cute & silly blog

Christer Lundahl | EDG

TWO WEEKS AGO...

I became a master student at Konstfack, I had the intention to share this experience as it happened, but, well as it happened life got in the way. 

For those of you that have been with me, I've enjoyed giving you my full attention and reflection. For those who have not, I'm sorry for the virtual disappearance. I will be back blogging better than ever, very soon.

Next post there'll be more on Experience Prototyping...

I don't think I'll ever grow tired of this Robert Service poem, true to all good poetry, like music - the more I hear it the more it means and the more I see. So here's to the Land of Beyond.

The Land of Beyond 

Have you ever heard of the land of beyond,

That dreams at the gates of the day?

Alluring it lies at the skirts of the skies,

And ever so far away;

Alluring its calls: O ye the yoke galls,

And ye of trail over fond,

With saddle and pack, by paddle and track,

Let’s go to the Land of Beyond!

Have you ever stood where the silences brood,

And vast horizons begin,

At the dawn of the day to behold far away

The goal that you would strive for and win?

Yet ,ah! in the night when you gain to the height,

With the vast pool of heaven star-spawned,

Afar and agleam, like a valley of dream,

Still mocks you a land of beyond.

Thank God! There is a Land of Beyond

For us who are true to the trail;

A vision to seek, a beckoning peak,

A farness that will never fail;

A pride in our soul that mocks at a goal,

A manhood that irks at a bond,

And try how we will, unattainable still,

Beyond it, our Land of Beyond. 

A wise psychologist once said..

"We have all been taught to learn what makes people unwell, suddenly we need to learn what makes people well."

I am currently working at Sidekick Studios on a project to improve long-term mental health services within the NHS. Whilst discussing changing approaches in health-care with our team clinical psychiatrist, Jerome Carson, he said something which is still resounding with me.

I guess it resounds because it's so obvious and yet was clearly overlooked for the best part of medical history. It's also a nod to the realisation that all at levels of society we might have to flip accepted thinking in order to see the results we all aspire to see.

The Rain did This.

A little preach

Whatever your reasons, I don't like to be preached to.

But it must have some impact, religion uses it pretty effectively - heck, sometimes it even changes people's behaviour. (more of persuasion-design another day)

So whilst it's easy to cringe a little at the Americanism of this 6 minute TED. He makes the point clearly, life's not about absolutes; but it is about choice. And as a society we could do worse than make a few simple, responsible decisions. 

Think about what you eat, think about our impact and stop being greedy bastards Monday - Friday at least.

Whatever your reasons, feel free to drop the slogan, the essence kinda makes sense.

Science...(or magic)

Sunday's Inspiration pt. 2

If you're going to be late for dinner, it's better to be extra late with flowers.

Sunday's Inspiration

'What's a 2-year masters to do?'

An interesting read that came through from the course leader of Experience Design which splits me in two. There's a part of me chin scratching, nodding in affirmation. There's a part of me that rolls my eyes, more words to describe words, no action.

What is  2-year masters to do?

Sound old advice from Tim Smit:

"You must never have enough money for a project – being in a state of constant need concentrates the mind and imposes constant prioritisation."

there's some funny stuff about the place.

It's funny, sometimes we'll just do what we're told...

I feel a sense of responsibility to look after this plant really well now. Not because it says to on a scrap of paper, but because somebody else has invested thought and effort in presenting me with this responsibility. I'm feeling human to human empathy through the medium of plant!

Brio Bug with beautiful mechanics.

"Granted that we have the experience of freedom, is that experience valid or is it illusory?"
John R. Searle

I'm neglecting my story reading a little at the moment.

The 'interesting reading' pile just keeps throwing up gems.

I'm sure the balance will flip back soon enough.

Reconnecting people to their street...

An Arts 2009 initiative by Shepway council in Sandgate to connect people with their community.

Arts can provide strong communities, active participation and personal well being. That was the plan.

Who knows whether it actually worked.

It looks good, it's a talking point - maybe that's all that matters.

Gamified Life

There are few things that terrify me more than the thought of a social gaming company making 3 billion dollars. It’s a notion I hadn’t given much time to, before listening to Jesse Schell reeling about the unexpected successes of social gaming.

How did FarmVille manage to attract more users than Twitter?

It is clear that game designers care about their user, and winning their attention in these tumultuous times is addictive. But unlike most other designers, I’ve yet to meet a game designer that doesn’t understand the basics of psychology and I’m beginning to think there is a correlation between the two.

Psychological tricks create the commonality between these successful reality games; tricks that incentivise time investment with virtual rewards and then lock these virtual rewards into financial commitment. Tricks that ultimately provide a real sense of belonging and achievement. It’s a clever system that is not limited to the virtual, which is what makes its success both terrifying and exciting.

After all what is a game if it’s not fun and addictive?

Continual monitoring and tracking are a part of our lives, like it or not this is the way we have evolved. We are leaving behind a historical trace, a valuable pool of shared metadata that will outlive our physical existence. For the first time ever our grandchildren might live in a world where their ancestors can be physically fabricated from the virtual legacy that is left behind. As what we leave behind becomes more important, crass commercialisation cannot be the only benefactor from the immersion of reality and technology. Can we use the psychological understanding of social gaming to design better behaviour and tackle social challenges?

Xbox 360 Games - E3 2010 - Guitar Hero 5

There are heaps of stuff that we can do.Can I get up early to run?

Can I write an email to the BBC?

Can I design cups?

Can is instant. Can gets things done, but Can makes assumptions.

Recently I've been thinking I like 'should' a lot more.

Should I get up early to run?

Should I write an email to the BBC?

Should I design cups?

Should requires time. Should questions the alternatives. Should builds better answers.

There is a heap of stuff we should do.

Le ouef.

so many options it's difficult just to choose.