Infographic: Why Don't Americans Recycle?.
Just half of Americans recycle daily, and 13 percent don’t recycle at all. Most people recognize the benefits of recycling, but they’re often not sure which items can be recycled and find the process inconvenient and time-consuming (a topic of personal interest to me).

Interactive Infographic: Your Daily Dose of Water
In America, the average person uses nearly 2,000 gallons of water per day. Every time you flush the toilet, wash your hands, drive your car, or take a bite of your lunch, you’re using water. The biggest surprise may be that 95 percent of your water footprint isn’t from a long shower or running your washing machine—it’s from the food, energy and products you use every day. Check out our interactive infographic that shows all the ways your daily dose of water adds up on a typical day.

Infographic: 10 Ways to Stop Wasting Water
When it comes to getting clean water at home, most of us turn on the tap and don’t give it a second thought. But for nearly one billion people, finding clean water is a daily struggle. Lack of access in their homes or their community can cause a multitude of health, economic, and quality of life problems. For those of us fortunate enough to have clean water access, it’s more important than ever to help conserve this important resource. It’s estimated that a family of four can survive on 3 gallons of water a day but in America, a household of four uses up to 400 gallons of water a day. Check out this infographic to learn about the top culprits for water waste and how fixes both small and large can significantly shrink your water footprint at home.

Interactive Infographic: Which Renewable Energies Do We Use Most and At What Cost?
In the U.S., only about 8 percent of all energy use comes from renewable sources. Petroleum is currently our largest consumed source of energy (37 percent), with natural gas (25 percent), coal (21 percent), nuclear power (9 percent) and renewables following behind. However, renewable energy consumption is rising steadily, with the largest increases in biofuels, hydroelectric power, and wind. Currently, the cost of generating electricity with coal and natural gas is still cheaper by kWh, but new technology and interest in renewable resources is helping alternative energies become more cost-competitive. Check out this infographic for a look at which of these renewable sources are used most widely in America and at what cost.

Infographic: What’s an LED?
When it comes to bright ideas, LED lights (or light-emitting diodes) are incredibly energy efficient and long lasting. Unlike traditional incandescent or even CFL bulbs, they illuminate when the movement of electrons across semiconductor creates light. Historically, they’ve been too expensive to be practical for most residential use, but companies are working to make it more affordable for consumers to have at home. Learn more about potential advantages of LED lights and how they work.

Interactive Infographic: How Does a Hybrid Car Work?
These days, people are more concerned than ever about consuming less gas. Fuel prices are sky high, plus there’s also more urgency than ever to decrease dependence on oil. It’s no wonder that hybrid cars are increasing in popularity as more manufacturers are offering hybrid models of some of their most well-known cars. You’ve probably seen lots of hybrid cars on the road, and maybe you even own one. But have you ever wondered how they work? Hybrid cars utilize both stored electricity and gasoline, resulting in a ride that is more fuel efficient. Click on the interactive infographic link to learn more about this breakthrough technology that’s becoming more commonplace on America’s roads.

Andy Rementer – The New York Times | January 15, 2012

In my recent post Susan Cain: The power of introverts, I mentioned that I agreed with Cain’s view on brainstorming — that it is beneficial to allow participants to brainstorm on their own before discussing ideas in a group setting. Then last week I came across more articles discussing the procedure of brainstorming.

• Innovation Is About Arguing, Not Brainstorming. Here's How To Argue Productively. – written by Daniel Sobol from Continuum, posted on Co.Design
  

  “Deliberative discourse is not just arguing for argument’s sake. Argument is productive for us because everyone knows that we’re working toward a shared goal. The statement of purpose establishes the rules: It reminds us that we are working together to move the ball down the field. As much as we may argue and disagree, anything that happens in the room counts toward our shared goal. This enables us to argue and discuss without hurting one another.”

  This is important because I’ve definitely been in brainstorming sessions where some people took things way off topic and at the end of the day we made little progress.

