The long tail, aggregators, and contract furniture

The long tail, aggregators, and contract furniture    

By Chris

For anyone who has been to NeoCon, it is impossible to walk away from the show without a memory of the big guys. More

Above the market noise

Above the market noise    

By Brian

The events team at Start Garden, a local seed accelerator for entrepreneurs in our hometown, was intrigued by one of the recent topics on our blog. They asked us to present the topic as part of their lunch and learn series. Below is a summary of my presentation. More

Three keys to giving research a life of its own

Three keys to giving research a life of its own    

By Jake

Understanding the difference between exploratory and reflective research and knowing when to apply each are only half the battle – or maybe only a quarter of the battle. You have not yet truly begun the fight until you have a plan for translating insights gleaned from research into a strategy that can engage your team and your customers. More

How to avoid the research application gap

How to avoid the research application gap    

By Jake

Sometimes research collects more dust than dollars. As one client asked, “It’s easy to get a list of trends, but what does it mean to our company and brand?” More

What do eyeglasses and textiles have in common?

What do eyeglasses and textiles have in common?    

By Chris

Online designer eyewear boutique Warby Parker has been getting lots of press lately, thanks mostly to their stylish frames. What I’m even more excited about, however, is their rebellious business model. More

Translating strategy

Translating strategy    

By Kevin

A few weeks ago I taught a week long seminar at the Institute of Design in Chicago to students pursuing advanced degrees in design. The course was based on our approach and our book, playing with the intersection of strategy and creative implementation. Ten students opted in to my intercession course entitled Creative Translation. More

Category reinvention in contract furniture

Category reinvention in contract furniture    

By Chris

The March 2013 issue of Harvard Business Review has an interesting article on the subject of category creation titled “Why It Pays To Be A Category Creator.” As the title suggests, they present the very obvious points that category creation is lucrative and also very hard. Aside from the healthy reminder on this subject, I did find one part of the article both interesting and new. More

The new middle

The new middle    

By Kevin

A bell curve is a simple model for understanding the common relationship between price and sales volume within a market. The top of the bell curve marks the middle of the market, where most customers are willing to pay for a given product or service. The ends represent value and high-end providers respectively. More

Three steps to brand building

Three steps to brand building    

By Kevin

Sometimes we get requests for help through our website from people who want our help but can’t afford a project. Here is a recent example, paraphrased to protect the innocent: More

Why we ask why

Why we ask why    

By Curt

We re-frame problems to understand the real problem. A client’s immediate need is often a symptom of a larger problem. That’s why we ask why, and then we ask why again. More

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