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 September 25th 2017.
Move over, Sex and the City
Are you more of a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda? Chances are, even if you can’t quite answer the question, you understand the reference. While the new hit sitcom, Master of None, is nowhere near achieving the monumental success of Sex and the City (yet), the 30-somethings of New York enjoy following Dev’s footsteps, much like other fans indulged in Carrie’s favourite products and places.
→ Read it on Eater Pocket
Your next #BFF will be an AI
Xiaoice is not like other girls―literally. She’s an AI chatbot with the emotional and spontaneous personality of a 17-year-old. Xiaoice is part of what seems to be the largest Turing test ever conducted. Although many users don’t realize until later on that she’s a computer program, they don’t care, because at that point, she’s become a friend. What can this chatbot teach us about what makes a friendship better?
→ Read it on Nautilus Pocket
Suburbs of the future
For decades, industrialization has pushed people to cities (and studies are predicting even more megacities to come), but suburbs remain attractive to many. Motivated by affordability, Gen Y-ers look towards rural areas for forever homes, but they have high expectations when it comes to efficiency and sustainability. Alan M. Berger, professor of landscape architecture and design at MIT, shares ideas about building smart suburban neighbourhoods.
→ Read it on The New York Times Pocket
Designing for persuasion
Does the design of your favourite coffee shop influence how often you go and what you order? The answer is yes! Whether we’re shopping online, taking a stroll in the city or watching television, the design of the environment around us has a heavy influence on our behaviour. Products, places and experiences are created with this in mind. How can we design natural and effortless spaces that will persuade consumers to buy?
→ Read it on Newflux (In French) Pocket
Hacking your sofa
If you’ve got a small space or a passion for redecorating every year, let us introduce you to your new favourite thing: hackable furniture. While multi-purpose or “shape-shifting” furniture is nothing new, brands like IKEA, Les Basic and Vitra are breathing new life into the concept. Forget disrupting society―disrupt your apartment!
→ Read it on 1843 Magazine Pocket
Does feminism have a branding issue?
#Sponsored
More than half of Quebecers believe that women should have equal rights, but prefer not to associate with the “feminist” label. Our VP Strategy, Stéphane Mailhiot, explains why this simple semantic issue is hurting the movement.
→ Read it on L’actualité (In French)
In your earbuds: Les chemins de la philosophie
There’s more to video gaming than meets the eye (or the controller). Jean Zeid, author and reporter for France Info, digs deep into the history of video games, exploring their meaning and philosophical implications. What would Homer have thought of Tomb Raider?
→ Listen to it on France Culture (In French)
This week’s favourite thing
Some brands are so ubiquitous, you wouldn’t think twice about your ability to remember the logo, right? But if you close your eyes and imagine the BMW logo, or Apple’s, Target’s, Burger King’s….is the image you conjure 100% accurate? Would you be able to…draw it? 😉
Image from Just Jared
