Design Corner

Alice Smeets Photographs Modern Witchcraft

2012-02-22T17:00:30Z

Belgian documentary photographer Alice Smeets has traveled the world and covered everything from war to famine. However her series on Witchcraft has blown me away! This series captures the life and practices of the modern witchcraft practitioner by pulling back the veil on this ancient yet taboo tradition. Smeets says about this project:

“Modern Witchcraft is practiced across Europe, the USA and the rest of the Western World. It is extremely diverse; with beliefs that range widely from polytheism to animism, to pantheism and other paradigms. The largest movements of this self-termed Neo-Paganism are Wicca and Druidism; the followers of which call themselves Witches or Druids, sharing beliefs of Magic, Witchcraft and Nature’s Power. They respect their environment and celebrate eight Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year where they praise the divinities of nature. They often hold rituals – called Esbats – on the Full Moon. In part, they return to some of the old Celtic traditions.

While Wicca is a very young religion – formed by Gerald Gardner not more than 50 years ago, its roots are much older than Christianity. It has no relationship to Satanism, which is one of many misconceptions held by the public. Ancient pagan beliefs have begun to make their way into the Neo-Pagan community in many ways, making our spiritual path a very deep one, rooted and grounded in the very earth that supports us. From its origins in England it is now widely spread across Europe, America and the rest of the world. At the present time, Neo-Paganism is a large network of small communities with its own organizations, festivals, magazines, shops, workshops, gatherings and ceremonies. Witches can be found everywhere: in the supermarket, in the streets, as well as in our own neighborhood. And you would not know these Witches unless you were told who they were or were one yourself.”

(via feature shoot)

Salone Milan 2012 Preview: 1% Products by nendo

2012-02-22T17:00:00Z

It's not always so bad to be part of the 1%. Tokyo-based nendo is showing his newest collection of 1% products this April in Milan. This second release follows his 2006 inaugural collection which included light bulbs, furniture, vases and tableware—my favorite piece was the "Fruit Template," a witty take on a fruitbowl.

Six years later, nendo's new collection continues with the project parameters of creating a limited run of 100, but this time around the collection is more focused with five sets of ceramic tablewares that reflect the designers considered and delightful aesthetic.

Only 100 of each object will be made.
100 is the perfect amount: they're neither one-off "works of art" nor mass-produced products made in the millions.

Whether its the skill of the artisans or new technologies,

we want to make things that are only possible.

because there are 100 of them. Not more, not less.

To give owners the chance to experience the joy of owing 1%.

The 100 edition project "one percent products"

(more...)

Clearview Residence by Altius Architecture

2012-02-22T17:14:00Z

Altius Architecture have designed this residence in Clearview, Ontario, Canada.

Designed for a local artist to enjoy, this residence is located just south of Collingwood, in the heart of the Clearview area. A broad selection of sustainable technologies, including a geothermal lake loop and green house set this project apart from others in the area. The building itself draws inspiration from a number of intimate relationships and views, both through the adjacent woodland, as well as across the nearby pond.

The buildings programme is pretty extensive and with the clients desire to maintain the majority of this over one level the design team were particularly aware of the need to integrate the building into its surroundings in a subtle manor. Consequently this quickly became one of our main focuses and thus gave the scheme real direction, as we sought to arrange each space appropriately within the overall layout so to take advantage of the site and its beauty as well as to make sure that the building was as user friendly and functional as possible.

Materials

The material palette was of particular importance as it was paramount that the building became steeped within its surroundings, and so we chose to pursue a selection of materials that would reflect the nature of adjacent landscape and in particular its seasonally changing colours and textures. True to this we incorporated the ever evolving characteristics of corten steel, the earthy tones of a deep grey/blue ‘Cape Cod’ pre-finished wood siding, as well as other products like slate and ipe wood decking.

Sustainability Features:

Program and Spatial Optimization.
Integration with the ‘Natural Assets’ of your Site and Terrain.
Site Specific View and Vista Optimization.
Passive Solar Heating.
Natural Ventilation and Passive Cooling.
Natural Daylighting.
High Performance Envelope Design.
Material Optimization and Modular Design.
Renewable Materials and Finishes.
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Non-toxic Materials and Finishes.
Advanced Geothermal Systems.
Radiant Heating.
Heat Recovery Ventilation.
Low Energy Lighting & Appliances.
Water Conserving Appliances & Fixtures.

