Worth a Read Archives | Rowan Costello

genchi genbutsu

Rowan — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 16:58:44 +0000

Today a friend of mine from Nagasaki mentioned ‘genchi genbutsu’ over coffee. I had never heard of it. Genchi Genbutsu is a Japanese management method that translates to ‘actual place, actual thing’. It means managers are expected to be surgically on top of the operational realities of the ‘engine room’ by being physically present when the most crucial decisions are made.

The Japanese now consider it a philosophy as much as a management principle.

Toyota appears to be the most devoted. The Chicago Sun-Times ran an article in 2004 offering a detailed example. When Toyota engineer Yuji Yokoya was tasked with re-engineering a fresh version of the Toyota Sienna minivan for the American market, he drove one over 40,000 miles across America, from Alaska down to the Mexican border and from Florida to California.

As the paper described it: ‘Crossing the Mississippi River by bridge, Yokoya noted that the Sienna’s crosswind stability needed improvement. He observed excessive steering drift while traversing gravel roads in Alaska, and the need for a tighter turning radius along the crowded streets in Santa Fe. Driving through Glacier National Park, he decided the handling needed to be crisper. He also made an all-wheel-drive option a priority, along with more interior space and cargo flexibility.

Finally, he decided that the new Sienna would have to be a minivan that families, and especially kids, could live in for extended periods of time. Upgrading seat quality became a priority, along with “kid-friendly” features such as a roll-down window for second-row passengers, an optional DVD entertainment centre and a conversation mirror so parents could monitor what was going on in the back seat.’

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the efficiency movement

Rowan — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 18:01:05 +0000

I’ve been reading up on the Efficiency Movement—a fad that swept through the US at the turn of the century, promising to eliminate waste, recalibrate the economy, and progress society as a whole. You basically had guys like Frederick Winslow Taylor, a management theorist during the Progressive Era, who would walk around with a stopwatch and a notepad, breaking down manual tasks and systems into a series of components that could be gauged to improve the smallest inefficiencies. It was adopted not only by factories and engineers but by architects, educators, academics, and the unlikeliest of workforces. It promised social prosperity, insanely ambitious levels of productivity, and a more monetised use of science.

While it mostly had a positive impact, it also had some unintended consequences. Revised roles needed less of everything—less brains, less independence. And when the Russians, for example, adopted the fad, failure to achieve Taylor-like efficiency targets led many Soviet workers to the Gulag. Uff.

Interesting stuff.

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a 12-second AI belter

Rowan — Sat, 24 Feb 2018 13:57:58 +0000

AI sure has contributed to the creation of some amazing ads alredy.

Love this one for Nike Basketball.

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ovo energy meets slayer

Rowan — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 16:41:03 +0000

Never thought I’d have the joy of hearing Howard Beale’s famous line alongside Slayer’s ‘Raining Blood’ wrapped up in a potent message that gives a middle finger to climate change deniers. It goes to show that being environmentally conscious isn’t fringe anymore. This spot is a

bold and optimistic embodiment of OVO Energy’s underdog stance amongst ‘The Big Six’ energy providers.

An outstanding first effort from the guys at start-up agency Uncommon.

Punchy.

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2RWN6vexY4&ab_channel=GREATADS%26LESSGREATADS%28BUTSTILLOK%29

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cultural imprinting

Rowan — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:49:24 +0000

Our copywriter sent me this essay on the topic of “Cultural Imprinting” this week. Published by social psychology writer Kevin Simler back in 2014, it argues that ads don’t work through individual manipulation but through changing culture, mainly using mass media and OOH advertising to drive peer pressure.

For example, when I walk through Piccadilly Circus and see a giant billboard, I’m conscious of the fact that millions of other passers-by have also looked at it. When I watched Squarespace’s Super Bowl ad, I knew that millions of others were watching it too.

As Simler puts it, “Cultural imprinting is the mechanism whereby an ad, rather than trying to change our minds individually, instead changes the landscape of cultural meanings—which in turn changes how we are perceived by others when we use a product. Whether you drink Corona, Heineken, or Budweiser ‘says’ something about you…

“In this way, cultural imprinting relies on the principle of common knowledge. For a fact to be common knowledge among a group, it’s not enough for everyone to know it. Everyone must also know that everyone else knows it—and know that they know that they know it… and so on.

“So for an ad to work by cultural imprinting, it’s not enough for it to be seen by a single person, or even by many people individually. It has to be broadcast publicly, in front of a large audience. I have to see the ad, but I also have to know (or suspect) that most of my friends have seen the ad too.”

Worth a read.

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hail robert harris

Rowan — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 16:56:51 +0000

Robert Harris’ wise words on Brexit and our government’s jurassic ignorance of logic. Poignant and pithy, this is one of my favourite writers at his best.

I’ll just leave this here:

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little bits

Rowan — Mon, 02 May 2016 17:13:05 +0000

When Matt Damon decided to “science the shit out of this” as he was stuck on Mars in Ridley Scott’s space epic The Martian, one would be forgiven for thinking his parents brought him up on LittleBits.

The groundbreaking US start-up is empowering kids to create inventions using easy-to-use electronic building blocks.

At a time when hands-on problem-solving skills are lacking in education and early-stage entrepreneurs seem more interested in starting a company than the value the company will offer, LittleBits’ mission to build something meaningful seems refreshing.

“We’re trying to trigger an attitude shift, even a personality change – that moment when someone goes from being afraid or intimidated or thinking, ‘I’m not technical,’ to thinking, ‘Wow! I made that happen,’” founder Ayah Bdeir told Wired magazine.

The educational toy market has infamously struggled. My insight suggests they are usually either too didactic or too toy-like, and kids have historically ended up getting too little education and too little fun. It will be interesting to see where these guys are in 3 years from now. This is a brilliant way for kids to prototype an invention from a very young age, invent something cool, and get excited about robotics.

Next time Matt Damon is using every scientific trick in the book to survive, hopefully, a rescue mission of 8-year-old LittleBits aficionados will be on that rescue fleet to save him.

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that roman-raphelson book

Rowan — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 18:03:10 +0000

In many ways, books on the craft of writing have had a huge impact on the world. In other ways, none at all. With the market now saturated, separating the wheat from the chaff has become more tedious. Writers seem out of moves. Worse, most fail to reveal the mechanics behind their advice.

Hidden deep in a Reddit post on top writing books, a user named ‘bkcim’ recommended Roman-Raphaelson’s Writing That Works. I now feel compelled to find them and pay their parking tickets for life.

This book undersells itself. Despite being published in 1981, it proves that the fundamentals of clear, structured writing remain unchanged. Where most books get lost in ambition or offer shallow insights, this one cuts to the core mechanics writers need. And the mentions of fax machines are a charming touch.

Writing That Works is assertive but not imposing, friendly but not folksy, confident but not aloof. A brilliant insight into clarity of thought.

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