Conversation Agent

Is Your Business Lifestreaming?

Can you tell when someone just wants to extract a benefit from you and then move on? Well, so can your customers. Individuals who are interested in connecting are more focused on interests, and tend to stick around.

Companies and businesses that have a relationship-based approach tend to be in it for the long haul. They look at conversation very differently than just running a campaign or a program.

In fact, they see the whole conversation as an aggregate of lifestreams - the connection of the many entry points that the organization has throughout its online (and off line) presence. Customers can take advantage of the many touch points that exist to plug and play with the content and engage in a marketing conversation, if they so choose.

Lifestreaming

Last year, in a comprehensive post on lifestreaming, David Armano talked about the concept as fulfilling a basic human desire: that of wanting to make sense of our lives. We have a need to figure out the purpose of what we do and to drive home its meaning.

Companies have been monitoring the social media for an entryway, a space to come in and possibly be invited in our lives again. Mind you, some companies have made their products and services so compelling and meaningful in and of themselves that we have gone out of our way to have a relationship with them. We meet those businesses in the places where they are.

Where do the other businesses fit? Is their lifestream equivalent to the new business life cycle, a ticket to longevity?

In recent conversations with individuals who work on the corporate or client side like me, I learned that participation for the businesses they represent is not so much about the desire to control the conversation, as much the need to know what interests customers and what keeps them coming back. There is also a new need, that of finding where customers are hanging out - chances are it's not the usual channels.

Fragmentation Innovation

Geoffrey Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm, writes about integration innovation in Dealing with Darwin. In my experience, there is more innovation in fragmentation - the way we communicate on different channels, as an example, changes. That change brings new insight to the fore. Different individuals respond to different types of relational efforts, too. Niche players have the opportunity to go much deeper in an area, as another example.

Your time and that of your customers is also fragmented and it develops over a curve - creation, connection, consumption, collection, criticism and new creation. It's a cycle, if you can take yet another "c". The new sales cycle needs to map to this timing. From a social graph standpoint, there is also how these distinct phases in a customer's behavior map and transfer over to their connections.

In a discussion about engaging bloggers, John Pope of Dell replied to the question: "how do you know who matters, who you should answer?" with "everyone matters." They do because of the social graph, which is an elegant way to display and talk about what our network looks like - the graphical representation of the relationships between individuals (and things) in our lives.

Interests Feed Relationships

When we talk about multiple touch points in traditional marketing, we are talking about different expressions of one conversation - one that is hopefully regarded as useful by our customers. What would happen if we could have multiple conversations depending on how your customer sees the world? This would be the Holy Grail of personalization. Having a communication channel that is just yours and that of your customer's.

If you think it impractical, it has been up until now. First off, many of your customers are not online, yet. There are many other objections, not enough time, budgets, staff, and information. How about attention?

What if the lifestream we are talking about is that of your business? Put you and your business as the starting point from which all of the activities and channels sprout. In that light, what are the junctures at which you have the opportunity to make a connection with individuals? (I want to know what you think here.) Tomorrow we will talk about practical applications.

Given that interests feed relationships, and presence determines top of mind, how interested are you in making connections with your customers? They are not just lists in a data base - they are distinct individuals and the clusters that they influence.

The idea is to connect with your customers repeatedly over time, on their terms. The aggregated result for them is an experience of your business value proposition. For you it is a shift from passive observer to active participant. 

[image courtesy of Visual Complexity]

Publishers Beware, User Experience = Circulation Online

Scott Karp over at Publishing 2.0 has an interesting discussion going about the unnecessary frustration users experience at the sites of main stream media publications. In a previous post, Scott attributes the problem to the fact that stories are written with the print mentality even for the online version.

That is probably one of the reasons why many new media networks are starting to gain ground over online Websites of main stream media. They are designed for online user experience. Yet, quality news reporting is the reason why the online versions of newspapers still have a healthy readership.

The conversation inspired me to think about another metric that is quite important - both off line and online - that of circulation. A while back, I made myself a note that asked: what is your circulation?

Daily print publications are now counting their circulation with the added online readership. The news is that even doing it that way shows a decline, because online readers are not replacing off line subscribers one for one.

Media planners are also finding the numbers for online circulation troublesome. According to a report in Circulation Magazine, they are turning to third parties as there is still a lack of standardized verification for digital media. We ought to be able to have a searchable online tool to figure that all out.

For online circulation only, we use comScore (probably the largest, and the one most agencies use); Quantcast (the ultra-hot up-and-comer); and Compete.