• The Brainstorming Process Is B.S. But Can We Rework It? – written by Cliff Kuang, founding editor of Co.Design
  

  “For one, the brainstorming might work better if it focused not on finding solutions, but rather identifying problems. What if, during a brainstorming session, people weren’t asked to simply throw out ideas, but rather problems as well? Granted, you’ve still got the annoying problem of groupthink. But the fact is that people are usually better at finding fault than they are at finding answers. Properly harnessed, that could be a good thing.”

  This is true, but once the problems are identified we still need solutions. Maybe that is where individual thinking can come into play before regrouping to discuss ideas.

• Groupthink: The brainstorming myth – written by Jonah Lehrer, posted on The New Yorker
  

  “The underlying assumption of brainstorming is that if people are scared of saying the wrong thing, they’ll end up saying nothing at all. The appeal of this idea is obvious: it’s always nice to be saturated in positive feedback. Typically, participants leave a brainstorming session proud of their contribution. The whiteboard has been filled with free associations. Brainstorming seems like an ideal technique, a feel-good way to boost productivity. But there is a problem with brainstorming. It doesn’t work.”

• The Rise of the New Groupthink – written by Susan Cain, posted on The New Times
  

  “Solitude has long been associated with creativity and transcendence. Culturally, we’re often so dazzled by charisma that we overlook the quiet part of the creative process.”

  “I’m not suggesting that we abolish teamwork. Indeed, recent studies suggest that influential academic work is increasingly conducted by teams rather than by individuals. (Although teams whose members collaborate remotely, from separate universities, appear to be the most influential of all.) The problems we face in science, economics and many other fields are more complex than ever before, and we’ll need to stand on one another’s shoulders if we can possibly hope to solve them. But even if the problems are different, human nature remains the same. And most humans have two contradictory impulses: we love and need one another, yet we crave privacy and autonomy. To harness the energy that fuels both these drives, we need to move beyond the New Groupthink and embrace a more nuanced approach to creativity and learning. Our offices should encourage casual, cafe-style interactions, but allow people to disappear into personalized, private spaces when they want to be alone. Our schools should teach children to work with others, but also to work on their own for sustained periods of time. And we must recognize that introverts need extra quiet and privacy to do their best work.”

So, what do you think effective brainstorming looks like?

Andy Rementer – The New York Times | January 15, 2012

Susan Cain: The power of introverts | Video on TED.com.

As someone who would describe herself as naturally more introverted, I really love this video highlighting the power of introverts in a culture that tends to value extroversion. This video goes along with a long list of articles I’ve read over the past few months examining collaboration/group work versus the idea of the lone designer.

I prefer the balance of autonomous work and group work for which Cain is advocating. I also agree with Cain’s view on the benefit of allowing participants to brainstorm on their own before discussing ideas in a group setting.

I love how I have been able to work more in groups over the past year and a half. I craved that when I was a lonely graphic designer in an office lacking collaborative opportunities. However, I still value having the chance to work on my own. Like most things, it’s about balance.

Objective

Finished Art was considering creating a blog, but the company was not sure whether it was worth the effort or how the blog would actually work. During some free time, I decided to sit down and think about whether a blog could be a good idea for the company and what benefits and challenges it could bring.

I presented the strategy for a website redesign to the President of Finished Art, Inc., then I began spearheading the website redesign and the creation of the new blog.

Process

I first thought about three basic things:

• why create a blog?
• what content could be included?
• who could contribute & how?

The different backgrounds, interests and talents of each member of the Finished Art team is what sets this company apart from other small agencies. It is one thing the company’s president, Donna Johnston, is very proud of and frequently talks about. I quickly realized that FA’s current site did not adequately highlight this array of talent – in fact, there was not a page listing capabilities or even descriptions associated with portfolio images.