A whole host of other green strategies have been incorporated, including a low-impact horizontal lake loop geothermal heating system, a green house with a grey water recycling system, deliberate solar orientation, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and local materials.

Visit the Altius Architecture website – here.

The 'Cliffs Notes Web' Has Won

2012-02-22T16:58:52Z

We scan the web for quick markers that indicate things we'll be interested in, whether on a social site like Pinterest or a Forbes blog.

This morning Christopher Jobson, creator of ThisIsColossal.com, tweeted this:

Despite their similarities, it's amazing to see how much traffic Pinterest drives outward and how much Tumblr keeps in completely contained.
-- Christopher Jobson (@itscolossal) February 22, 2012

In subsequent tweets, Jobson noted that visitors from Pinterest.com "spend more time looking at more pages" than visitors referred from any other site. If you're not familiar with Pinterest, Alexis Madrigal has a comprehensive introduction. But visiting the site should tell you most of what you need to know about it. Users "pin" and categorize images they find compelling from websites; other users can repin them and add to their own collections. Each image is linked back to the originating source.

The difference Jobson draws between Pinterest and Tumblr is an interesting one. Comparisons between the sites are often made; Tumblr likewise facilitates the resharing of content. The difference lies in the objects being shared. Tumblr allows users to write full blog posts, embed videos, share photo galleries. In Pinterest, the image exists almost on its own. There's room for a brief description (newly limited to 500 characters), but the visual emphasis is on the image itself which, when clicked, takes the user to the image's originating site.

When the web was first gaining broad use, it was common for site designers to use "click here" for outgoing links. As in: If you'd like to learn more about Pinterest, click here. Usability experts quickly pointed out that, given the underline and distinct color that most links carry, links often attracted more visual attention than the surrounding text. Drawing someone's attention to the meaning-free words "click here" was discouraged. Would you like to learn more about Pinterest? The link that catches the eye now has meaningful representation.

We trained ourselves to quickly scan and evaluate links, a tendency perfected and exploited by Twitter. Brevity is fashionable -- the ever-hip Awl's Twitter feed, for example, goes out of its way to be terse. This is the gateway web now: blurb, link. Sometimes combined, sometimes not.

What makes Pinterest unique is that the blurbs are images. The front page of Pinterest is an old-fashioned link blog using pictures instead of words. It's not a blog platform; it's image Twitter. Jobson's observation is unsurprising because the user is left wanting more context for what they see, context that on Tumblr is usually provided.

The teaser is not a new addition to media, of course. Tabloid dailies like the New York Post use similar blurbs (the "wood") to entice people to lay out 75 cents. What's changed is that every media company is now in the race for similarly quick engagement.

The implications for site traffic -- and therefore revenue -- is real.Last week, the New York Times Magazine published a long piece about how companies target consumers. The article was summarized and excerpted by Forbes, which saw enormous traffic, more than one million visits, as a result. Blogger Nick O'Neill noted this, arguing that the original Times Magazine piece "didn't have the title it deserved." It didn't have a compelling blurb, in other words. So Forbes' Kashmir Hill provided one.

The rise of social media and the incomprehensible glut of content has primed us for curation. Increasingly, we look for quick markers that indicate things we'll be interested in. Forbes provides a gloss on a long New York Times piece; Pinterest replaces the "click here" of a text link to a compelling visual with a meaningful representation.

No wonder people are actually clicking.

Image: Rebecca J. Rosen.

Lindles: Jeremy Lin, Amazon Kindle, And The Rise Of Insta-Authors

2012-02-22T17:17:52Z

Jeremy Lin has inspired a lot of rabid fans, magazine features, and six-figure book deal offers. But he's also fueled a new breed of lightening-fast ebook authors. Alan Goldsher, author of "Linsanity: The Improbably Rise of Jeremy Lin," is one of the fastest (and slickest).

In the days before web publishing, upstart sports stars, even those with searing 10-game streaks like Jeremy Lin's, were viewed largely in hindsight, their legacies captured in book form only after the immediate excitement had passed. But the rapid ascent of Lin has inspired ebook authors trying top climb the Amazon ranks just as quickly.

