Friday Fives, Vol. 107
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Every Friday we highlight five things we have on our radar that we think should be on yours, too.
Here’s this week’s Friday Fives.
The concept of flying metal tubes at 30,000 feet still is alarming to me, even though I have to strap myself inside one every time I go home for the holidays. So the idea of Uber launching “air taxis” in 2023 in urban areas, is the last thing that I want to be involved with. And it’s totally not because I’m biased about flying. I mean, there are so many questions about the logistics of all this, like how expensive is it to ride one, or how safe it is to be in one (does anyone not remember that helicopter that hit a building a couple months back)? New York City is crowded and loud enough, let’s not add flying Ubers to the mix. — SS
I never understood diets: why starve yourself from all the amazing food out there? That was until I started to realize my metabolic rate wasn’t keeping up with my love of food. And even though I’m trying to be more aware of what I eat, my eternal romance with all things food would never allow me to skip out on all the good food entirely. Besides, how do you even just eat leaves for lunch? Enter healthyish foods–not quite junk food but not quite health food either. Blending trendy branding and somewhat better eating habits, this category of foods aims to not only be better alternatives to our everyday snacks, but also good enough to indulge in. Still, nothing can compare to the taste of a nice fried chicken. — MC
From banning styrofoam to encouraging recycling and limiting waste, New York does many things towards sustainability that many parts of the world are just starting to think about. Therefore, seeing my home country of Singapore creating a project aimed at sustainable practices is definitely an encouraging sign. Extraordinary is a sustainability trail created in collaboration between MINI and creative agency Kinetic that highlights alternatives to common materials, like stone and plastic. This interactive project allows viewers see for themselves that sustainable doesn’t always mean worse, and educates the public about the ways in which we can all help the environment. — MC
Pinterest might be the latest gateway drug if you let it. Like any drug, it’s all about how we choose to use it, and hopefully not abuse it. At the first pass of this article, I wanted to stop using Pinterest for inspiration altogether. “The Pinterest Effect” helps readers recognize and address the potential for the platform to bring out the lazy side of a designer. And while it can encourage the perpetuation of sameness and complacency, it can also unlock a whole new world of research if we choose to let it enhance and not hinder. Don’t let Pinterest take you down the path of the “decontextualization of design”. Instead, let it be a platform to confront sameness. — RW
Swearing is an everyday part of our lives, from letting out a muttered f-word after missing the train or a trail of s-words while sitting in traffic, it’s a daily occurrence that helps the average American power through the day’s annoyances and downright travesties. While cursing is societally frowned upon, many studies have shown that cursing, as an expression of anger, helps those who do it be better people. People who curse are less likely to lie, have higher levels of integrity, and more emotional intelligence than those who don’t. If you stub your toe and let out a curse or two, it actually better helps you manage the pain then just limping away quietly. So the next time your computer shuts off before you save a file, or you run late to a meeting, just remember a nice muttered f-word is the perfect remedy for a subpar day at work. — AD
The Working Assembly is an award-winning multidisciplinary design studio with a focus on branding and visual design.
Founded in 2014, we partner with clients and agencies for end-to-end brand building, including strategy and visual identity, print and digital design, content and creative communications.
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