I wanted to find a better way to share this diversity and passion with FA’s clients and potential new business partners, as well as give each team member the opportunity to grow and explore his/her interests. The addition of a blog was the perfect way to accomplish this.

However, instead of just creating a blog as a separate entity, I knew it would be better to redesign FA’s entire site to improve user experience, maximize client interaction and promote the Finished Art brand. It would also improve Search Engine Optimization.

I looked at websites and blogs from other design agencies I admire in order to pinpoint what elements from those sites would be beneficial for FA. After a couple months of management meetings, content creation, and coding, the website is now up and running at finishedart.com.

Design

Before

FA’s original site had a wonderful minimalist design that featured large product shots, but it just was not working anymore. The site did not have any real content, and the contact info and about section were just single paragraphs dropping down from the accordion navigation on the left side.

After (Portfolio Page)

The new site still features large product shots, but project descriptions are also included in the right column. The portfolio is now a separate section of the site, displayed in a thumbnail gallery with categories for reorganization. Some projects are housed in more than one category because many times a project’s deliverables cross into different areas of design.

Users can now leave comments about work, share FA’s projects, or like posts on facebook directly from the site.

After (Team Page)

Other areas of the site include:

• a team page with bios and caricatures that were made of each employee over the past few years
• an about page including a brief overview of what FA does, company history, and an archive of images of the holiday cards the company sends out every year
• a services page with direct links to portfolio items corresponding with the service categories
• the blog page
• a contact page, now with a google map and simple contact form

Outcomes

My hope was to give each employee the chance to be creative in their downtime and be involved in shaping the direction of new business. Ideally, the posts they publish could intrigue a potential client, then they could get the chance to work on a project related to their interests.

So far, artists are already being featured on the new blog and there is a sense of excitement in the office. One coworker even stretched out a canvas to paint for the first time in years because he felt inspired.

I can’t wait to see more artwork featured on the site, and I look forward to getting feedback from some of FA’s clients.

Well, it has been over a month since I’ve posted anything, and life has been pretty busy and exciting for me. The year of the dragon is off to a fantastic start!

To start off the new year, I decided I would take a chance and present a strategy for a website redesign to the President of Finished Art, Inc. I used the skills I developed in graduate school and it paid off! I was not sure how my diagrams and sketches would be perceived since it was the first time I tried it out in a business setting. The management team was impressed, so I am currently spearheading a website redesign and the creation of a new blog.

The different backgrounds, interests and talents of each member of the Finished Art team is what sets this company apart from other small agencies. I wanted to find a better way to share this diversity and passion with FA’s clients and potential new business partners, as well as give each team member the opportunity to grow and explore his/her interests.

Most graphic designers can relate to the lament that many jobs coming in are not always interesting, so my hope is to give each employee the chance to be creative in their downtime and be involved in shaping the direction of new business. Ideally, the posts they publish could intrigue a potential client, then they could get the chance to work on a project related to their interests.

In other news, I am moving to New York in little over a month! It has been a long time coming.

UPDATE: Check out the design of Finished Art’s new website here!

Recently, Coca-Cola has received some backlash from the release of the Arctic Home white cans. It is the first time in the company’s 125-year history that the cans are not mostly red. So, was the decision to produce these limited-edition white cans a good one or was it a poor strategy to raise awareness?

As someone who has worked on Coca-Cola Holiday packaging for a few years, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Coca-Cola was really going to make a statement this year by producing limited-edition white cans. I was especially pleased that Coca-Cola was trying to do some good by partnering with the World Wildlife Fund to help protect the polar bear’s habitat. In years past, I was used to highlighting chances to win a PS3 or XBox360 on holiday packaging. The white cans seemed like a refreshing change that would really force consumers to take notice, and I applaud Coca-Cola for taking this risk.

However, now I am reminded that most people are afraid of change — particularly if the change seems out of their control. People literally freaked out over the fact that their Coca-Cola cans were no longer red. Some people even believed the secret formula tasted different in the white cans. On a recent flight, I overheard a flight attendant complaining to a passenger that she has trouble telling the difference between the white Coca-Cola can and the silver Diet Coke can. It turns out she is not alone in this confusion despite the seemingly obvious differences between the cans.