While big publishers court the New York Knicks' 23-year-old point guard to write his memoir (industry sources say his advance could be in the neighborhood of $500,000), at least seven Lin Kindle books (Lindles?) have already been released. Several of the ebooks repurpose publicly available biographical information on Lin or interviews conducted before he hit the bigtime. Lin didn't sit for For Linsanity: The Improbable Rise of Jeremy Lin by ESPN: The Magazine contributor Alan Goldsher. But that didn't stop Goldsher from writing a 15,000-word manuscript in 72 hours. In an email interview with Fast Company, Goldsher explained the frenzied process of putting together Linsanity while weighing in on the future of the instant e-book.

FAST COMPANY: How long did the entire process take, between the time you came up with the idea to when the e-book was published?

ALAN GOLDSHER: Hold onto your hats, kids: 72 hours to write a 15,000-plus-word manuscript, 36 hours for the fine folks at Vook to build the e-book, and then another 24 hours for them to arrange the distribution. So from conception to availability, we're talking just under a week. And Team Alan had full control of every aspect of the project, from content to design. It blows me away that we were able to bring it to life that quickly. And it blows me away even more that my brain didn't explode after I turned in the completed draft.

Why choose to write an e-book instead of, say, a longform web article? And how do the forms differ in your mind?

As a novelist and avid fiction reader, I have a healthy appreciation for a good story, and by story, I mean something with a beginning, middle, and end, and character development, and conflict, and obstacles to be overcome. Jeremy's path to the NBA has all that, and then some. Even though he's only been on the world stage for a month, his is a tale that deserves to be told in more than a blog posting, a magazine article, or a Wikipedia page, and I don't think anybody can argue with that. And while there's been some wonderful magazine and web stuff written about Jeremy to this point--that Sports Illustrated cover story is great, for instance--nobody's taken a cinematic view. To accomplish that, I interwove Jeremy's past and present, elaborated on some of the high and low points of his life, gave the whole thing a heap of color and context, and came up with a snapshot of a magical period that I hope casual and hardcore basketball fans alike will be happy to have on their e-readers for years.

Do you plan to alter or add to the e-book in any way if, for example, Lin agrees to an interview with you, or if there's a huge development in Lin's story?

There are discussions in the works to enhance the book with illustrations, videos, and the like, so if that all comes to fruition, I'll update the content, and we'll have it up soon thereafter. It'll be tough to pin down Jeremy for an interview--he just turned down a GQ cover story--but if people dig my book, he might hear about it, and if he hears about it, well, you never know....

What makes Lin's story well-suited to the fast-paced turnaround of e-book publishing?

It's playing out on an international stage, and there are new developments every day, but the old developments are gripping in and of themselves, which is why Team Alan felt this was a book-worthy, speed-demon project.

Were you inspired by any existing e-books that were released in a similar fashion?

I'm sure there are other e-books about developing news and/or pop culture stories that have had insanely fast turnaround times, but I don't know of anything that went down like this. (Speed-wise, it was a record for Vook.) Jeremy's practically a one-of-a-kind, which is why this kind of project doesn't happen on a regular basis.

Can you think of any other public figures who you would've loved to cover in this quick turn-around format had e-book technology been available earlier in your career?

What with her struggle to overcome almost losing her voice, Adele's story would've been ideal, and if I'd have had it ready to coincide with her amazing night at the Grammys, that would've been flat-out awesome. Also, Ryan Gosling has had an amazing 2011--we're talking three arguably good-to-great flicks--and if I could've gotten something ready when The Ides of March hit theaters in October, that would've been stellar. And even though Tim Tebow's memoir is still a bestseller, I think I could've put a novelistic spin on his season.

Do you expect to see more writers embrace this new model of instant e-book publishing, and why or why not?

I'll give you a big maybe on that one. I'm a freak in that I can put together a readable, hopefully enjoyable (and hopefully non-sucky) product in a relatively short time, and I don't know how many other Alans there are out there. But those who are so inclined would have a great time with it. It's exhausting as all hell, but at the same time, it's exhilarating and fulfilling. In terms of a writer's mental health, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it...but I wouldn't necessarily not recommend it, either.

What's next for you?