If new media is about linking, then your circulation is split into direct, and indirect.

In this light, user experience takes on a whole new meaning. News items are still important and relevant, as is great content. However, the way a story spreads is much more in the hands of those who think it adds value. Digg is one such service that helps spread news.

Jess (in the comments to Scott's post) shares the link to the new AP study on news consumption and usability. The study helped solidify AP's mission for the digital marketplace:

Create content that will satisfy a full range of consumers’ news needs and then build the links that will connect people to the relevant news they seek.

They also concluded that the fragmentation of the news channels and delivery models, as well as the user experience are by and large disappointing. The cultural anthropologist in you will love this report. Interestingly, Philadelphia was selected among the cities where Context-Based Research Group recruited individuals for the study. 

It will not be shocking to you that today's faster delivery platforms have created a quick delivery and quick consumption model. New generations seldom dig deeper - yet they crave more information. Frankly, I have been quite anesthetized by the US news cycle that beats news into the ground and pulverizes it. The second finding addresses news fatigue and balance.

With the intent of creating social currency, new media has exploded the horizontal news - many blogs and sites reporting on the same story. Yet, even as there are different angles and opinions in the reporting, there is rarely any depth. That is what we still crave for. Which is excellent news, if you pardon my pun, for traditional news organizations that are trying to make a mark online.  

From the study, AP came up with a new model that would have then shift from container to entry points. As you can see in this image, we now have a universe of stories made up of different spheres, each ranging in size and scope – and consumers interacting with the story from different entry points and platforms. 

The editors' role is then one of "information officers" - those who must find ways to connect a story's entry points for users, and providing them more information than they could find by searching or scrolling.

Because of our capability of sharing news with each other, depth via links and repackaging take a whole new dimension. With information available any time, any place, the revenue model will need to be where we connect content, advertising and readership/listenership in a personalized way and large scale at the same time.

All this develops and loses shape while it takes different forms. What seems to be true is that online, user experience equals circulation.

Power and Collaboration

Orchestrating Collaboration is the title of a talk Ben Zander, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, gave at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year [the video is 9 minutes]. I read the Zanders' book when it came out, in 2000. It is timeless. Long after we will be done pounding the meaning out of the term conversation, this book will continue to inspire generations of students of The Art of Possibility.

It's very much a business book, I like to think of it as a marketing book. With its many lessons for those of us who are eager to move beyond the mere mechanics of what is, to what could be. When we do not let the cloud of technology and tools overcome our basic needs to seek opportunity, find happiness, and create meaning, we fully embrace the here and now that can take us to what's next.

The Zanders organized the journey into 12 practices. Today, at The Blog Herald, we talk about three marketing lessons we can draw from their work. There are many more ideas. Some thoughts on marketing and communications that build on their practices:

1. It's all invented - marketing programs are often built on media placements and programs. What would happen if you were the media? Increasingly, with the help of social media tools, you may become that. Think opportunities to help your customers learn about what other services you or your partners offer that complement their business, a-la social network personalized content. What else?
      
2. Stepping into a universe of possibility - public relations initiatives become more fun because now you are less worried of being in control, and more open to what may develop. We've talked about the sticky question of ROI on many occasions. How would the obsession with measurement be transformed into the acknowledgment that involvement can lead to influence, and thus purchase consideration? Today, they call it thought leadership. What is real leadership?
      
3. Giving an A - if you could stop worrying about getting a mark and instead found yourself fulfilling a promise, that of your potential; what would you do differently? Would you take on more risks? How would the creation of your marketing be affected? How can you give an A to your team, your customers, your partners?
      
4. Being a contribution - replace creativity-sapping thoughts of competition with ideas on how you can make your business truly valuable. Can you think in terms of contribution?
      
5. Leading from any chair - think of your employees, colleagues, partners, even friends - how can you help them be successful? What steps can you take from wherever you sit in your career and organization, to make an impact for your customers?
      
6. Rule number 6 - ask yourself: what would have to change for you to be completely fulfilled? This is valid also of your program, project, team. This is an incredibly powerful rule, one that tells us to lighten up. There are stories we tell ourselves about the way things are, how they are done, that keep us from fulfilling a goal, creating a connection.
      
7. The way things are - how we speak and think about reality sets the context for what happens, how things unfold. Assess your situation, budget, time frame, what is, and use that point as a springboard for what comes next. This reminds me of the resourcefulness of MacGuyver, he could always fashion a brilliant point forward even when backed into a corner. How can you use what you have?
      