Because of this, Coca-Cola will be phasing out to red Arctic Home cans (although the company says it was always part of the plan — who knows?). Is this the right decision? Does this mean the white cans were a mistake?

At first I thought the campaign was a great idea, but in hindsight I now think a change in strategy could have made the white cans successful. I believe consumers felt as though the white cans were forced on them and they had no option to drink out of their beloved red cans. So, what if Coca-Cola released both the white and red Arctic Home cans together instead of phasing from one to the other? What if white cans could only be found in select fridge packs? Would they then be desired and sought after instead of rejected?

I remember when Star Wars Episode 1 came out and Pepsi featured the main characters on its cans. I feel like a dork admitting it, but my sister and I kept buying more and more Pepsi (although we were typically Coke drinkers) because we wanted to collect all the characters. Think about it. Different Coca-Cola packaging is usually desired and even sought after by die-hard fans and collectors. People loved the Coca-Cola Holiday orb bottles that were sold the past few years. Maybe the complete change to white was just too much too soon for most consumers.

If fridge packs were the only way to find the white cans, then that would eliminate the confusion for people reaching for single cans at convenience stores. Most people who sell individual cans would be purchasing in larger bulk sizes that would not include the white cans. Even the businesses that do purchase and sell cans from fridge packs would still have a majority of red cans to sell to those who prefer them. The exterior of fridge packs would remain red, so people would have no confusion at grocery stores.

I think this could have been a way to make people excited when they found one or two white cans in with the red cans in their fridge pack. Maybe then people would have paid more attention to the cause than the pure shock of the disappearance of red Coke cans.

What do you think?

Method is known as an industry innovator with its eco-conscious line of household and personal care products. The company’s latest innovation in sustainable packaging is a bottle made out of plastic that washed up on beaches from the North Pacific Gyre, often referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or the Pacific Trash Vortex.

For those unfamiliar with the Garbage Patch, the infographic below gives a great explanation. I’ve always cringed when I thought about animals getting caught in the floating debris, but what I didn’t realize before is that the patch is not made up of plastic bags and empty bottles. It’s made up of billions of tiny pieces of plastic, and it’s practically invisible unless you’re floating in it. This may sound better, but it’s actually much worse for the environment.

Image via GOOD – Transparency: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Method’s new bottle is 100 percent post-consumer polyethylene — 25 percent of which is plastic from the Gyre. Partnering with Envision Plastics, Method was able to make bottles out of a new plastic material — Ocean PCR.

This new material required Method and Envision to develop a new recycling process that allows the plastic to be cleaned, unwanted contaminants removed completely, blended, and then remanufactured into high quality plastic. This creates Ocean PCR plastic that is the same quality as virgin HDPE plastic.

“We’ve created a usable bottle from ocean plastic and upcycled it into something useful that can be recycled again and again. Our ultimate goal is to raise awareness that the real solution to plastic pollution lies in reusing and recycling the plastic that’s already on the planet.”
     – Adam Lowry, Method co-founder and chief greenskeeper

If you happen to be in Oahu on either November 19th or December 3rd, you can volunteer to help Method collect plastic for the initial production run of bottles made of ocean plastic. Contact oceanplastic@methodhome.com for details on location and time.

You can read more about the bottles here: Method Ocean Plastic Initiative – TheDieline.com.

HOW Interactive Design – Bad Inforgraphics

Lately, I’ve come across quite a few articles about infographic design — determining whether or not it is overused and discussing proper usage. Here are two articles and my favorite takeaways:

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Infographic Design from Smashing Magazine.