Over the next six months, I have three projects hitting the streets: an e-book-only sequel to my novel Paul Is Undead called Give Death a Chance, as well as a couple of parody novels that will be published by St. Martin's Press. And if folks enjoy Linsanity, I could be convinced to try something this nutty again. But I need at least a day or two to recover before I dive in.

[Image: Getty Images]

Elements Rugs by Kostantia Mathou

2012-02-22T17:00:32Z

Milan-based architect Kostantia Mathou was so obsessed with a sky-pattern sticker last year that she created a rug based on the design. She says of the pattern, “I was literally covering every object and surface in my house [with it].” As for the subtle mosaic, that came afterwards, out of her interest in “the oldest and more traditional manual pixelization forms.” Later, she decided to do an opposing design of her clouded sky, “for the sake of duality,” and thus was borne the Sky/Earth carpets.

The rugs, which are part of a collection called Elements, are manufactured by CC-Tapis, a French company that recently opened a new showroom in Milan.

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diy project: leather lunch tote

2012-02-22T17:00:51Z

I don’t bring my lunch to work as often as I should. And by that, I mean never. What if I had a cool lunch tote? It might not help, but at the very least, it’s a fun project to practice your hand sewing and to make something interesting. Whether you need a lunch tote or not, this is a project you can modify for your own totable needs. Enjoy! — Matt

See the full how-to after the jump!

(more…)

STYLED by Tony Irvine for Christopher Kane

2012-02-22T17:00:27Z

oki-ni’s latest STYLED by feature finds Tony Irvine enlisting pieces from the Christopher Kane collection. With iconic print pieces at the forefront of the editorial, it’s clear that his tastes and sensibilities have remained true to past seasons. Pieces include a Hooded Zip-Up Jacket that relies heavily on a utilitarian theme. Crafted from reflective, grey polyester, the jacket features a deep drawstring hood and elasticated cuffs to keep out the elements. Also, Kane has applied the same technical printing skill and mechanical theme as on his t-shirts, as those elements have been displayed on swim shorts, perfect for the approaching summer sun.

Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com

Jacket Required: Herschel Supply Co. 2012 Fall/Winter Collection Preview

2012-02-22T17:00:45Z

Hershel Supply Co. previewed its Fall/Winter 2012 collection at the recent Jacket Required trade show in London. The collection features a few different colorways including a desert camouflage luggage set, red paisley laptop cases, and a set of traditional duffle bags and backpacks. When designing the duffle bags and backpacks Hershel Supply played with ordinary earthy tones of brown, deep red, and yellow by adding bold contrasting stripes to complete the collections with a look that is familiar but refreshing.

Photography: Ravi Sidhu/Hypebeast

Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com

The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt

2012-02-22T17:00:00Z

There’s an unwritten rule that says that anyone writing anything even vaguely Easter-themed must sprinkle their prose with excruciating egg puns, but here at It’s Nice That we’re better than that. So all we’ll say is that The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, launched in London yesterday, sees 209 giant eggs placed around the city as part of a fundraising stunt for Elephant Family and Action for Children. There’s cool ones, weird ones, funny ones and beautiful ones, eggs designed by artistic luminaries (Sir Peter Blake, The Chapman Brothers), eggs designed by creatives we love (Kate Moross, Bompas & Parr, Rob Ryan) and eggs designed by film directors (Sir Ridley Scott). Cracking stuff (so close!). (Read more)

www.thebigegghunt.co.uk

Entertainment Industry Embraces New Business Model: Suing Google For Third-Party Android Apps That 'Promote Piracy'

2012-02-22T16:46:30Z

Who says the entertainment industry can't embrace new business models? From their hamfisted attempts to make digital movie distribution less convenient than driving to the store and purchasing a DVD to their recent "collateral revamping" of various cloud services, the entertainment industry has never been more flexible.

Plagiarism Today points us in the bold new direction the entertainment industry will be heading in the future. More specifically, a bold new direction the entertainment industry's lawyers will be headed.

[A]t a charity luncheon for the Entertainment Law Initiative, which was raising money for the Grammy Foundation, there was a thunderous applause from the audience, mostly comprised of attorneys, over a paper regarding Android applications the promote piracy wondering why no lawsuits had been filed against Google for secondary liability. Though most of the other papers admitted only received scattered applause, that one seemed to whip the crowd into a frenzy, indicating the possibility that industry lawyers are considering such a tactic in the near future.

