I've got web designers and programmers ready to collaborate with me. I've written a website planning template which I'm giving away to my clients. I'm working on my packages, there's going to be a basic, regular and 'bells and whistles' option. I've got clients. I've got my own website in production. Go go go.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebIRgDQl0NtS3f1s13t-N4TpO4YsM3l9ic95VxEWOIYWB_dOCJKW9MpRJ5h1xZ6IwEio8MFK7KRC1gA1QXHQsloJA8J2f_zqnnIzm4_nnVXMxeHM76pYl80kJLGd4ry7h29xtMHcbB4WV/s1600-h/DSC04580.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiebIRgDQl0NtS3f1s13t-N4TpO4YsM3l9ic95VxEWOIYWB_dOCJKW9MpRJ5h1xZ6IwEio8MFK7KRC1gA1QXHQsloJA8J2f_zqnnIzm4_nnVXMxeHM76pYl80kJLGd4ry7h29xtMHcbB4WV/s200/DSC04580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245088254113420194" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Planning for my own website.<br /></div><br /><br />I now live with huge bits of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mahjong</span> paper on the floors and walls. Each is covered in plans for arranging and rearranging info on the current client's site.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULp17PFT1FLWTjxtIETUPaLKOeU-hqAoyynzrwAOOraH6Xl4nhmSgIdw5dzpYeJzY6chIDKAli3bP5vSUzA4MQGQBOOQm_YziijLox5QbOS2hVF14CH4QEJgB3QcK2t_q8JCFP7uS47aK/s1600-h/DSC04583.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULp17PFT1FLWTjxtIETUPaLKOeU-hqAoyynzrwAOOraH6Xl4nhmSgIdw5dzpYeJzY6chIDKAli3bP5vSUzA4MQGQBOOQm_YziijLox5QbOS2hVF14CH4QEJgB3QcK2t_q8JCFP7uS47aK/s200/DSC04583.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245088655006224194" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">These beautiful problems stay up until solved.<br /></div><br /><br />It all feels like how it should be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-24892876739117907372008-08-25T10:26:00.005+08:002008-08-25T11:47:54.817+08:00My business has morphed...I love creating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability">user friendly</a> web content. This is probably why most of my recent work has been on web content projects. It feels like the business has morphed and now it's time to officially reposition myself.<br /><br />I've already changed my response to, "what do you do?". I now reply, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"I help small businesses create user friendly websites."</span><br /><br />Now you might have noticed how I started the post talking about web content and now it's about websites. It seems to me that there's really no point having user friendly content if the fonts are hard to read, the pages difficult to navigate and the general feel completely at odds with the businesses' personality.<br /><br />If you're Amazon you'll have your <a href="http://jobs.ok-cancel.com/archives/2004/09/user_experience_specialist_amazoncom.html">User Experience Team</a> making sure every element of the site from search to shopping carts is user friendly. Small businesses don't need a team of people. But, they might need someone, inside or outside the business, who knows about user experience and can drive the project of making a user friendly website.<br /><br />If they don't have someone who can do this, or someone who has time to do it, I'm going to be the person they can hire.<br /><br />So that's the idea so far. I'm on the hunt for web designers who share my passion for the user's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">experience</span>. This way we can offer clients a package of content, design and project management.<br /><br />I'd love to hear your thoughts on what businesses need, what they already know and what they want from their websites. Add a comment or for in-depth chats I'm always free for a cup of tea, tasha.golding@gmail.com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-27850617324546167162008-08-05T20:53:00.006+08:002008-08-25T10:06:56.244+08:00Checking a website is user friendly is really important<span style="font-style: italic;">(This was an email to a client but it wanted to become a blog post too...)</span><br /><br />We'd like to think, well I would, that <span style="background: yellow none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" class="goog-spellcheck-word"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">there'd</span></span> be some rules that we could follow to guarantee everyone can get around our websites easily. There are some rules, but not enough. For the bits that we can't follow rules for we have to find another solution: testing.<br /><br />Here's an article about user testing for you to <a href="http://www.useit.com/alertbox/weekly-usability-tests.html">take a look at.</a> As a small business working for small businesses I'm very aware that we need to be mindful of resources. But convincing people to do something fun, like test a website and share their opinions, may not be that hard.<br /><br />You could ask your current/past clients to help you. If you said "we're really keen to get some intelligent, savvy people to share their opinions about our new website and we thought we'd ask you" they may say "we'd love to". Of course they'd have to pick people from their teams who didn't work with you last time, people who know enough to behave like a potential client but don't already know what you do.