8. Giving way to passion - participate, lean forward, learn, experiment, experience. Passion is the smallest unit you break down into that can permeate your whole being. It's your signature, the expression of your strength - go for it. Your customers will see it, they will want to be near it, and you.
      
9. Lighting a spark - are your contagious? Do you let others light a spark in you?
      
10. Being the board - how can you bring the whole game inside so you can play at home? When we blame the economy, the scarce resources, the lack of time for our ineffectiveness, we are in fact giving up our power to change the game. How can you look at it differently?
       
11. Creating frameworks for possibility - what is your vision? How can you speak of it, own it, use it to invite expression, development, growth?
       
12. Telling the "we" story - you're in it with your customer, without a doubt.   

It takes practice. More than a year ago, I wrote a post on the substance of marketing, in it I conclude - the ancestor of every action is a thought. What are you thinking about?

[hat tip to Robyn McMaster of Brain Based Biz for the video]

PLEASE NOTE: TypePad is still out of sync with the domain name.

Words Matter - Upon Trajan's Column

You're looking at the inscription from Trajan's Column, circa 113 A.D.. The person who engraved these letters, the Senate and the People of Rome who dedicated them, and Trajan himself are long since dust. But the words remain.

This particular set of characters happens to be the basis of modern typography: an unintended consequence, but true. Typesetters have long considered Trajan's column to be the gold standard of Roman capital letters. Every printed word in a Western language owes a little something to this bit of Second Century political adulation.

Which goes to show the persistence and power of words -- or, in this case, the mere form of words. This inscription was meant to immortalize a certain Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus for his victory in the otherwise-forgotten Dacian Wars. Instead, it really came to immortalize an idea: one of classical beauty, of the delicate serifs and contrasting strokes which still support the alphabet you are now reading. It's a legacy far greater than quelling some upstart empire on the banks of the Danube.

In our increasingly twitterized world, it's easy to forget the value of words. "Less is more," as communication gets stripped to its barest essentials. Syntax, elegance, and grammar -- all gone, in the service of utilitarian economy.

But just because we're no longer chipping our thoughts into stone, we shouldn't assume their lack of permanence or effect. Our most trivial online musings rarely escape the unblinking, restless gaze of Google and its seemingly limitless virtual libraries of digital storage. It would be fascinating to peer 19 centuries into the future, squinting like some bygone artisan under a hot Roman sun, to see what of our words remain for others. Surely there will be unintended consequences.

How to Attend a Conference

I've attended my share of conferences and events over the years. Whether local professional association gatherings, or one-week long affairs in a remote locale, I found that the best way to get the most out of your money - energy and time - is to prepare in advance.

As I wrote in 5 tips to maximize event attendance, you start with why you are going, do your homework, stay in the present at the actual conference as you meet people, are specific about what you seek, and follow through once you get back home. Preparation allows you to have the desired experience. It also lets others experience you and your brand to the fullest.

Take for example an upcoming conference for marketers in the B2B space that will be held in Boston. Let's say you take advantage of the special discount you can have as a reader/subscriber of this blog and sign up for the Marketing Profs B2B forum, June 9 & 10, 2008.

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Use the special code ESPK08 to get $200 off the price of registration - $350 off when you register before May 19. If you live in Boston proper, this is low hanging fruit. Can I persuade you to attend?

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1. Why Go?

You want to drive sales and the old ways do not work for you anymore. Doing more of the same - advertising, direct marketing, public relations, promotions, etc. - with less budgets (if you are like me) will not do the trick. In fact, your company may slide if your competitors are funded more generously.

Marketing in tight economic cycles - whether real or hyped - has its challenges. Psychologically, your prospects may have shut down on you. And you have fewer resources to do more. Sometimes less is just less. Those times require a different approach. One that is has more customer intelligence underneath and leaves a better wake behind it.

This is the forum for you.

2. Do Your Homework

Now that you know the value of this event is real, find out who's going to be there. Personally, I am thrilled if I think that my colleagues from other companies are attending. We do not learn in isolation anymore. I was talking with a colleague from a company that operates in a similar field as mine recently and we agreed that the best ideas emerge from collaboration, where passion carries the conversation and information is free flowing. That is the whole point of open source.

