All posts by stutho

Futurism

Future airports – 2075

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I do love a good bit of Futurism. While I would be getting close to middle age, about 55 years from now, the forever-young me still enjoys the thrill of imaginative design dreaming. Nowadays, it’s definitely a reassuring comfort, retaining hope for a nicer tomorrow, and the more amazing the theories and envisioned technologies, the better.

In the 2019 Fentress Global Challenge, Fentress Architects asked aspiring architects to create the airport of the future.  The results show potential innovations that would improve almost every aspect of the airport experience and transform the future of aviation. These fascinating concepts explore mobility, urbanization, globalization, technology, flexibility, security, and, just maybe, restoring a little romance back into the passenger experience.

Read the article on Fast Company.

While I’m fairly alarmed by the idea of creating a circular and endless concourse system, please feel free to explore the contest submissions in the Fentress site.

The toolkit, Work

Ten ways to optimize a workation

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Brilliant advice on the importance of taking a working holiday – aka a workation, or time away from the office for the sole purpose of thinking about your business – that can easily include career planning, productivity goals – and, just as importantly, to help maintain your mental health.

It’s so vital to maintain perspective, objectivity and focus – and getting away from the office – and dedicating time to enhancing personal professionalism is time – and money – well spent.

Read The Globe article here.

Teaching

Designing ultimate rides!

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I’m very excited to be joining the teaching staff at Create Art Studio in September, launching the new Top Wheels Design Studio helping kids to create spectacular vehicles to show off!

Over 8 weeks, we’ll explore superstar cars from USA, England, Germany, Italy and Japan – why they’re cool and the designers behind each one – while learning techniques to illustrate them.

From the sublime to the ridiculous(ly fast!), I’ll be coaching budding designers to expand their creative skills and to take their love of auto design to the next level. We’ll explore a little tech, a lot of style and learn cool design techniques to create some amazing machines.

The class is ideal for creative kids – ages 7-10 who love anything and everything with wheels! Do you live in Toronto’s East End and are interested in the class?

Sign up here!

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Work

Why you don’t need marketing automation

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Automation tools are everywhere within the modern marketing mix. They simplify one of the most difficult and time-consuming parts of marketing – lead nurturing – so that content distribution and lead conversion happen with minimal intervention. In other words: you can connect with prospects and move them along the sales funnel without the grubby business of cold calling. It’s understandably desirable.

But the reality of marketing automation is less idealistic, even for businesses that spend a lot of time creating content for use in their marketing and lead-generation efforts. Most businesses could benefit from solutions that make their jobs easier – but there’s a strong case against going all-in on marketing automation.

Read Doug Plant’s (Mugo Web‘s client engagement manager) article in The Globe on why it’s not always a great idea…

 

Archive, Work

GMG video – 2015

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Here’s the new promotional Globe Media Group video. It brings the new GMG brand to vivid life and explores how The Globe delivers a unique client experience that focuses on the intersection of Audience, Context and Performance.

Across the sales and editorial groups, I’m driving a renewed focus on CEM – Customer Experience Management. The goal is to ensure that every source of client contact – from information touch-points such as the GlobeLink.ca website, promotional booklet, new videos and new PPT deck) have consistent messaging impact. The messaging continues seamlessly into the internal proposal development process, focusing on effectively demonstrating to clients that they can form the strongest connection to Canada’s influencers, in partnership with The Globe.

Combined with an intensive training program (building deeper product knowledge and an advanced sales approach), the sales group are now better equipped to deliver fully on a client’s objectives – and grow their business opportunities – than ever before.

Learning

Lessons from the bleeding edge

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Interesting insights into the importance of listening to, developing with and learning from your audience.

Trials and iterations:

The Globe and Mail tries to balance reinvention and familiarity in its new app

The Canadian newspaper’s new iOS app tried to embrace mobile as a unique platform. Users hated it. Now the company is trying to respond to user feedback while embracing a new digital strategy.

Read the article on the Nieman Labs site