A little more than a month ago, Substance made a choice to take part in the New Communicators series of events. Truth be told, we did a bit more than take part… we kind of encouraged the idea, promoted it, and organized the Show & Tell event and the Love of Cycling event during the New Communicators series.
I missed the events on the Friday of the New Communicators, but the events I attended on Wednesday and Thursday gave me plenty to think about: how we communicate today, and what possibly could happen next. Each of these ideas could (and probably should) be a standalone post, but for now here are my notes. Do with them what you will, hopefully for good instead of evil. And as I expand these thoughts in more detail, I’ll link them up. But until then…
“Shiny new things need to be understood, not just used.”
“As a mentor, the best I can do is offer the tools to help people succeed AND fail.”
“[Social media] is a tool. It doesn’t replace the personal relationships.”
“The youth should teach the elders the tools. The elders should teach the youth responsibility.”
Is social media contributing to debate or to partisanship? How does the “curation of friends” support either argument?
“Don’t wait for a show, do a show.”
“Share your ideas.”
How is graphic design (translating a concept through both message and design) evolving because of dynamic, interactive content vs. static, non-interactive content?
Portland has a rich history of “things being made here.” How does the community of interactive design, advertising and marketing build upon this heritage?
How much value does the cache of the name “Portland” imply?
“Bikes should be practical and meaningful… it’s not about all the components on the bike, it’s how the bike feels.”
“People are scared to go into bike shops. How can we change this to get more people cycling?”
The difference between price vs. value.
Interactive communication or interpersonal communication?
The “culture of immediacy,” anonymity and identity online, and the distance (physically and psychologically) online communication creates.
Hope you can do something with these thoughts, ideas and comments. If you have an opinion or want to discuss one of these, please go ahead in the comments or write your own blog post and link to it. Also, these are just some of my notes. What did you learn, or what event/idea made you think?
And while this isn’t a comprehensive review of the event, we just want to again thank everyone who attended and participated in the New Communicators. It was an amazing three days of inspiration and conversation, and we look to do it again soon. And it couldn’t have happened without your involvement, so seriously, thanks.
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