Every month at Echo, we collect and share some of the reading, writing, people, stories, tools and design that have intrigued and inspired us.
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This past April, we loved …
…walking New York.
The New York Times Magazine has produced a beautiful interactive website, showcasing various walks around the city and the stories that accompany them. The site displays a single-column story told by a lover of New York, offering clickable maps overlaying changing scenes of New York City. A beautiful approach to the idea of walking and talking, and a thoroughly engaging experience.
…that Patagonia asked customers not to purchase its products.
On Black Friday in 2013, when other retailers were prepping for the biggest sales day of the year, Patagonia asked its customers not to buy from them that day but instead to repair the Patagonia items they already owned. They reminded customers that every rip and stain gave their Patagonia items a story. Not only did the message spur a one-third increase in the company’s revenue the next year but the “Worn Wear” campaign evolved and is now an enviable hive of story-sharing and customer engagement. A dedicated blog, a national free clothing-repair tour and a 30-minute film celebrate “the stories we wear.”
…scientists who tell hopeful stories: Ari Daniel.
On Twitter (@mesoplodon), Ari Daniel calls himself a “former scientist who now tells stories about science using radio and multimedia.” His stories, usually about highly complex topics, are plain-speaking, factual and invested with hope. As he says, “I try to find ways of adding positive sparks to narrative, to life.”
…this interview with the guy who crafts Don Draper’s ad pitches.
Josh Weltman’s job on Mad Men is to make Don look brilliant. A trained illustrator, his work for the show tries to capture the zeitgeist of the 1960s whilst reflecting character nuance and story beats. A fascinating look into how many layers it can take to build a compelling story arc from a sharp marketing mind.
…”the miracle” (and this beautiful article about it).
Journalist Susan Hodara describes, in this remarkably insightful essay about the agony and the ecstasy of the creative process, what she calls “the miracle: the letting go and letting in, the opening of my fullest being beyond my conscious processes.” It’s a stage of the creative process, she says, that is “a universal experience that leads from questions to answers, from not knowing how to finding a way.”
…that the chicken is local, and his name was Collin (“TMI” is in).
According to a branding trends forecast for 2015,TMI, or “too much information” is one of the hottest trends in branding and design, speaking to our collective desire for more truth behind what we consume. This Fast Company article explores why people are looking for stories behind the product. And this Portlandia skit sends up the concept, just for fun.
…an amazing 11-year old dancer named Maddie Ziegler.
We’re awed and inspired by the talent, evident hard work, and passion of 11-year-old Maddie Ziegler, in this gorgeous Sia music video for the song “Chandelier.”
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