#Never Forget

This had to be a dream, the images in front of me something conjured by an overactive imagination. My heart knew differently, the shock of pain that hit me was quick and sharp. Words left my mouth without thought, “This is a terrorist attack!” I stood there in disbelief and grief only to watch the second tower fall. The television news anchor had no words to adequately convey the indescribable.

That evening, I looked into the eyes of a friend who’d been frantically calling close friends who worked in the Twin Towers. He left voicemails that no one would ever hear. He searched for answers that he would never get. We all knew the sad truth—they didn’t make it.

Processing the hard realities of 9/11 took time for many of us. We watched our military mobilize and our family and friends go to war. The rumble of the Twin Towers was painstakingly removed and ground zero became a place of remembrance.

Today, I salute the men and women who embody the finest qualities of humanity. To those who were selfless, ran toward danger, and gave their all even unto death, 9/11 is a day that you answered the call. You could have turned away, could have given up, but gratefully you didn’t. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

We Love Infographics

“Clutter and confusion are failures of design, not attributes of information.”
-Edward Tufte

Do you agree that a picture is worth a thousand words? If you are passionate about design and infographics, the name of Edward Tufte is likely a household name for you. After all, he is considered the father of modern information design. He once said, “If a diagram is worth 1,000 words, then it’s worth 1,000 words of our attention.” Thus, one could easily demonstrate that data is translated through imagery.

Whether you are familiar with Tufte or not, infographics are everywhere! They have become popular and are featured on blogs, social media, print pieces, and more. How can you use infographics? Here are some quick tips from Canva, an excellent tool for creating infographics of your own.

 

 

 

Radio—Still the King!

Radio, like Elvis, is still king! As someone who is immersed in digital, it’s surprising to see how quickly people flock to new digital mediums while abandoning traditional ones. If creators are honest about the best strategy for content placement and distribution, the conversation about what’s best starts with their audience.

What medium reaches the greatest portion of the world’s population? Radio. More American’s engage broadcast radio on a weekly basis than any other platform. Just see Nielsen’s State of the Media – Audio Today 2017 report. The takeaway—consider including radio in your audience building strategy.

Now, the question that begs to be answered is, “Should my brand use traditional and digital media to extend content reach?” Big brands have not abandoned television and radio as some suggest. But, they are spending less. This is evidenced by A-list advertisers investing fewer dollars during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Bottomline, don’t forget radio in your plans. Develop a cross-platform strategy and place content accordingly.

 

 

CES 2018

For many, the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is considered sacred to those who follow emerging technologies. This year, it did not disappoint! The halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center were filled with AR, VR, MR, and prototypes of autonomous cars. Perhaps most impressive was Nvidia’s unveiling of their new Xavier chipset promising to power their autonomous car efforts.

We have all dreamed of living like the Jetsons. That seems to be more of a reality now as voice-controlled devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home can do it all. What a coffee? Google can start your Gourmia coffee pot with a simple command. What if I forgot to lock my front door? No problem, a simple Alexa command and the Schlage Sense locks itself.

If you missed CES, no worries. Catch up on more new tech on the Consumer Technology Association’s recap.

 

My Whiteboard Life

Curiosity, it’s what drives us. It gets us out of bed each morning and sometimes keeps us up at night. You could even say it’s our reason for being. We are meant for more.

Imagine waking up every day with a host of challenges to decipher. This is the reality of many of you out there. So, I decided that it what time. Time to share my experiences with the hope of helping others explore their curiosities and create an amazing future.

We are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technologies like AI, IoT, and others dot our news feeds. This is no amateur sport here, the future is unfolding at a never seem before pace. So, let’s talk about the opportunities on the horizon and apply design thinking to digital transformation. Welcome to My Whiteboard Life!