Creative Remodeling

Interior design is another area where good design sense and production skills pays dividends.

I had the unique opportunity to remodel my kitchen this year. We welcomed the opportunity since for years I was itching to replace the old cabinets and workflow. Launching into several layout sketches with my wife, we settled on a simple solution of solid cherry cabinets over white backgrounds with black accents.

For workflow changes, we chopped down a constricting peninsula and moved the dishwasher from blocking access to the refrigerator. I built a custom cabinet to hold the much better placed dishwasher. BTW, we highly, highly recommend the Bosch SHX3AR75UC dishwasher. There are several models by Bosch that get the top score from Consumer Report. It delivers... and we've run it most every day for 2 years.

All the carpentry, plumbing and electrical work I completed myself, although I was assisted by curated professionals on YouTube. The reward was immense. We saved a bunch of cash, kept the old kitchen functioning as I made the improvements, and solved long-standing workflow issues with an elegant design. This large scale and time-consuming project is not for everybody, but it proves thoughtful designs integrated with practical skills add value.

New workflow, floor, cabinets, outlets, sink and counter-tops, plumbing and still needs a new stove.

Good design is a perpetual motion machine

Here at Ergotron, since unveiling our new brand identity in January, we’ve taken steps to modernize and align the look and tone of all our internal and external assets globally. This includes our website, catalogs, business cards, trade show presence and more. The critical path in this process was a new master logo, update of sub brand logos, new brand style guides, new photography and video... and the tone of our communications.

In addition, we’ve made a commitment to our visibility here in the Twin Cities, through making our company headquarters building a true representation of our refreshed brand.

Good design has unified and amplified our vision amongst our employees and partners... and helped us increase profits. This sounds like a simple equation, and yes, the hard-work behind the scenes is often less appreciated, but I am a believer more than ever in the power of design. It may be the closest thing to a perpetual motion machine; once good design or beauty is input into a project that is shared with others, over time, it outputs more creative energy-power-beauty than was originally input.

Managing Design, Function and Look & Feel

There are few marketing areas that maintain as sophisticated and refined design standards as the contract furniture world. The architects and designers run the show and have proven a successful model with their balance of function and design. At Ergotron, my employer, we have launched a new product line into this space and have sought to not only reach the design standards but also introduce function and benefits unmet in this market with sit-stand movement. Take a peek.

https://www.ergotron.com/contract

Curiosity and Tools

A foundational element that leads to creativity is good ole curiosity. It is fairly self-explanatory and others write about this topic extensively, http://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-pathways-curiosity-hungry-mind-marilyn-price-mitchell

Ad agencies and creative groups acknowledge this role and often look for signs of this "curiosity" in new hires.

In addition to curiosity, another broad factor for creativity is learning new crafts and tool skills. Today's refreshing emphasis on tinkering with hand-tools, as found in the maker movement, steampunk and the DIY hacker push.... all of which is fueled by youtube videos ... is brilliant. I've always been jealous of the variety of tools the farm kids had access to, like welders, tractors and hydraulic machines and wood and metal shops.

The more we learn and immerse ourselves in new and fresh topics the more we are equipped to ponder and create.

Here is a photo of one of my kids creating electricity.

National Campaign?

In my stream of FaceBook Posts from my goofy friends I came across this hilarious photo. It touched my funny bone by its creativity and narrative. I find it zings the over emphasis on modern-america's perfect bodies... while countering it with the less-stress let-live lifestyle of some folks. I think a variation on this could be a national ad campaign... if it's not already.

Creativity according to A. Einstein

Not sure who to give credit to for this image, I've seen it
posted all over the internet and I like the message.

FlipStir™ Puzzle in Catalog!

It's always rewarding to see the toy that I invented in magazines, catalogs and websites, but this one was extra special. This magazine shown below, Rainbow Resource Center, Inc 2015 Christmas Catalog, is the catalog my wife and kids use to order fun crafts and toys. They found this page while simply shopping!! My kids then set it out on my dinner plate last night so I could see it and get my reaction, so fun.

The creative process has bursts of excitement but also lots of hard work. I'm deeply appreciative to Suchi Sairam who has worked so diligently over the last couple years to get exposure and market the toy through the toy industry. We are hoping others will continue to see the entertainment, educational and creativity of the FlipStir Puzzle family and sales will continue to grow and offset the investment.

Ergotron WorkFit-T: It’s So Simple!

The FlipStir™ Puzzle Entertains

Fun to see the FlipStir puzzle I invented getting some attention:

#ShakeStirSolve for the whole family! A great multi-generational #puzzle. Come see @FlipStir @ #ChiTAGFair Booth 207 http://t.co/7Msx4QM0xS
— FlipStir Puzzle (@FlipStir) November 23, 2014

Enlivenze LLC

Here is a great article that introduces a major creative effort that I've been involved with, How It All Fell Into Place For Enlivenze.

A truth that keeps reasserting itself: The creative idea or new product is only one step towards success. The practical follow-through and guiding how this impacts the stake holders is equally important whether one is creating a new brochure, new PowerPoint template or full brand. 

To see the toy I invented, FlipStir Puzzle and the company I co-founded, visit, enlivenze.com

Loaded Opportunist Photography?

When I saw this photo this last week I laughed out-loud. My thoughts went to the photographer and wondering if they immediately saw the shadow of his finger dancing on her upper lip like a mustache and then lined up the shot.... or if they were just photographing the event and later saw this crazy juxtaposition. The imagery is loaded with horrific historical reference, explosive current events, gender wars.... you name it. I still have a big smile looking at the pic.




Photo of Netanyahu Shadow Painting Merkel W/ Hitler Stache Goes Viral
Yesterday 11:03 AM by Jacob Kornbluh

During a joint press conference in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accidentally gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel a Hitler mustache, thanks to a confluence of light and shadow as he pointed his finger across the stage.The photo, captured by JPost photographer Marc Israel Sellem, went viral within minutes.

“This is THE picture that all #Israel is talking about right now,” i24 News’ Julien Bahloul tweeted.