It's not an entirely new direction. Google is still the entertainment industry's favorite punching bag. But, hey, billable hours! New billable hours! Surely that's reason for a standing ovation! And a platform switch! Exciting!

A few more details emerged at the Wall Street Journal:

[T]he room went nuts during videotaped remarks by Ryanne E. Perio, a student at Columbia Law School, who wrote about Android smartphone apps that facilitate piracy.
During remarks describing her paper, Perio wondered aloud why offering those apps hadn't generated lawsuits against Android parent Google, for "secondary copyright infringement" - i.e. facilitating piracy.

There seems to be no link to Perio's actual paper, entitled "Policing The Android Market: Why The Expanding DMCA May Harbor Google From Liability For Illegal File-Sharing Apps Available On Android," so it's unclear whether Perio is referencing the official Android app store or simply broadbrushing (+4 troll points) Google as co-conspirators on any piece of software compatible with the Android platform.

If it's the App Store angle, it's a bit like claiming Walmart is responsible for secondary infringement because they sell copies of Nero (not to mention computers, blank discs, cable modems and other tools of the pirate trade). If it's just because it's Google's platform, then it's about as meritous as suing Microsoft because ~~Limewire~~ Frostwire runs on Windows.

Of course, a lack of merit has never stopped a lawsuit. And it certainly has never stopped lawyers from racking up expensive hours constructing a variety of legal Spruce Gooses. Sadder still, it has never stopped a court from rendering a ridiculous decision in favor of the even more ridiculous plaintiffs.

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Napping Bliss: The sleepToo Sofa by Wieland

2012-02-22T16:51:33Z

Another one of those dream jobs that no one seems to have but all of us want - in the same arena as being a professional taste tester or a travel critic - might be someone who tests out sleeper sofas and mattresses for comfort. Like taking naps, but for a salary. Although I’m not exactly sure someone has this job without loads of boring paperwork to do afterward, but I’d be down to nap on the new sleepToo sofa by Wieland for a minimal amount.

sleepToo sofa. Manufactured by Wieland.

Versatile and Modern: The sleepToo Healthcare Sleeper Sofa by Wieland

With a classic aesthetic to match its integrated table design, the simple lines used to construct the 72” sleepToo sofa appear more straightforward than its innovative morphing from sofa to bed would suggest. For starters, the table can be set at three separate heights to perfectly sit inside the sofa’s design. As the sleepToo is placed in healthcare facilities, this function is essential to the versatility and strength of the pull-out sofa’s overall design.

Make infection control a non-issue with a sleeper sofa like the sleepToo since it’s clean out is easy and fast. Additionally, Wieland created it in five lengths - from 74” to 86” widths - that will fit into any space as if custom-manufactured. Match the sleepToo into any interior design as well, choosing between wood, metal or what they call a plinth base, and opt for casters (if without the table).

With a 25-year warranty with a 10-year warranty on mechanisms and 2-year warranty on drawer glides, the sleepToo is a durable sleeper sofa made especially for the healthcare industry by Wieland to ensure a high quality, versatile design is available for patient rooms everywhere.

About the Manufacturer: Based out of Grabill, Indiana, Wieland Healthcare is known in the industry for their comprehensive line of sofas and chairs for any imaginable healthcare space. The company includes replaceable or renewable parts and a variety of finishes to ensure every furnishing is not only durable and attractive, but is designed with attention to the fine details - like the table heights and five different sizes of their gorgeous sleepToo sofas available.

"What We Learned" by Legwork (1:25)

2012-02-22T16:24:13Z

IdN Video v18n6: Best of 2011

Chain link Fences Transformed into Lace Patterns

2012-02-22T16:34:40Z

Lace Fence is a design of Dutch Design House Demakersvan. It is a high-end metal fabric that gives new insights in how you can create unique environments. It combines the ancient craft of lace making with the industrial chainlink fence. Every fence is unique in its design by its craft and assembled patterns, which come in a variety of themes. From antique lace floral to contemporary designs and custom art patterns. Lace Fence shows how something which was meant purely functional can also be decorative. Hostility versus kindness, industry versus craft.

