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 October 16th 2017.
How marketers can make the world sound better
Advertisers love to go on about branding and the importance of a solid visual identity, but we never quite address the concept of sound identity. Considering the explosive popularity of podcasts, streaming apps and vocal assistants, ignoring the influence of sound could be costly! How can we effectively harness its power?
→ Read it on Campaign Pocket
Google, master of design
Google’s first few tangible products (like the G1 or Palm Pre phones) were… ugly, to say the least. Barely a decade later, the tech giant seems to have learned from its mistakes. Following the reveal of a new Pixel product line at the Made by Google event on October 4, journalist Joshua Topolsky shares his thoughts on the beautiful new features and design of the company’s latest products.
→ Read it on The Outline Pocket
Montreal, Canada’s Funkytown
Known today in the music scene for its indie talent, Montreal was once recognized as the North American queen of disco. From the 60s to the 80s, vinyl sales broke records, disco clubs were all the rage and the city’s Saturday Night Fever made the streets come alive. Professor of Urban Media Studies Will Straw takes us back in time to relive Montreal’s glorious and vibrant past.
→ Read it on Redbull Music Academy Pocket
Playing video games to find yourself
The more freedom a video game gives players to explore and detour from its main mission, the more these players can express their interests and personalities in their playing habits. According to researcher and game designer Richard Bartle, amateurs are not drawn to video games for their entertainment value, but rather for their self-actualizing properties.
→ Read it on Nautilus Pocket
Building relationships in coffee shops
The ad industry is notorious for its obsession with networking. It’s all about who you know! That said, networking events can be tedious and ineffectual for building real relationships. Alex Chepovetsky, Chief Digital Officer of Havas Canada, has found a better alternative. For the past 25 years, he’s enjoyed his morning cup of joe with a new person each day. Spontaneous and authentic conversations guaranteed!
→ Read it on The Globe and Mail Pocket
In your earbuds: Monocle 24
An offshoot of the eponymous magazine, the Monocle 24 radio station is there for audience members day and night, with shows featuring hosts and experts from a wide variety of industries (International business, design, urbanism, print media, and so on).
→ Listen to it on Monocle
This week’s favourite thing
Sesame Street’s iconic Cookie Monster is already over 50 years old. To honour his incredible career, the hairy blue legend will soon have his very own cooking segment on the kids’ show. In addition, the monster and a friend will soon open a food truck (to keep up with current trends) branded with in his image.
Image from Drew Patrick Miller