• Show, Don’t Tell — A rule of cinema is to show, don’t tell. The same holds true for infographic design. The foundation of any good infographic is data viz.
• If the Client Wanted an Excel Chart, They Wouldn’t Need You — It might sound harsh, but it’s true. If infographics were as simple as laying out a bunch of standard charts and graphs on a page, then clients would not need to search out great designers.
• Typography Should Not Be a Crutch — Typography can make or break a design, but it should not be the solution to a data viz problem.
• Tell a Story — All good stories have a beginning, middle and end. Infographics deserve the same treatment. At the beginning of the infographic, introduce the problem or thesis. From there, back it up with data. Finally, end the infographic with a conclusion.
• Visualize the Hook — Every good infographic has a hook or primary takeaway that makes the viewer say “A-ha!” As a designer, you should make this hook the focal point of the design if at all possible. Placing the hook at either the center or very end of the infographic is usually best, so that it grabs more attention.

Quit it With All the Infographics Already from HOW Interactive Design.

• Most infographics aren’t accessible for the visually impaired. The point is to convey information succinctly, right? That info is lost on people who use screen readers if all the text is within an image or if your infographic is Flash-based. If your infographic is readable by low-vision assistance software, does the sequence of the content makes sense to someone who can’t see the graphic?
• Most infographics aren’t search-engine optimized. Likewise, search engines won’t know the content of your flashy chart if it’s all just an image. Malcolm Coles suggests breaking down infographics into HTML and using text or ALT tags for both SEO and accessibility.
• Those super-long infographics are practically useless on a mobile device. I don’t know who started that trend of making infographics approximately 400px wide by 45000px high, but it isn’t a great user experience on an iPhone, and it must stop.
• Of all online infographics, 89% contain statistics of dubious veracity. This is a joke. But with the speed that infographics are appearing online—often about an unquantifiable subject matter and/or produced by an entity trying to make a point—the era of reliable, vetted infographics seems to be over. People might not care if the information in a graphic is correct, but you should.
• Many infographics are just plain bad. I don’t want to name names. But sometimes I just don’t know what people were thinking—some situations just don’t call for infographics. (However infographics that are intentionally meaningless can be quite awesome.)
• IF YOU MUST DO IT, DO IT WELL. It’s certainly possible to make infographics that are useful, beautiful and accessible, especially with HTML5.

Here is where you can find some GOOD infographics.

After initially writing this post, I also came across this great video on the subject:

The Value of Data Visualization from Column Five on Vimeo.

Mike Biddle: We can recycle plastic | Video on TED.com.

Less than 10% of plastic trash is recycled compared to almost 90% of metals. This is because of the massively complicated problem of finding and sorting the different kinds of plastic. Frustrated by this waste, Mike Biddle has developed a cheap and incredibly energy efficient plant that can, and does, recycle any kind of plastic.

Because many plants can only recycle certain plastics, people are often confused about what they can and can’t recycle. Hopefully this technology will eventually help to recover and recycle more plastics around the world.

Biddle’s business model is sustainable from both an economic and environmental standpoint.

1. Avoid rules. Avoid order. Don’t just embrace chaos, but create a little bit of it. Constant change, from the top-down, keeps people nimble and flexible (and shows that you want constant change).
2. Give yourself and your team permission to be creative. Permission to try something new, permission to fail, permission to embarrass yourself, permission to have crazy ideas.
3. Hire weird people. Not just the tattoo’d and pierced-in-strange-places kind, but people from outside your industry who would approach problems in different ways than you and your normal competitors.
4. Meetings are a necessary evil, but you can avoid the conference room and meet people in the halls, the water cooler, or their desks. Make meetings less about delegation and task management and more about cross-pollination of ideas (especially the weird ideas). This is a lot harder than centralized, top-down meetings. But this is your job — deal with it.
5. Structure your company to be flexible. Creativity is often spontaneous, so the whole company needs to be able to pivot quickly and execute on them (see #1).

via Creative Cultures: MailChimp Grants Employees “Permission To Be Creative” | Fast Company