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-21619609375299774882008-07-31T19:41:00.003+08:002008-07-31T19:57:26.050+08:00An ode to user experienceIn the world of website design there is this lovely idea of 'user experience'. I've become quite <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">interested</span> in user <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">experience</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Personally,</span> I've always been very definitive about sites I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">love</span> to use and those I don't. My opinion on how a company relates to me has been heavily influenced by the way they let me experience them.<br /><br />As I've worked with clients over the past few months I've felt like this idea of the user's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">experience</span> is the thing that I've been driving at, I now have a handy phrase for it. I love the way the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">web </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">has</span> driven us to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">discover</span> these ideas and make them part of our everyday <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">experience</span>.<br /><br />There's an interesting article here from a company that help businesses create amazing user experiences on their websites - they've helped some of my favourite sites so I think they know their stuff. <a href="http://www.thinkflowinteractive.com/2008/07/10/what-makes-us-productive-and-what-makes-us-stupid/">Flow Interactive - What makes us happy what makes us stupid</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-61407760523742841472008-07-13T12:01:00.006+08:002008-07-13T17:13:56.576+08:00What do you want to use your phone for?Still on the subject of the <a href="http://www.e27.sg/">E27 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Unconference</span>,</a> I was at a session on Mobile Platforms. Aside from lots of techie conundrums, the discussion centered around how people actually use their mobiles, what they mean to people and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">iphone</span>.<br /><br />Since then I've been thinking about what I want to use my phone for. Here's my list so far:<br /><ul><li>Phone calls, taking pictures and listening to my music. I'd want to upload pics straight to Picasa too.<br /></li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">SMS</span> - With option to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">SMS</span> ideas I have and things people tell me into my email inbox.</li><li>Check my Google account for calender and contact details. I'd want to be able to upload info back to these places too.<br /></li><li>Request recommendations for near-by restaurants, hotels and bars from reviewers who like stuff I like - I'd want a short description, with the option to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">SMS</span> the place to get directions and make bookings. Oh and I'd <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">like</span> it to be able to translate the message into the local language!<br /></li><li>Street maps specific to my location with nearest public transport info included.</li><li>Location of nearest public toilet, decent coffee, post office, ATM for my bank and perhaps news on whether any of my mates are near-by.</li></ul>With the right handset I can probably do a lot of what's above already. But the tricky bit for everyone seems to be about how businesses will communicate with me. I was wondering about a website that acted like your settings. So you go in and tell it what services and info you want to receive. For example, do you want Starbucks to tell you where their nearest shop is when you click their icon on your mobile home screen? You could even select the types of ads you want to see. So if you have to show me an ad whilst my map loads, I'm seeing info I'm interested in.<br /><br />What do you think? What do we want to really use our phones for? How do we want businesses to talk to us?<br /><br />I'm plotting interface designs now...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-64071498185977428412008-07-13T11:25:00.004+08:002008-07-13T17:21:05.661+08:00It all starts with a great ideaYesterday I was surrounded by geeks. At the<a href="http://unconference.e27.sg/"> E27 Unconference</a> for web start-ups I got over excited about the amount of good ideas and clever people there are in my community. Here's a list of the most interesting groups I saw.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><a href="http://homespace.sg/">Homespace</a></span>- Beautifully easy to use website for finding homes. Map based, it also includes a price comparison so you can see how much people have been paying for similar property.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.zopim.com/">ZopIM</a> - Chat with the people who are currently visiting your website. There's no need to log into Messenger, it's integrated into your site. The businesses' end also collates data about your visitors.<br /><br /><a href="http://gothere.sg/">GoThere</a> - Another beautifully functional website. Type in any two places to get maps, directions and public transport info (including cost and journey duration).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-71965697153085093702008-05-06T16:08:00.000+08:002008-05-06T16:11:12.676+08:00Facts and FeelingsIs communication just about facts, figures and information? At a recent press conference I listened to people launching a really lovely product. The ideas behind the product were fascinating, but they were being devalued by the way they were delivered. The organisers thought the event was about telling us what to think. They forgot that if they themselves were the essence and spirit of what was being launched we’d get it without being told.