By far the easiest group of people in attendance to figure out are the speakers. Follow that link and see for yourself. This is quite a line up. Let me introduce you to a few people from my network: 

• Marketing Profs Ann Handley, who is an amazing writer, editor and contributor; 
• Crayon's Greg Verdino who will walk everyone through the essence behind how to stay current with trends to support your business acumen;
• CrossTech Media's Chris Brogan who will talk about social media and sales leads;
• Author and PR professional David Meerman Scott who will talk about word-of-mouse marketing;
• Crayon's Consigliere Scott Monty will be on a panel with Lewis Green and Robin Carey moderated by Paul Dunay titled "Is Social Media Harder for B2B vs. B2C?";
• I will talk about making your Web site sticky without raising eyebrows - you can use social media strategies and tactics to have a marketing conversation with your customers without calling them such, maximize your exposure, and put your company in its favorite spot, that of customer engagement.

3. Stay in the Present

As these things go, I know it is very tempting to multi task by holding two or more conversations - one with yourself in your head, one with the speaker and group, and potentially one on Twitter or your blog. Increase your learning potential by delaying that kind of gratification and join the flow that develops in the room. By staying present both at the sessions and with the individuals you meet, you actually learn and accomplish more.

You can find out what you have in common, what the other person is looking to accomplish, what they need - they could be potential customers, you never know. Staying present will give you a tremendous advantage - that of being remembered as attentive and involved. You engage by being engaged.

4. Be Specific About What you Seek

Ask questions, participate, share, stay focused. Rehearse as necessary, too. I have this exercise where I visualize my objectives, flesh them out in my mind, and prepare enough to be able to articulate what I want/need with ease. Then I can adapt to the environment in which I am. How specific should you be? I have gone as far as having business cards imprinted with that message in the back.

Imagine you are at a social mixer and everyone will be asking you for your top three goals. What are they? The more specific, the greater assistance you will receive.

5. Follow Through

Remember to keep your promises. I can count the people who do that on the fingers of one hand. That is great news for you. The easiest way to organize your follow through is by taking notes on the back of the business cards you collect from the individuals you meet. I make notes after the conversation so I can make eye contact and stay present during it. If I have wait time before catching for a train or a flight, I enter all contact in my electronic organizer and begin to sketch out my action items.

Regardless of your method, staying in touch is much easier right after you have opened a communication channel with someone than it is months later.

These are my why, what and how, what are yours? Will I see you in Boston June 9 & 10? In that case, let's meet here and now so we can greet each other and continue the conversation then.

Are You a Social Capitalist?

Heath Row joined the Fast Company team in July 1997 as an associate editor (more on his profile on LinkedIn). The Company of Friends, Fast Company's readers network, launched in October 15, 1997.

... after I realized that the connection people felt to the periodical was similar to the connection folks feel with other people -- and readers started approaching us asking to be introduced to other readers (I didn't know about the latter at the time). The basic idea behind the readers network was that people who resonated with the key themes of the magazine -- innovation and change -- should know other business leaders who connected with the same concepts in their home towns.

If you insist on some stats, since 1997, almost 45,000 people have joined the Company of Friends, which in 2005 comprised about 200 local chapters and online special interest groups. The Company of Friends at the time, and probably still now, was the only multi-industry and -practice professional association connected to a magazine in the world.

That's how we met. Heath's official title was Social Capitalist. What does a Social Capitalist do? I reached out to Heath last night to find out. Here's what he said (emphasis mine):

I chose the title Social Capitalist for several reasons.

One, I was inspired with the body of work surrounding social capital -- the value of personal relationships in the workplace.

I was also inspired by purpose-led community organizing such as that exemplified by the Quakers, Robert Putnam (in his book Bowling Alone), and network-based creative endeavors such as mail art, tape trading, and punk rock.

Thirdly, I've long been interested in left-leaning politics, and the idea that society could be organized around a capital that was more than monetary was appealing.

A social capitalist does three things well.

1. She makes sure that the right people meet each other at the right time to create the most value collectively.

2. She does all of her work tapping into her personal network in order to benefit from the group mind, collective skills, and shared knowledge available to her.

3. She does so in such a way that shares a model and set of practices that other people can learn from and use to do the same themselves.

As we hear more and more about bloggers on the corporate side, I wonder if organizations realize that these individuals do hold a lot more than just the responsibility to the dialogue with customers (and employees). Social media tools actually enhance this intrinsic value of personal relationships across the organization and outside its walls.

