http://swapmag.co.uk/ Online magazine for digital culture http://swapmag.co.uk/the-nutella-phenomenon-pt1.html http://swapmag.co.uk/the-nutella-phenomenon-pt1.html Mon, 03 Sep 2012 GMT+1 "Start the day with Nutella!" is what the profile image of Nutella's international Facebook page encourages its nearly 15 million fans to do. Today thousands of people welcome the morning with a slice of bread and the Italian number one selling branded hazelnut spread in America. Founded in 1964 by Pietro Ferrero, Italian pastry maker and businessman, almost half a century later Nutella is about to become a brand phenomenon and a social sensation in the digital age. For the first time in our tradition, the ordinary marketing strategies are neglected to liberate the consumers' opinion and leave the brand in their hands. The following work discusses why and how a simple brand, selling jars full of hazelnuts, cocoa powder, sugar and vegetable oil, reached an almost sacred status in the new media world, raised a millions users fandom, was the reason for consumers' parallel of a "sex in a jar", and even has its very own international day which is celebrated annually. http://swapmag.co.uk/creativity-in-interaction-and-web-pt2.html http://swapmag.co.uk/creativity-in-interaction-and-web-pt2.html Mon, 27 Aug 2012 GMT+1 Whether or not one believes the hyperbolical claims about the modern world being impossible without the Web, it is an undeniable fact that it has left wide traces in the way we communicate, work and evaluate and understand different graphical images and styles. The Web is constantly changing our perceptions of what is aesthetic and what is not when it comes to visual communication. Therefore we as creative individuals and media creators should bring into question the current state of creativity in the web and interaction design and the design business itself. A closer look of recent design trends reveals that the tools of modern designers and the broad availability of different design services and resources may actually do more harm than good if not used as intended. http://swapmag.co.uk/creativity-in-interaction-and-web-pt1.html http://swapmag.co.uk/creativity-in-interaction-and-web-pt1.html Mon, 27 Aug 2012 GMT+1 Whether or not one believes the hyperbolical claims about the modern world being impossible without the Web, it is an undeniable fact that it has left wide traces in the way we communicate, work and evaluate and understand different graphical images and styles. The Web is constantly changing our perceptions of what is aesthetic and what is not when it comes to visual communication. Therefore we as creative individuals and media creators should bring into question the current state of creativity in the web and interaction design and the design business itself. A closer look of recent design trends reveals that the tools of modern designers and the broad availability of different design services and resources may actually do more harm than good if not used as intended.