An Upcycled Plastic Bottle Charging Station Make It and Love It

2012-02-22T16:30:00Z

Unless all your outlets are perfectly located near desks and countertops, you probably have to deal with the annoying mess of cords and gadgets — not to mention the worry of them getting stepped on, or chewed up by pets. This clever little DIY is not only a great way to hold your phone while it's charging, but also reuse a common household item. More

An Upcycled Plastic Bottle Charging Station Make It and Love It

2012-02-22T16:30:00Z

5 Tips for Buying Tech Overseas

2012-02-22T16:15:00Z

Recently I was given a crash course in purchasing tech while visiting Sim Lim Square in Singapore. I thought I was a savvy shopper, but it turned out I had quite a bit to learn when it came to buying tech in Asia. Read on for what I took away from the experience and learn how to shop smarter while you travel: More

Adobe Gives Linux the Finger, Makes Sweet Love with Chrome

2012-02-22T16:40:31Z

As of the next update, Linux users will have to use Chrome (or other as yet non-existent PPAPI compatible browsers) if they want to use the latest version of Flash. There is also speculation that Adobe is building an outdoor toilette for Linux users, and is planning the construction of “separate but equal” housing projects for them in the coming months.

The Future of Flash

This is a big deal, and it points to a fundamental shift in the computing world (one that many casual users don’t yet recognize): the web browser has become, in effect, its own form of operating system and it will be browsers, not operating systems, that define the vast majority of the user’s computing experience. Mac, Windows, Linux, or Bob’s Pretty Good OS all need cross-compatible web browsers, and as more and more traditional desktop apps get cloudified, the average user will be as interested in the device Operating System as he or she is in Bios or Darwin today.

Adobe has maintained that HTML5 will exist in concert with Flash, not as a replacement to it, and considering that their market research department is, well, bigger than ours, we’ll take their word for it. Frankly, the future of Flash isn’t all that interesting to us. The future of the browser, on the other hand, is.

via ghacks.net

The Gentlemen’s Rant: Homophobia

2012-02-22T16:30:14Z

John Elerick and friends are taking a stand against homophobia in this hilarious rant by addressing how idiotic homophobic people really are.

No related posts.

The Unexpected Way To Use Your Social Network Strategically

2012-02-22T12:47:30Z

If it’s a clear night tonight, go outside about 9 p.m. and look west at the two brightest stars, beautiful as jewels, one above the other. Low to the horizon will be the planet Venus, the “evening star,” just beginning to set. Above Venus is the planet Jupiter, the gas giant with more than 60 known moons (and still counting). Now turn around and face east. Coming up off the horizon you’ll see another jewel, this one quite reddish; that’s Mars, the Red Planet (two tiny moons). On March 3 this year, our Earth (one giant moon) will pass closest to Mars, overtaking it in our orbital race around the Sun.

The solar system is a network of planets, each of which has its own network of moons, so it provides a picturesque (if inexact) analogy for social networks, which are also networks of networks. Everyone seems to be on the social media bandwagon now, with the most enthusiastic advocates often competing to build up their networks of Twitter followers, Facebook friends, or LinkedIn connections.

But rather than counting how many moons you have in your network, what you ought to be doing is figuring out how to get the most benefit from the right ones. And despite the hype, my own informal canvassing has convinced me that most of us aren’t very strategic when it comes to the best way to take advantage of the enormous potential of our own social networks.

Suppose, for instance, you want to find a new career. Maybe you’ve recently had a job shot out from under you. Or perhaps you just think you can do better. Everyone knows, of course, that networking is the best way to find out about job openings and career opportunities (as well as most other business opportunities), but is there a smart way to use your network?

Yes there is, and most people aren’t conscious of it. Almost 30 years ago, a landmark study showed conclusively that the best leads for job opportunities are more likely to come from your more distant colleagues and friends, as opposed to your closest ones. This isn’t because your close friends don’t give you good recommendations, but because you and your other close friends are more likely already to know about the same job openings, while the job openings known to your more distant colleagues--those with whom you don’t interact very often--are not as likely to be known to your own friends, or to you.