These relationships have the power to inspire meaning and purpose that goes beyond messaging to the organization of work through the creation of community. Some companies are beginning to think about harnessing the creative juice that is generated in the exchanges made by the communities. Which in turn can become experiences worth having by employees and customers that feed back into the purpose of the community.

I've often asserted that relationships cannot be "managed", instead we can build upon them. Heath articulated the skills you want in such a person - a connector is also a social capitalist.

Are you a social capitalist? Is there one in your network?

What's Your KOOZA?

I just bought tickets to go see KOOZA. In researching what the story is about, I discovered that in KOOZA, Cirque du Soleil tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.

From the site: KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil: It combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor.

Many of the Cirque shows remind me of journeys. The Innocent's journey brings him into contact with a series of comic characters. This contact no doubt will result in experiences for both the character and us, the audience. In anticipation for another feast on the language of movement, I thought it fun to imagine some possibilities for the types in the story:

• the King - this is one of the most fascinating images in the history of tales. For a medieval history buff like me, King can take so many forms. I think of King Lear and the transferal of identity in the connection between the King and the Fool. The King can be a benevolent and magnanimous character, or he can be a real ass, depending on the circumstances. Straight from legend, King Arthur was the former. King of the Hill, Burger King, Mattress King, the noun lives on. And so does the metaphor - living like a king.
     
• the Trickster - a less than flattering term. While nobody would take that name, we sometimes feel cheated in our experience, tricked into a situation, or into thinking something that is not. Tricks can also be acts of magic. By and large we do not think of them that way.
     
• the Pickpocket - rarely do we think as a hand in our pocket as being a good thing. This and the previous character are in fact the Cat and the Fox in Pinocchio (Carlo Collodi). Classic characters introduced to create the conflict in the story.
     
• the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog - the antithesis of The Innocent. Another really popular character in old tales and sometimes a less popular character in cities and places around the world. It is how the journeyman responds to the taunts and influences of this type and his side-kick that will carry him to the end of the tale.

Like every strong story, this one promises to weave itself between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony - touching every human emotion in a way that leaves plenty of room for the imagination of the individual to fill in the blanks. The set will be visually stimulating and appeal to the auditory sense, but it will be the surprises, the turns, the audacity of the visuals and sounds that will evoke total involvement.

As it provides an experience, KOOZA brings together and explores some timeless themes: fear, identity, recognition, power. We buy, our customers buy, on the strength of some basic emotions and desires: love, hope, and fear. Which industry are you in, and what's your story?

Bill(board) Talks Back - Ad Designed to Have a Conversation

We've been talking about connections this week. Connections are at the heart of new media, and they are what makes the world go 'round.

When you've got personality, laughter can bridge the short distance between people. Being playful makes us feel like we belong together. Defenses down, curiosity up, we forget what keeps us apart.

Connections from a billboard? Now that is something you don't come across every day - unless you live in Vegas or near Times Square. Meet Nathan Phillips, who was the CountsMedia world's largest fully live totally interactive video billboard in Las Vegas.

Last October, Bill (Nathan) talked with Bob Garfield about improvisation and using his skills as an actor to entertain and, in so doing, market. It looks like Nathan has taken his one man Bill(board) act in Time Square, NY this year.

In the world of marketing as context building, a world that, with the rise of the semantic Web, is becoming more important for marketers to understand and live in, if you want to be a leading brand, you lead. Which means that par for the course becomes the ability to improvise based on context and the information available.   

Remember that Drew Carey show "whose line is it anyway?" Drew and gang were given ideas from the audience. The actors focus on the ideas, and then use their skill to build on them in unusual and (still) practical ways to tell a story. That is improvisation. As defined on Wikipedia:

Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or new ways to act.

What are the characteristics of improvisation transferable to marketing?

• having a conversation, in the moment, with your audience
• building upon the response and feedback your public gives you
• developing rapport with those who are willing to be entertained

Those are all sound characteristics of conversational marketing. Want to make this fun? Let's do some improv comments here.

[hat tip to Anne Libby]

Delivering an Experience

What is it? My dear?
Ah, how can we bear it?
Bear what?
This. For so short a time. How can we sleep this time away?
We can be quiet together, and pretend - since it is only the beginning - that we have all the time in the world.
And every day we shall have less. And then none.
Would you rather, therefore, have had nothing at all?
No. This is where I have always been coming to.
Since my time began. And when I go away from here, this will be the mid-point, to which everything ran before, and from which everything will run.
But now, my love, we are here, we are now, and those other times are running elsewhere.