<br /><br />The product being launched was a major art exhibition with the title ‘Wonder’. Art and wonder are pretty ephemeral; they are experiential. We <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">weren</span>’t given experiential, we were told about ephemeral in a pretty conventional, dull and predictable way. A panel behind long tables communicated how credible the experts were. An intro video with everyday people caught on camera in candid moments talking about ‘Wonder’ communicated that the exhibition would reach out to the community. Then came the urgent and vital information about why, when and how.<br /><br />When the distant experts, the curators of the event, started talking we got a glimpse of the interesting insights and ideas that were at the heart of the exhibition. Behind the table, muffled by poor acoustics and an awkward atmosphere of urgent uncertainty, their message about what it is to feel wonder - to be awed - was half lost. What they did say felt contrary to the reserved, political, practical focus and the lack of creativity.<br /><br />I wondered what it would have been like if it was all a bit more real; if we’d been able to hear about and connect with the spirit of the exhibition. The feelings that reside in the minds, hearts and occasionally the words of the people who are making it happen.<br /><br />The thing that’s really difficult for me is that these guys have a great product. I went to their last exhibition. I was moved, challenged, confronted, comforted, inspired and awed because art lets us experience our own humanity. But this energy, this exceptional and unique aspect of the product, was not given a confident airing. It was all facts and figures and not enough feelings.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-4940064777182369602008-03-20T15:57:00.000+08:002008-03-26T21:48:04.615+08:00Getting to know The Right WordsCome and hear more about the big idea behind The Right Words at our next workshop. I'll be sharing some examples of real communication and answering your questions.<br /><br />The first workshop involved plenty of good quality chatting, laughing and learning. Join us at the next one, it's a great chance for us to meet and for you to see what I'm all about.<br /><br />April 17, 6.30-8.30 at <a href="http://www.post-museum.org/">Post-Museum</a>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rowell</span> Road, Little India. Email me by April 10 to let me know you're coming.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5522766126924766915.post-37433399987268454692008-03-05T21:35:00.000+08:002008-03-20T16:27:06.469+08:00Being present during my presentation<span style="font-style: italic;">(First written March 5)</span><br /><br />The pun title just popped out of my coffee addled brain, it was too much to resist.<br /><br />So it's almost a week since 'The right words' philosophy was verbally launched in the public domain. A group of nine lively minded people came along to hear what I had to say and ask some questions at my first 'Finding the right words' workshop. Most of the group were friends, which gave me equal measures of relief and nervousness. As ever fears were unfounded. The evening was relaxed and stimulating. What stuck me more then anything was the way that I managed to stay present throughout. I kept up with my thoughts as my brain created them and my mouth framed them in words. I also kept with my audience and enjoyed some wonderful moments where their questions and comments showed me that they'd understood my message.<br /><br />It hasn't always been this way for me when presenting to a group. I've spoken in front of people, from groups of 4 to 400, many times. But this was new. I was calm, I took comfortable pauses, I was real and my ideas came out in ways people understood.<br /><br />So why the change? I went on a a training course. Hang on a minute, a training course? To me it's rather incredulous that a course could really make me change the way I do things. Courses normally give me ideas. I then make a whole bunch of intentions on the way home and put the folder on the shelf next to the others. Not this time. This was one of two occasions where I've been fundamentally changed by a course.<br /><br />The first time I was shifted along by a piece of training it was a management workshop on using emotional intelligence. After leaving the class, I took the first steps towards overcoming a pretty bad case of claustrophobia. There begins an interesting story which I'll save for another occasion.<br /><br />The most recent fundamental change happened just a few months back. This time it was two days of presentation skills training. Since that weekend I've felt different, more at ease. I've been more comfortable about communicating and it's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">changed</span> the way I get to interact with the world. I've discovered just how clarity, confidence and being <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">yourself</span> makes for more fluid communication and more fluid living.<br /><br />What I learnt stays with me and saw me through last week's inaugural workshop.<br /><br />Andrew Lightheart is the man who made all this happen for me, you can check out the details of his presentations skills masterclass at www.cobaltcommunication.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1