Brainwaves Issue 1 Next Steps In Branding

Issue.1 Next steps in branding // Evovle: increase the power of brands with
LivingLogos // Plus: Technologies that are going to influence branding [p.16]

brain
waves

The brand The next and Brand managers Reboot the Re-asses the Challenge:
environment true nature of must become branding function of Bring it alive
has changed brands [p.11] brand biologist system first brand carriers [p.30]
[p.7] [p.15] [p.19] [p.28] 1

A
( B ra i n ) w a v e
is a disturbance
that travels through
space and time, usually
by transference of energy.
Waves are described by a
wave function that can take on
many forms depending on the type
of wave. A wave transfers some energy
into your neighbours and will cause a chain
reaction.

Adapted from WikipediA
2

image source: http://vorpal.us/img/waveofthefuture.jpg
3

< Content >

From the tip
of the wave
In this issue we are going to explore the near future of
branding. What do we need to change to be able to adapt
to the brand environment of today? Away from the
traditional static approach to branding, we see several
brands taking a more dynamic shape. But will it stop
here? In this issue’s ‘In-depth” story we explore a first
possible first step in future branding: the birth of, what I
like to call, the first true ‘LivingLogos’. These logos
act like living organisms that naturally adapt to
their environment, organisms which grow
and evolve. Just like in the real world, these
LivingLogos will be bound to the ‘physical
laws’ of their brand world. Laws like
gravity, time perception and space. A set
of variables will apply to their existence
as well. With these brands we will
connect & interact on both functional
and emotional level, and will build a
true relationship.

The three major reasons why this approach
is essential to building brands:

• The new dimensions will endow the brand
with more strategic depth.
• Brands will be better capable to create a
strong emotional link with their consumer.
• Brands will have inherent analytical power &
transparency

We’re leaving the traditional era in brand building
and entering a transitions period where we have
to learn by doing. There are enough agencies
dying for an opportunity to start creating the
first real living brands, the only problem is
they’ll need the ‘go’ from the gatekeepers
- the brand managers. So brand managers:
bring it on!

Joost Galjart
owner of the brain

4

< Content >

< Features >

The next and
true nature of
brands
The brand
[p.11]
environment
has changed
[p.7]

Brand managers
must become
Reboot the brand biologist
branding [p.15]
system first
[p.19]

< In-depth >

The birth
of LivingLogos
organism that can grow
and evolve. [p.25]
Challenge:
Bring it alive
[p.30]

< thanks! > < and more >
You can’t start a wave without a forces quit conventions
little help of some friends: During Re-asses the function of brand
carriers [p.34]
sharing & syncing of my brainwaves
the lovely Diana Jianu introduced from the on world
the term LivingLogos. Since then Technologies that are going to
she was my counter wave and influence branding [p.16]
helped developing this thinking on Nature by numbers [p.36]
the future of branding. For further
growth Annemarie Galjart, Jur from the off world
Baart & Monique Hallmann helped A picture explained [p.38]
by shinning their light on this issue. food for thought [p.40]
And BR-ND for giving me the space
to grow and evolve. links & references [p.41]

5

< Feature >

The brand environment
has changed
With much nostalgia we all enjoy the hit series ‘Mad men’, a drama
about one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies at the
beginning of the 1960s. We maybe enjoy it so much, because we
long for the days when everything was less complex, less intertwined.
But whether we like it or not, a lot has changed in branding and in
the world over the years. It is time we question ourselves: are we
exploiting all the unique opportunities generated by these changes?
Do we give our brands enough room to live up to their full potential?
Thanks to the new social context online and offline, branding has
become more dynamic then ever. But there is still long way to
go. In this issue of Brainwaves I would like to explore some of the
possibilities lying ahead of us.

First of all, we are putting more based on our understanding of
effort into understanding the how the brain works and the ways
working of the human brain. to steer it.
This makes branding even more
complex. From what brands used Second, we have also seen
to be, nothing more than a mark the arrival of active design in
that made them recognizable, branding: a brand’s visual
a mark that told this identity is created on the
brand apart from the basis of a very smart
rest, now we know strategy designed to
that brands are much trigger a specific set of
more than just a sign: they desired associations. To
trigger a world of associations achieve the desired associations
& emotions. We created new designers play and attune several
disciplines to incorporate and dimensions of visual identity, such
navigate human complexity in as colours, shapes or naming.
brandings, such as brand strategy, Lately, brand identity second
positioning & brand portfolio layer, like house-style, packaging,
management in an attempt to employee’s behaviour, etc. has
control this complex, new world received growing interest. >>

7

< the brand environment has changed >

And third, the rapid technological
revolution has made room for
many developments, among which
one that has changed forever the
way we perceive brands - how we
communicate. With the arrival of
smart phones we now literally have
all the world’s brands in our pocket.
Besides that, more and more surfaces
and products are turning digital:
billboards, magazines, vending machines
and even our dining tables. And they are
all connected to the World Wide Web,
where all brands reside too. Some act like
cameras with build-in senses and steps are
being made that in the near future our mobile
devices will be equipped with projectors.
This means that we will be able to turn
ANY physical surface into a digital
surface. Leading the way in this
technological (r)evolution is the
‘SixthSense’ project developed
by the MIT Media Lab:

“‘‘SixthSense’ is a wearable
gestural interface that augments
the physical world around us
with digital information and lets
us use natural hand gestures to
interact with that information.”
‘SixthSense’ technology from MIT Media Lab

These are just a few examples of most
recent important developments.
Sadly, until now, brands are just not
adapting to the given possibilities.
They are just ‘old’ brands in a
new and changed world. What
if brands did start adapting?
What if we started exploring the
possibilities brought by the new
technologies and knowledge
on human brain functioning?
Could we make the science of
branding less static?

8

source: http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/ 9

< Feature >

The next and true
nature of brands
The first step in adapting to the new brand environment is to start
seeing brands as if they were a living organism. This living organism
feeds off a set of dimensions. Shape, colour and sound already
exist in today’s brands. But time, senses and interaction capabilities
are new concepts. So brand creation and evolution is much more
dynamic. When you incorporate in a unique combination all these
dimensions within a brand, the brand becomes similar to any other
living organism on our planet. The brand is not fabricated in an
isolated environment except for the bare essentials, as it acts like
a living organism that adapts naturally to its environment. It grows
and evolves from external impulses and, at the same time, it brings
its own contribution to the environment in return.
For this reasons, as organisms do, living brands
continuously connect & interact with
other organisms on both functional
and emotional levels.

This thinking allows us to see
brands moving from a static
to a more dynamic form.
In order to accommodate
dynamics, brands deserve
a richer logo. A logo that is
literally, in all its functionality,
capable to adapt, interact, grow Both brands and LivingLogos are
and evolve. going to be bound, as every living
organism, to the ‘physical laws’ of
I believe that, in the near their brand worlds. Laws like time
future, we are going to witness perception, gravity, space, a constant
the birth of, what I like to call, and a set of variables will apply. I
the first true ‘LivingLogos’. In have developed a formula that is not
the ‘In-depth’ section of this scientifically based (yet), but does
edition of Brainwaves you’ll find its job at visually explaining how
an exploration of the amazing all the brands dimensions relate to
possibilities of LivingLogos. each other. >>

11

< the next and true nature of brands >

The dimensions of brands
A brand [B] is the sum [Σ] of all the (sub)brands of a corporation.
Every (sub)brand is a unique combination of a set of n [n] variables
[v] positioned in a certain moment in time [time], plus a constant
[c]. This unique combination is the (sub)brand’s trademark [TM].
Further on, the brand is placed in a certain physical (space) [S(x,y,z)]
which becomes the brand’s space.

The constant
The constant stands for control.
The right amount of control is key
because recognition is still one
of the most important assets of a
brand. The true challenge for the
brand strategic thinkers will be
to actually decide what should
be controlled and then stick to it.
For example, Heineken claims the
colour green in the beer category. Time
IKEA keeps the exact same look of
An unexplored dimension in brand
all of its buildings. Whereas
identity is time [time]. Brand managers are
we can hardly imagine
afraid of time: is my brand supposed to change
Apple without same
or not in time? Isn’t a clear, unchanged positioning
old Steve Jobs.
of a brand throughout the years the ultimate sign of
strength of a brand? What does evolution in time mean for
my brand? And what is consistency? Basically I’m saying ‘time’
is good, spread the seeds of control and, for the rest, evolve together
with the brand and the individuals.

1998 1999 2001 2004 2005 2007 2008 2009 2010

12

< the next and true nature of brands >

The variables
When we talk about the variables [vn] of a brand and by association of the
LivingLogo, we refer to strategic choices. These choices start from anything
that has to do with company culture, product design, the consumer and of
course visual identity that follow a filtering process of strategic importance:
what is relevant to the future brand? These choices are then taken over by the
‘dynamics designers’ and visually projected in the LivingLogo by using dynamic
elements that evolve along with the source data (internal or external) and
the individuals. My hypothesis is that the more elements, and the more
open they are, the greater the interaction & therefore attachment of the
individuals. In a world where everything is going to be connected to
the web, it is possible to link the variables to sources of data such as
a plain database, other individuals or even a different brand. For
example: let’s say you have a brand on the stock exchange.
The Dow Jones indicator could be one of the LivingLogo
variable: the colour of the LivingLogo is connected to NOTE: For
the level of the Dow Jones indicator. Every time you more interesting
see the brand’s LivingLogo you’ll get a real-time examples of what
indication of what’s happening on Wall Street. we can do with
variables see the ‘In-
depth’ section: The birth
The brand environment of LivingLogos [p.25]
As in real life LivingLogos need a place
they can call home. The way we design
these brand environments [S(x,y,z)]
There are three main reasons why
will influence their openness
we should take this approach in
towards the consumer. The
building brands:
more open they are, the
greater the interaction
• The new dimensions open a world of
capabilities and less
opportunities to brands to create unique
static they’ll be.
opportunities with more strategic depth. For
instance, just by adding time to the mix we
are already able to tell a story. What if the space
between the brand and the consumer is diluted
and they are in personal contact? I mean, really, in
personal contact?

• In this way brands are better capable of creating a strong
emotional link with their consumer. This strong emotional link
will lead to a higher brand loyalty. Next to that BR-ND’s 23plusone
research tells us that the more of our emotional drivers are triggered
by a brand, the higher the brand appeal gets (brand appeal is a sound
marker for brand preference).

• Think about the analytical power lingering in each brand. I can already see
external sources and sensors (of digital devices) integrated into the DNA’s
of brands through ‘LivingLogos’.

13

ld
fie es
t
no

Observe

14

< Feature >

Brand managers must
become brand biologists
The fact is that for decades we have been surrounding ourselves with
manufactured meanings. Seclusion from branded products, services or
personalities is hardly possible for us humans. That said, the branded
presence in our personal world does not need to be intrusive as long as the
brand comes on invitation and a positive emotional attachment develops.
We need to change the way we manage brands, we need to re-think the
concept of a brand. The expected arrival of ‘LivingLogos’ can help and will
only increase urge to change the way we manage our brands.
In Amsterdam you’ll find a cross Nowadays most brand managers
media agency called Fitzroy, (owners), strategists, designers
named after the captain of the HMS and ad agencies do their work like
Beagle, which adapted a quote of surgeons: Hungry for knowledge,
Darwin as their main philosophy: they take the brand in sterile
surroundings and dissect it with a
“It is not the strongest loop before they create like ‘plastic
of brands that survives surgeons’ the ‘perfect brand’. The
nor the most intelligent ‘perfect brand’ embodies all the
it is the one that is the conventions of what they think is
appealing or good for the consumer.
most adaptable to change“
They utterly overlook the power of
Charles R“ Darwin “1809“1882“ imperfection: a perfect mirrored
The surviving brands, those most face isn’t attractive, the swimmer
adaptable to change are the ones Phelps abnormal anatomy and
whose management is most what about the lure of the little
adaptable to change. I think, and mole above a woman’s lip.
hope, that Fitzroy will go a step
further into building the brand Our dry role as brand managers,
platforms that are most adaptable strategists, designers needs to
to change. This means that, in evolve towards brand biologists.
contrast with traditional brand Brand biologists are still devoted to
strategy, brands have to have a science. But in contrast with ‘plastic
brand strategy/positioning that surgeons’ who make fake brands by
is open enough to leave room to attempting ‘perfection’, they make
adaptation. To build platforms real brands. Nurture the brands, see
for brand interaction with the if their (business) environment is
environment, brand managers healthy, and are always observing:
need to embrace the new do they get enough sunlight? Do
technologies because they are they get enough room to breath
their best friends, not their enemies. and stretch?

15

< from the on world >

Technologies
cmd V that are going
to influence
branding
The next steps in branding will be made possible by a mash
of technological innovations. Some are already in our lives,
others are still in the developing phase. I have made a
selection of technologies that can play a role within branding
and I will keep on updating this section while keeping my 4
eyes & ears wide open on what tomorrow gives us.

Digital surfaces
1. Billboards
2. Vending machines
3. Televisions (connected to the Internet)

Mobile (personal) devices
4. ‘SixthSense’
5. Smartphones
6. Tablets (iPad)
7. Netbooks/Laptops (including the
100 dollar laptop making computers 5
available to all)

User interfaces
8. Augmented reality 2
9. Layer
10. 3D technology (with or without glasses)
11. SONY’s Raymodeler (360° display)

Senses (like hand gesture technology)
12. ‘SixthSense’
13. Playstations Skate
14. Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox
15. Wii remote (and the balance board) 1
16

20

12
10

3

9

13

7

19 15
21

14

6 16
11 <HTML 5> 18
17

Creation & programming
16. iAd (Apple’s advertising programming)
17. Designed QR-codes
18. HTML-5
Powered by 19. Artificial intelligence (AI software)
20. Face recognition software
8 21. Processing (programming language)

17

< Feature >

First, reboot the
branding system!
To effectively succeed in creating future brands we have to
change the way we design them. Funny enough we are 50 years
after ‘Mad men’ era and we still create brands almost in the same
way. One thing has changed and that is that we have replaced the
pencil and paper with the tablet and computer. We still start by
creating a logo and stick it on everything we own as a brand. With
the arrival of brand positioning/strategy we now added ‘thinking’
before designing and sticking.

In a normal situation this is the way perceived and interpreted different
a brand is built today: The first step by a strategist and a creative.
is to translate the business strategy Beside that, the first thing creatives
into a brand strategy so that the want to do is to open up the ‘fixed
brand is capable to achieve the & solid’ brand strategy. Finally,
business goals. It’s important to after a while the visual identity
remember that in the end a brand appears. Then the brand (strategy
is nothing more than a means & visual identity) is briefed (usually
to an end (usually profit). After in words, sometimes words and
everybody (finally) agrees on the images) to the ad agencies (yes
brand strategy as ‘fixed & solid’ again a briefing, another exchange
as it can be, the design agency/ of miscommunication). And if we
department is briefed to create are lucky (depends on the talent
the visual identity. Here the first of the brand manager) we’ll have
problems occur because a good a brand (world) almost iconically
briefing rarely happens because represented by a static logo ‘stuck’
the strategist and the creatives on the website, stores, packaging
speak a different language. For and campaigns, which hopefully
instance the concept ‘fresh’ is are still on strategy. >>

19

< reboot the branding system first >

Another common mistake is that we are trying to create a polished and fully
finished brand that naturally asks for a fixed brand world. Full brand control
nowadays is foolish and impossible if you want to be a strong brand, a strong
competitor. Consumers expect openness, transparency. They know your tricks
by now. Let’s imagine for a moment delivering the brand with a BETA status.

fiIf you tell people it is in BETA then it says
it is not Finished. We should always look at
things as not Finished because that is the
only way we can improve them.fi
Jay Cousins

By delivering a brand in BETA Team up and
means that that brand is not collaborate
finished. The BETA status To be
grants early access successful in
and invites you, the creation
all of you, to process, we need
participate an integrated
in the approach and get
development rid of the linear
of the brand. steps currently in
By doing this the branding process.
the consumer This means we’ll have
will help bring to create a process
the brand to that combines strategy,
the next level design and interactivity
and will share in such a way that in the
some kind of end we will have one brand
ownership and world that houses all your
attachment with brand activities. Why is it that
the brand. the strategy must be finished
before the creative department
starts? I say team up, brand
managers with designers, copywriters, strategists and programmers (bring in
‘the geeks’ as soon as possible because they are going to play a crucial role). And
what if we start with creating an amazing living (digital) brand world first? What
is essential is to first agree (be it in a BETA manner) on the strategic variables
and their manifestation in the physical laws of the LivingLogo. Together we
brainstorm on questions like: How can we use the time dimension to tell our
story? What external sources can we use as variables? What is going to make
this brand world unique? How can the consumer interact with this world? My
personal preference and suggestion lies with designing the logo at the end. In
this way the brand is loaded with the maximum amount of strategic power to
evoke the emotional & functional connection with the consumer’s brain.

20

< reboot the branding system first >

An interesting trend picking up nowadays in the world of branding is the fading
borders between the brand strategy agency, the design agency and the ad
agencies. Strategy agencies are taking up design, whereas downstream
agencies now do brand strategy too. My recommendation goes in
the direction of sticking to what we do best and team up from
the start to the finish line of the branding process. One brand,
one team, multiple expertises. This approach eliminates most
briefing moments. From my experience here the process can
improve significantly. Currently, The quality of the brief
often decides the success of the project.

The last part of the reboot is the standardisation
of the languages & models we use in this industry in
building the brand strategy. Please, one industry, one
language. In the SWOCC book of brand management
models, written by Giep Franzen (2006), I found no less
than 136 models (WTF)! The time, a lot of time, we spend
translating from one model (one agency) to another (agency) is
wasted time; and in the end almost all do/say/want the same. If we
want to be more effective & efficient (read reduce cost) standardisation
helps. So team up, start speaking the same language and create together
worlds with which consumers can fall in love.

21

The BR-ND Kitchen
can help us to team
up. It’s a co-creation
tool different
from conventional
strategy development,
combining multiple
sources of human
intelligence. We learn and
create together. We get
better results faster. Based
on the scientific findings of BR-ND’s
23plusone studies we push the creation of
brand appeal to a whole new level. Igniting collective,
conscious and subconscious co-creative intelligence
to develop appealing brand recipes. Resulting in
positioning principles that really touch the heart AND
mind. The game setting of the BR-ND Kitchen
builds on collective fun, learning and creation.
Eliminating undesirable dynamics such as
politics and rank, motivational downers
and diminishing engagement.
Cooking under pressure in one
to three days is efficient,
effective and fun at the
same time: no fun no
glory.

Playing with
science & creativity
source: http://www.br-nd.com/
22

< In-depth >

The birth of
LivingLogos
In line with everything that has been discussed so far in this edition
of Brainwaves, brands are moving from a static to a more dynamic
presence. My strong belief is that once a brand is given a LivingLogo,
the brand has made the first step in becoming a living organism.

In the figure above you can see the NOTE. Transforming brands into living
spectrum of different types of logos. organisms does not mean per se that the
end logo will have organic shapes, green
The more we move to the right of the
and animal like features or characters.
spectrum, the more freedom to play
Abstract identities can also act like living
with the variables of a brand thus the organisms. Anything can be a living
more dynamic the brand becomes. organism.
Playing with variables
link variables to the Dow Jones
The fun part starts when we start indicator. We all know the Dow
playing with the variables of a Jones is influenced by multiple
brand. The technological revolution external sources like a company
has made even more variables quarterly, news, house prices and
available that we can use. We link even weather reports. You can
variables to internal and/or external create a network of networks all
sources and on their turn link these updating and influencing each
sources to other sources. So if we other in order to create the optimal
take a Stock exchange logo we can experience for the consumer. >>

25

billboard
ractive
chain inte
upply
IBM’s s

Time perception Adding senses
In our real world we are bound In the new brand environment we are
to time, the way we perceive surrounded by sensory systems. A
it, the way we count it. In our company that is already playing with these
future brand worlds time can sensory systems is IBM. Personally I have
be re-defined. There is a lot to to say that I did not expect IBM to have
play around with in terms of come this far in being a dynamic brand. In
time perception. The concept their animation ‘The Internet Of Things’
of a day, week, month or a year they beautifully show how the world
is possibly not relevant for every changes together with their role in this
brand. Are we going to use time to new world. For their ‘smarter planet’
add a storyline to a brand or is the campaign, IBM created an interactive
brand a (real)time representation billboard. This billboard used a camera
of what’s happening in our world. that adjusted its colours accordingly
Manipulating time, using ‘super to the person standing in front of
slow motion’ or ‘fast forward’ to it. This gives us an idea of what
make the invisible visible. is possible with build-in sensory
systems on devices. Think further
“For our eyes it happening so slowly,
but if time is compressed and you about the camera, microphone or
shift perspective to the plants point of the three-axis gyroscope on the
view, their world comes spectacular iPhone (which in combination
alive!” with the accelerometer provides
Fragment from BBC’s life series,
6-axis motion sensing). The
episode 9 ‘Plants’ mobile ‘SixthSense’ like devices
can provide brands with all the
senses they want to use. Imagine
integrating those senses in
the DNA of LivingLogos. Then
LivingLogos could see, listen
and much more. That’s a slap to

26

< the birth of LivingLogos >

the current communication brand- enter ‘a state of consciousness’.
people! People who are in a flow experience
a feeling of energized focus, full
Building a personal connection involvement, and success in the
Adding smart software such as face process of the activity. To achieve
recognition (I will avoid going into this you must find the right balance
the whole privacy discussion), to between someone’s abilities and
the senses, we will give LivingLogos challenges you present to that
personalized memory. capable to person. For instance, games use
revolutionize the level of emotional a ‘play mode’ that allows you to
connection with the brand. If you choose what you are in the world
ask people why they love a certain of the game: novice, normal,
brand a common answer is that hardcore. This makes the game
the brand was there in certain more accessible to a wider group
memorable moments of their lives. of individuals. LivingLogos are also
The LivingLogos can recognize capable to personalize this balance
and remember those moments. In by integrating some simple gaming
this way, not only the relationship principles.
with the individuals goes deeper,
but for instance the distribution Another interesting part of the
strategy will make great use from ‘Flow’ state of mind is that it
this special information. activates the same area of the
human brain as emotions. So there
Play with the brand is a reason to believe (and to do
The future (mobile) devices, like more some research in order to
‘SixthSense’, lets us use natural see if) that the ‘flow’ concept can
hand gestures to interact with help to create a deeper emotional
digital interfaces. With simple hand connection with the consumer. >>
gestures we can change/move
objects or communicate
simple tasks. The gaming
industry is already far in
integrating this technology
into the digital worlds.
Although the Wii console
was the first to bring this to
the masses other consoles
are exploring and perfecting
it. Who hasn’t yet thrown
a virtual strike on the Wii?
Imagine using this gaming
technology in the Living
Logos to get the consumer
in a certain ‘Flow’. The Flow
theory states that people can

27

one
dot
zero
A nice example
is the identity of
the “adventures
in motion” event.
Wieden+Kennedy
was commissioned
to create a visual
identity and
interactive installation
by onedotzero.
Together with Karsten
Schmidt, UK based
computational designer,
they created a Processing
application that collects
conversations around onedotzero
from the web (Twitter, Flickr, Vimeo,
Facebook and blogs) and that generates
the onedotzero identity. The software
was used to generate print shots and
the team is considering to make it
available for download and even
open-source it.

Code+art
The ‘dynamic designers’ of LivingLogo won’t be doing a lot of drawing.
Yes there will still be sketches to visualize a concept. But the real magic
starts with programming. It is here where all the dimensions come
together and make to LivingLogo capable to move and interact with world.

28

< the birth of LivingLogos >

Influence the evolution of a brand
By interacting with the brand, individuals can influence its evolution.
The brand worlds of LivingLogos will always exist ‘online’ and will be
continuously influenced by individuals all around the world. This gives
the consumer the feeling of ownership over the brand and creates
an instant relationship with the brand. Consumers are becoming
increasingly more social and want to know ‘what’s up’ with their
friends and, why not, with their brands. A successful case where
the world is continuously influenced by the participants is
the game ‘Spore’. The developers prepared a world that
uses artificial intelligence (AI), great programming
and human intervention to let us bring up
creatures which grow & evolve freely.
A nice detail in this game is that if
your creature mates with another
creature, made by an individual
on the other side of the
world, a totally new species
emerges; that’s what I call
evolution! Now imagine
the interaction between
two brands in such a
context, imagine the level
of influence, mating and/
or adaption. LivingLogos
can create a leap in the
evolution of a brand.

Embed the LivingLogo
If you look at the logo at a functional
level then the logo is nothing more
than an image that we stick on things.
For this reason designers deliver a JPEG
(or another format) so we are capable to start
sticking it around. In the future the ‘dynamic
designer’ will deliver a code. To place a LivingLogo
we will have to take this code, like we already do with
movies on the web, and then embed it wherever we
want. Depending on the surface, the embedded LivingLogo
will come alive and activate its sensory system and start its
interaction capabilities. The brilliant advantage of this approach is
that if we decide to make changes in the visual identity, the changes
will come into action instantly all over the world.

29

< challenge >

Bring
it alive
To illustrate the steps in creating a
LivingLogo I designed my logo with
the big ambition to make it the first
true LivingLogo. My skills are limited
and the first LivingLogo shouldn’t be
created by one person. I invite you to
collaborate to bring the logo closer to
life! It is developed in such way that we
can easily start playing with the variables.
As its shape and texture shows, a LivingLogo
can be abstract. This is an open-source
logo, and it will always have the BETA status.

First, a short introduction about ‘10n”
To understand and create the world of tomorrow we need to identify the
existing conventions and explore the impact that the new forces will have on our
lives. A big shifting force lies in the progressive digitalisation of our world. ‘10n’
explores what our lives will be when everything will be made of ones & zeros.

< the evolution of the logo >

World Dimensions On/off Boundaries Connections World of networks
or ‘the egg’ Width/height 8 anchors (a) or ‘the base’ 20 lines Surfaces (sf) & innner
anchors (ia)

30

< challenge >

To join me in my journey, you need to understand the evolution of the ‘10n’
logo as far as it is right now: Our world (1) is built on dimensions (2). Nowadays
these dimensions have both on & offline character: (3) we set boundaries
where nonetheless (4) everything and everyone is inter-connected which
creates (5) a web of networks. By covering it up or giving
it a skin (6) we arrived at the current life
phase of the ‘10n’ logo (7). There are still The virables (v)
three big challenges to solve before
we can speak of a real LivingLogo.
So come and help me reach that
level. You’re are welcome to
play around with the ‘10n’ logo!

Challenge 1
Having the logo in code makes
it possible to change whichever
variable whenever we want, and
it enables us to embed the Logo
wherever we want.

Challenge 2
By adding the time dimension into
the mix we kick off the animation
challenge. What if the (a) side
length changes over time? The constant (c)
To keep the LivingLogo recognisable
we keep the width&height ratio
Challenge 3 at 6/9 and the colour scheme
The moment of truth: to make with gradient angle 38 (for now!)
it really come to life we now can
start connecting the variables to 70% 30%

external sources. C =70% C =85%
M = 15% M = 50%
Y = 0% Y = 0%
Join the challenge: www.10ison.com K = 0% K = 0%

Challenge Challenge Challenge

1 2 3
Skin 10n Program Animate LivingLogo
colour Logo

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‘Logorama’ does not represent
my vision on LivingLogos but still
this is an amazing inspiring short film.
Directed by the French animation collective
H5, François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy + Ludovic
Houplain. It was presented at the Cannes Film
Festival 2009, opened the 2010 Sundance Film Festival
and won a 2010 academy award under the category of animated
short. And on the web part two is already spreading around!

LOGORAMA
source: http://www.logorama-themovie.com/
32

< force quit conventions >

Re-assesing
the function of
brand carriers

With the rapid changes in the environment of brands comes the
need to go back to the basics and re-assess the building blocks of
brands. Why do we do the things we do? Did we just get used to
do things as we do them or is this really the best way? My goal is to
rethink reality and start identifying the brand conventions.

We can start by rethinking how specific place in the (digital) brand
to use brand carriers, such as world. Japanese based agency
packaging and billboards. Up until ‘SET’ is already creating stunning
now the brand carriers were used to designs with integrated QR-codes.
explain & build the brand. Now more
and more consumers do their own
research on products. How many
times a day do we hear people say:
‘I will Google it”. Whereas before
car salesman were needed for
advice, now the customer comes
in with a printout of the specs
of the car he wants. The need
(or obligation) to communicate
functional elements of a product/
brand is fading away. That gives
brands room for more emotional
oriented campaigns. In the world
of ‘LivingLogos’, brand carriers will
redirect consumer to the brand
world. With new technologies
For the cover in their May issue, Dutch
(like QR-codes, augmented reality
design magazine BRIGHT commissioned
and layers) it is possible to use SET to produce this special desiger QR code
the brand carriers as a ticket to a (if you have a Smartphone try it!).

34

< force quit conventions >

The main brand world is of course The pojnt that I wish to make is
accessible to all of us, but through that the LivingLogos open a new
the brand carriers consumers can era in brand activation:,instead of
be given ‘exclusive” access to a trying to control the environment
specific place in the brand world. around the brand, the customer
Like a place where they download is redirected to the controlled
a song or get a discount. For environment of the brand. For
example the consumer buys a instance the packaging becomes
pack of wellness gum, they scan more than a physical support for a
the pack with their phone and message, it gives actual exclusive
are directly taken into the brand access to parts of the digital brand
environment, where the brand world. A secondary benefit is that
explains what wellness is about designers can start removing all
and gives them a coupon to a spa. the currently compulsory info
that ‘must’ be on the brand carrier
Augmented reality is another way because it will be available inside
to go. Here it is not a matter of but the brand’s world. So no more
it adds an extra layer on top of the ads that explain what the product
real world. By using a computer does, just clean and appealing
or Smartphone the brand carrier ads striving to get you wanting
becomes the platform on which to know more about
a second world is opened up. a brand.
One of the best examples is how
GO box
LEGO used augmented reality d reality LE
Augmente
to show the content
of the box.

It amazing
to see how
kids AND grown-
ups carefully checking
every box on the shelf.
35
Photo by Flickr antjeverena


Nature
V
by
cmd

Numbers

The idea that there is coding behind living organism isn’t that new.
The beautiful short animation ‘Nature By Numbers’ by Cristóbal Vila,
shows beautiful examples of how mathematical relationships such
as the Fibonacci sequence, golden ratio, the Delaunay triangulation
can be found in the natural world.

the Delaunay
triangulation in
the wing of a
dragon fly

36


0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 144 233 377 610 987 1597 2584

Nautilis spiral versus the Golden spiral

37

< from the off world >

A picture
explained

Redefine time display
Nooka is the brainchild of artist timepiece. The limited edition piece
and designer, Matthew Waldman. is a twist on the time manipulation
In 1997, Matthew had a flash-back device worn by Gommi in the
to a first grade math class while ‘Future-Shock’ comic/manga,
staring at a large wall clock in a written by Zak Hoke. It features
London hotel and was struck by the popular Nooka zub zot face
how few options there were for in blue, with the original ‘Gommi
time display. He then sketched Marvel’ iconic artwork printed on
his ideas for potential designs on a white polyurethane band. For the
a napkin and brought them back first time ever, the limited edition
to New York. After working on the piece comes in an original blister
designs, he submitted them to his packaging so you can display your
legal team, and indeed, they were watch next to your other vinyl toys.
unique enough to patent!

The linear and graphic
representation of time with Nooka
timepieces presents a more intuitive
way to view time. The visual
mass increases as time passes,
giving weight to an ephemeral
and abstract concept - creating a
universal visual language.

Nooka has come together
with New York based Japanese
anime-inspired lifestyle brand, Limited to 800 pieces world wide.
GOMMI ARCADE, to create the
limited edition ‘Future-Shock’ zub P.S. I’m the proud owner of number 359/800!

38

< from the off world >

Powered by

Playing with dimensions
Understanding Comics: The Moore, Neil Gaiman and Garry
Invisible Art is a 215-page non- Trudeau (who reviewed the book
fiction comic book, written and in the New York Times), and was
drawn by Scott McCloud and called “one of the most insightful
originally published in 1993. It books about designing graphic
explores the definition of comics, user interfaces ever written” by
the historical development of Apple Macintosh co-creator
the medium, its fundamental Andy Hertzfeld. Although the
vocabulary, and various ways book has prompted debate over
in which these elements many of McCloud’s conclusions,
have been used. It discusses its discussions of “iconic” art
theoretical work on comics (or and the concept of “closure”
sequential art) as an artform and between panels have become
a communications medium. It common reference points in
also uses the comic medium discussions of the medium.
for non-storytelling purposes. Cleverly disguised as an easy-to-
read comic book, Scott McCloud’s
Understanding Comics received simple looking to deconstruct
praise from notable comic and the secret language of comics
graphic novel authors such as while casually revealing secrets of
Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner, Alan Time, Space, Art and the Cosmos.

Filtered from WikipediA

39

< food for thought >

food for thought
What philosopher Bas Haring
always says is: I like to leave
you with more questions then Real people, real
brands: Besides the
answers.
‘Like’ button, the success of
Facebook weights the decision
to make a network of real people.
Before that, all the social network
What websites worked with avatars or
is it that you pseudonyms. Should we take
sell? Or better the same approach to brand
said, what do you (platform) building
buy? The brand or (platforms)?
the product?

How to tackle
the whole privacy issue if
we are going to use sensory of
What will be more our mobile devices?
important: The brand world
or the (living)logo? The answer
to this question will influence the
way we play the brand portfolio game.
I believe (living)logos (read brands) are
becoming more and more an endorser of a
brand world/experience. In the same line of
thinking, the brand will take on the role
of a hostess, guide or (pr) front Luckily there
man of a certain brand are more people who
world. believe that brands will take
on the living organism behavior. One
of the reasons why we aren’t there yet is
because the brand manager & owners will have to let
go to their brand (management) manuals, to the vocabulary
and the networks they’ve built over a lifetime. The opportunities
of seeding are amazing - we are dealing with a never-before-seen brand
environments and innovation. We have no books on ‘How to’ yet. Learning by
doing is our transition. There are enough agencies dying for the opportunity to
start creating the first real living brand, the only problem is they’ll need a ‘go’,
the first ‘go, from the brand managers. They are the ones who need to
have the balls (& faith) to say: “yes, this way forward!”

40

< links & references >

For more
information about
subject contact the author:
Joost Galjart
joostgaljart@hotmail.com
If you interested in more visit ‘10n’:
http://www.10ison.com/
Or follow ‘10n’ on twitter
@TheWorldIsOn
Links
‘SixthSense’ technology by MIT Media Lab:
http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense/

Fragment from BBC’s life series, episode 9 ‘Plants’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieCmPxWBCOM&feature=player_embedded

IBM The Internet Of Things:
http://theworldison.blogspot.com/2010/03/internet-of-things.html

IBM’s supply chain interactive billboard:
http://vimeo.com/10695851

BR-ND’s 23plusone research on brand appeal:
http://www.br-nd.com/blog/2010/06/23plusone-a-scientific-study-on-
brand-appeal/

An introduction of the game ‘Spore” by its creator Will Wright on TED:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/will_wright_makes_toys_that_
make_worlds.html

The “adventures in motion” event from onedotzero case on
creativeapplications:
http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/onedotzero-bfi-
london-processing-events/

For the cover of their May issue, Dutch design magazine
BRIGHT commissioned SET to produce this special
designer QR code:
http://www.setjapan.com/qrcode/future-of-qr-
codes-is-bright-thanks-to-set/?lang=en
The images in
Nature by numbers website: this paper were
http://www.etereaestudios.com/docs_ freely picked from
html/nbyn_htm/about_index.htm the Internet. I used
them to visualize and/
Nature by numbers animation: or back-up the content
h t t p : / / t h e wo rl d i s o n . bl o g s p o t . but if I happen to violate
com/2010/03/beauty-of-nature-
any copyrights, please do
by-numbers.html
not hesitate to contact me
and I will remove the picture.

41

A
Drifting
Up
This is an audio-reactive
algorithmic visual art piece
that uses the concept of
charged particles and flocking
to simulate a organism that is
alive and composed of micro-
organisms. The movement is rather
pleasing thus I decided to exhibit the
algorithm in a rather catchy video art
fashion.

It’s an audio reactive Processing application simulating a live
organism by Reza Ali

source: http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/a-drifting-up-processing/
43

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