[A.S. Byatt, Possession from The Time Traveler's Wife]

You can still get the gist of this dialogue, even if you haven't read the book. This has been an interesting week. We talked about who decides if people get it or not; we also heard the story of a person who did not merely survived a stroke - she lived to tell us what it felt like. It keeps going back to how we make people feel - in marketing, and in life. That, in turn, becomes the experience of us.

What do we leave in our wake? There are some who are ready to throw away all traditional and new marketing (and the marketers) with the proverbial bathwater. I say that there are good executions and sloppy or harried executions everywhere. There are plenty of nonsensical executions and experiences in what we continue to label social media - just because we want it, now! It pays to be patient, and to follow a carefully crafted plan. Note the words - care and craft.

Do we spend enough of our energy and time caring about how we craft an experience for others? Conversation used to be an art. Today we slap on a tone and language more often than not. Over and over, you may notice that what gets passed on is funny in a witty way, or profound in a simple way. Words are funny things - they can change everything.

Try "love" and let me know how it goes.

Today at The Blog Herald we are talking about delivering brand experiences with your blog.

MoMA: Italians and Design

I read about Paola Antonelli first in Fast Company. Since joining MoMA 10 years ago, Paola Antonelli has had to compete with Picasso and Magritte to capture people's attention. Her shows have done just that.

From exhibitions on the future of the workplace to her current show on "humble" masterpieces such as Post-It notes and Bic pens, Antonelli continues to demonstrate to the world the scope and dynamism of design. Linda Tischler dubbed Antonelli Paola the Populist. According to Tischler,

The museum champions an innovative spirit, the potential for cultural impact, aesthetic significance, and an affinity with an evolving idea of modern design. Period.

Antonelli's job touches upon aspects of a job I'd like to have. And I am not bashful  in making claims to a shared origin with design pretty much embedded in my DNA. 

Apart from scouting objects for the museum's collection, Antonelli curates MoMA special exhibits, distilling the impressions and discoveries she amasses over a year's worth of travel, reading, Web surfing, shopping, conferences, and meetings with designers worldwide. In a typical year, she logs eight serious trips, not counting jaunts within the United States.

Form and Function Blend

Would your product be featured in a MoMA special exhibit? That to me is functional design excellence. Antonelli's new exhibit "Design and the Elastic Mind," opened February 24. It explores design's response to the dramatic changes in scale that we must navigate every day. John Seely Brown has called "thinkering." As an aside, every time I see a creative and descriptive title like Seely Brown's I am reminded of the rather conservative nature of mine.

The exhibit presents a shift in perspective, from the view of an entire city on Google Earth to a street map on our mobile phone, from intimate, one-on-one conversations to the vast reach of social networks. Virtual things, like interfaces, and real things, like chairs. I started this journey from real to digital with Designing Business by Clement Mok many years ago.

In this new "thinkering" culture

experimentation is guided by engagement with the world and open, constructive collaboration with colleagues and other specialists. Whether in the form of origami, nanofacture, or growth and aggregation, thinkering gives shape to the embryonic dialogue between design and science.

The exhibit seeks to address the change in how we experience time, space, matter, and identity. If you listen to this podcast by Core77, you'll be able to hear Paola Antonelli's lovely Italian accent while she lays out her vision. I learned about the interview via Influx Technology [hat tip to Seni Thomas].

Reporters are Never Objective

Instead, they report a trajectory, said Antonelli in her interview. What she noticed that sparked the collaboration for this exhibit was that designers and scientists where both in need of entering the modern conversation. The exhibit lets you experience people and objects, design for debate, visualization, and thought to action. All together now, explores the contemporary relationship between individuals and the collective sphere.

There's also a space dedicated to super nature. Do a deep dive with the online exhibit and join us for a field trip at MoMA during Blogger Social 2008. Most quotable: You cannot buy passion, your strength is your vulnerability, when something is in the public domain you don't have to possess it anymore. Join us at MoMA to design a conversation on the elastic mind on April 4 at 4:30PM.

[Also see Antonelli's TED talk on Treating Design as Art.]

The Museum of Modern Art
(212) 708-9400
11 West 53 Street,
between Fifth and Sixth avenues
New York, NY 10019-5497

Museum Hours
Saturday 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Sunday 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Monday 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Tuesday closed
Wednesday 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Thursday 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Friday 10:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Please note: the Museum will be open to the public on Tuesday, March 18.

Getting to MoMA
MoMA is located at 11 West Fifty-third Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues.