Gel Videos

Erin McKean

2009-05-27T11:55:12Z

Words rock. So does this lexicographer. At the time of this talk, Erin was serving as editor-in-chief of The New Oxford American Dictionary - and here she describes the process of making, and editing, the words in the dictionary. Well worth watching.

See also Erin's blog Dress A Day and her online dictionary startup Wordnik. (She also made a brief on-stage appearance at Gel 2007.)

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Erin McKean at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Chip Conley

2009-05-27T11:45:04Z

As the CEO of a boutique hotel company, Chip Conley knows something about creating good experience - both for guests and employees. In his recent book Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, and in this Gel talk, Chip explains how to understand good experience through Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

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Chip Conley at Gel 2008 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Seth Godin

2009-04-21T14:42:27Z

Why are so many things broken? In this entertaining talk - one of the favorites of Gel 2006 - Seth Godin gives a tour of things poorly designed, the reasons why they are that way, and how to fix them.

See also: Seth's Blog, where Seth writes daily on marketing, business, and other issues

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Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Clay Shirky

2009-04-21T13:58:05Z

Social networking thinker Clay Shirky talks about the transformations in corporations and society brought about by the spread of networked communications. His book Here Comes Everybody covers similar themes.

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Clay Shirky at Gel 2008 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Bridget Duffy

2009-04-14T21:27:50Z

Creating a good patient experience is the focus and mandate of the Chief Experience Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the world's top-rated medical facilities. In this talk, Bridget Duffy shows the theory and practice of patient-centered care, including an on-stage demo of an innovative patient gown.

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Bridget Duffy at Gel 2008 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Danny Meyer

2009-04-14T21:14:36Z

Hospitality is the key element of success, argues New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. He should know: his restaurants are consistently the highest-ranked in Zagat's New York survey. Go to Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack, or any of Danny's other restaurants and you'll have an opportunity to see how hospitality forms a good experience.

After watching this Gel video, take a look at Danny's book Setting the Table, where he explains his thoughts on hospitality in more detail. Recommended.

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Danny Meyer at Gel 2007 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Ted Dewan

2009-03-31T20:13:09Z

Cars drove dangerously fast on Ted's residential street in Oxford, England - until he began installing activist art on the street. It brought the community together (even the mayor got on board), slowed the traffic, and improved the experience for everyone involved.

See also Ted's bio and Road Witch Trial.

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Ted Dewan at euroGel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Alison Young

2009-03-19T20:13:50Z

Songwriter, singer, and uke player Alison Young was a hit in Copenhagen at euroGel 2006. Here are two of her songs.

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Alison Young at euroGel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Natasha Schull

2009-02-24T17:27:32Z

Las Vegas casinos increasingly pay attention to their customers - their likes, dislikes, moods and patterns - in order to create an engaging experience. As Natasha Schull explains, the stated goal of these new designs is "customer extinction" - the moment at which the customer is out of money. This talk, essential viewing for anyone in the design or user experience fields, underlines the neutral nature of customer experience methods: like any tool, they can be used for good or ill.

See also: The flip side of customer experience (Good Experience column)

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Natasha Schüll at Gel 2008 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

John Williams

2009-02-24T17:26:06Z

Frog's Leap creates outstanding wines - but that's just the beginning. For almost 30 years, John Williams has built an organization that creates good outcomes for customers, employees, and the earth. (Frog's Leap was organic from the beginning, well before it became trendy.) Case study in "creating good" in many ways simultaneously.

• In Napa, Some Wineries Choose the Old Route (NYTimes Aug '08)

• Frog's Leap Winery

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John Williams at Gel 2007 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Lelavision

2009-02-19T18:02:51Z

Like many of the best Gel presenters, Lelavision is difficult to describe in a few words. Are they musicians who sculpt? Or dancers who weld? Their performance here blends music, design, nature, sculpture, choreography, play, and a commitment to the simple, handmade item.

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Lelavision at Gel 2008 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Linda Stone

2009-02-19T17:56:39Z

Having coined the phrase "continuous partial attention," Linda has many thoughts about the effects of pervasive digital technology. She was previously an executive at Microsoft and Apple and has seen the technology landscape develop for over two decades.

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Linda Stone at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Garrett Oliver

2009-02-10T18:59:14Z

Authenticity plays a central role in brewing good beer. Garrett Oliver, world-renowned brewmaster, explains how beer is like bread - there's a big difference between the real and the fake - and how it's possible to create a great product while growing a responsible, sustainable business.

See also Garrett's book: The Brewmaster's Table

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Garrett Oliver at Gel 2008 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

ES

2009-02-10T18:44:30Z

Sister Ellen Stephen, or ES as she's also known, talks about "food and spirit" from her perspective as an Anglican nun. Her wide-ranging exploration of community (also shown in her books Vessel of Peace and Together and Apart) make this a talk well worth watching.

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ES at Gel 2007 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Ira Glass

2009-02-03T18:40:31Z

A master class in storytelling. Ira Glass, host of "This American Life" on radio and TV, has spent years telling stories, and getting stories told. In one of the most popular Gel talks ever, Ira describes the elements of a good story.

See also: This American Life website

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Ira Glass at Gel 2007 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.