Each week, we share the top five articles that caught our attention. Here are your must-reads, published here and abroad, for the week of April 17th 2017.
Giving vitamins a make-over
After fintech, start-ups are now concentrating on the pharmaceutical industry; more specifically, on the increasingly hot market of vitamins and supplements. A shift largely explained by the rising demands of an increasingly health-conscious populace. How can we transform a seemingly boring product into an attractive one? Companies like goop Wellness, Ritual, Hum Nutrition, OLLY and Care/of are among the frontrunners in the race to make vitamins sexy.
→ Read it on Glossy Pocket
Poli/pop culture
Websites like Teen Vogue, Mic or Bustle, long recognized for publishing young, trendy content, are increasingly posting political commentary. Although it’s not the first time that pop culture and politics mix, never have we seen it to such an extent. The trend started with Barack Obama, who used gags and cultural references to get closer to the American people, but President Donald Trump has taken it to new heights… despite himself.
→ Read it on Digiday Pocket
Self-imposed creative constraints
When faced with vague recommendations or overly-brief briefs, do you feel creatively blocked? Does the idea of having carte blanche for a project make you panic? To be creative, you have to step out of your comfort zone… but how far do you have to go? Why is it easier to innovate when some restrictions are imposed?
→ Read it on Lime (In French) Pocket
Teaching robots morals
Watson, AlphaGo and DeepBlue are already able to make autonomous decisions, by choosing the best solution from thousands of options. While artificial intelligence (AI) bases decisions on thorough research, for humans, the best decisions aren’t always based on scientific data, but on empathy, intuition and morality. That said, how can we teach AI to make ethical decisions that reflect human values? Regina Rini, an assistant professor at the New York University Center for Bioethics, weighs the pros and cons.
→ Read it on Aeon Pocket
Soothing interactive design
Located in New York City, Patten Studio designs interactive experiences that bring people together. Inspired by nature and mathematics, the studio combines physical and virtual spaces to develop immersive environments in which strangers feel comfortable enough to interact with one another. The studio recently created a multi-sensory ocean environment with creatures that scatter when you clap and water that ripples when plucked.
→ Read it on Magenta Pocket
That being said
#Sponsored
Our copywriter Adriana Palanca has shared a new language tip for the transitional phrase “that said”. Now that you’ve learned to cut out “being”, what are you going to do with those extra six characters?
→ Read it on our Facebook page
In your earbuds: The Big Web Show
Jeffrey Zeldman, designer, founder of A List Apart (magazine), co-founder of An Event Apart (conference) and head of his own studio, uses his downtime to host a podcast series called The Big Web Show. Each episode talks web, including design, technology, content strategy and typography, and has a feature guest from the industry.
→ Listen to it on iTunes
This week’s favourite thing
The new version of Google Earth—just in time for Earth Day—is going to make a lot of people happy! This Google tool has been reinvented as an interactive travel guide, featuring even more realistic 3D navigation. You’ll feel like an explorer discovering a new world!
Image by Katsuhiro Otomo