This principle, known as the “strength of weak ties,” has other strategic applications as well. Two venture capitalists have found, for instance, that investing firms that share information with others regarding potential investment prospects tend to gain access to a wider network of candidates--essentially leveraging their weak network ties, rather than focusing solely on strong ties. They also cite another recent study by other academics that shows VC firms concentrated in the traditional tech centers (Silicon Valley, New York, Boston) do better than other firms primarily because they "cast a wide, public net," harvesting the results of their weak ties.

Or consider the question of generating new business in the B2B space, or with regard to expensive, considered purchases. If you use a straight-ahead business-development plan, you’ll develop a laundry list of leads and opportunities to be followed up. While this can be useful, the truth is that a great deal of such business comes in via the referral of others. And how can you increase your access to such referrals? You guessed it--by concentrating on your weak ties, rather than on your strong ties. By developing your own network of industry colleagues and blog or Twitter followers, for instance, you get access to their connections with others. And one of my favorite strategies for B2B competitors is to prepare PowerPoint decks about the benefits of the firm, and then make those decks freely available on your own Website for download and unlimited use. However, this isn’t a tool for persuading the people who come to your site to buy, but for helping them to persuade others within their firm. In effect, you are arming these weak-tie prospects with the tools necessary to appeal to their own networks.

And of course, the power of weak ties can hardly be overstated when it comes to generating creative or innovative ideas. All new ideas come from combining previous ideas and concepts. This is one reason why a group of people with completely independent ideas is likely to come to a better, more creative, or predictive conclusion than any single one of them acting alone, even the smartest member of the group. In essence, ideas and innovations themselves exist in a kind of network, with some ideas connected to others, clusters of ideas within other clusters, and so forth. Your best new ideas, and a company’s most breakthrough innovations, will come when you tap your weak ties by interacting with the disciplines you know less about, or the experts you rarely consult, or the people you associate with less frequently.

By contrast, the surest way NOT to have a creative breakthrough is to rely on all the experts you already know, and all the disciplines you’re already familiar with. One study of entrepreneurs showed they are more likely to have “deliberately exposed themselves to different sources of information, by striking up conversations on trains, for example, or maintaining a diverse range of acquaintances, to increase the odds of stumbling upon an interesting opportunity.”

Finally, even if all you’re trying to do is to advance your own career at whatever firm you’re working for, the “weak ties” argument will help you better appreciate which other executives you should be trying to add to your network. It’s long been thought that the best way to get ahead is to hitch your wagon to a senior star, but a University of Chicago business school professor’s book, Neighbor Networks, has debunked this myth. A summary of Prof. Ronald S. Burt’s book suggests “There is no advantage at all to having well-connected friends.” Instead, it is the managers who do the connecting that tend to earn demonstrably higher salaries. This is not because they become linchpins or hubs or gateways to power and information, per se, but rather because managers who maintain contacts in a diverse range of departments are getting a very healthy and intellectually stimulating “exposure to diverse ideas and behaviors.” According to Burt, “the way networks have their effect is not by getting information from people, but rather by finding people who are interesting and who think differently from you,” adding that it isn’t being in the know, “but rather having to translate between different groups so that you develop gifts of analogy, metaphor, and communicating between people who have difficulty communicating to each other.”

So whether you’re interested in a better job, more business clients, or simply more creative ideas, it makes sense to think more strategically about how your network operates, and how you can better operate within it. If you want to be successful, you need to strategize how to make better connections with groups you don’t know much about, or how to craft analogies by combining different disciplines--business success and astronomy, for example.

[Image: Flickr user Carl Jones]

Design Corner

Alice Smeets Photographs Modern Witchcraft

Salone Milan 2012 Preview: 1% Products by nendo

Clearview Residence by Altius Architecture

The 'Cliffs Notes Web' Has Won

Lindles: Jeremy Lin, Amazon Kindle, And The Rise Of Insta-Authors

Elements Rugs by Kostantia Mathou

diy project: leather lunch tote

STYLED by Tony Irvine for Christopher Kane

Jacket Required: Herschel Supply Co. 2012 Fall/Winter Collection Preview

The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt

Entertainment Industry Embraces New Business Model: Suing Google For Third-Party Android Apps That 'Promote Piracy'

Napping Bliss: The sleepToo Sofa by Wieland

Versatile and Modern: The sleepToo Healthcare Sleeper Sofa by Wieland

"What We Learned" by Legwork (1:25)

Chain link Fences Transformed into Lace Patterns

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