A Philips Exec Shares The Keys To An Improbable, Design-Led Turnaround
by: Co.Design, 2012-05-17 15:28:13 UTC

Anyone who blithely believes that the return on investment on design is self-evident needs to explain the decline of Philips. In the mid-Noughties, the electronics company boasted 650 designers on its books, more than Samsung at the time. Yet, since a high point in 2008, its stock value has halved. It was no surprise, then, when last year, on Sean Carney’s first day as Philips’s design chief, the CEO took him to one side and told him straight that he was less than convinced about the value of design.

Carney is a no-nonsense Brit, with an international corporate pedigree. Most notably, he served as design director at Electrolux in Sweden and Italy, and was group director of experience design at Hewlett Packard’s Imaging and Printing Group in San Diego before being hired away by Philips. Bringing the entrepreneurial spirit he experienced on the West Coast into the 120-year-old Dutch company is very much part of his mission.

His diagnosis of the situation at Philips was that design could improve the company’s standing if it were better integrated with the business. In his words, design was too far removed from “the heat of the battle.” So he gave his design teams the objective of “moving the needle” to help Philips win more business and improve its Net Promoter Score. He set about changing the CEO’s mind by connecting design to different parts of the business.

Carney, who leads 400-plus creatives within Philips, has encouraged his teams to forge new links with departments such as corporate strategy, technology research, new business development, and country sales organizations. As well as breaking out of the bureaucratic structures around design, which were, in his view, the root of the problem, he emphasizes the need for a more networked and expansive view of how design functions. ‘We’re moving from designing individual product experiences to designing wider ecosystems,’ he says. Under his leadership, Philips has gone from designing health-care devices to working alongside its business development teams to devise elements that span a hospital patient’s entire care cycle. His work with corporate strategy often revolves around thinking more widely about new revenue streams.

Another initiative has been to loosen the ties of the design HQ in Eindhoven over the seven regional design studios. Not only are they closer to regional preferences and trends but are also better plugged into specialist technology and industry clusters. Carney is giving them more autonomy and coaxing them to take the lead in more initiatives.

At an executional level, he has also relaxed Philips’s brand guidelines to be more sensitive to regional and category contexts. Effective design languages hit the sweet spot between engaging consumers, expressing brand values, and being aware of category conventions. He gave the example of Philips’s packaging, which was overly consistent across categories as diverse as health care and personal audio, to the extent that it didn’t always sit comfortably or credibly on certain shelves.

Carney now has a story to tell that should soften his CEO’s scepticism. Two years after launch, the Philips Fidelio range of music docks recently displaced Bose from top spot in the European market. This feat was achieved in a category that both Apple and Sony have failed in (remember Apple’s iPod Hi-Fi?). It’s also safe to say that few consumers would have associated the Philips’ brand with audio credentials before the launch of the first model in 2010. However, the docks have picked up hi-fi and design awards, thanks to careful finishes and intuitive UI details. More importantly, it’s selling. And it may not be a one-hit wonder, having been joined recently by the retro L1 headphones, which have garnered good reviews. If Carney moves more needles in this direction, he’ll soon have a much bigger turnaround story to tell.

Sean Carney will give a keynote presentation at the Product Design and Innovation conference in London on May 29-30. For info on attending, click here.

DoCoMo launches waterproof kids' phone
by: Crave Green tech, 2012-05-17 22:46:57 UTC
(Credit: NTT DoCoMo)

I still see kids in the Tokyo subway actually using payphones (remember those?) to call their parents as they make their way home from school. Telecommunications giant NTT DoCoMo seems to be launching this just-for-junior Android-powered smartphone to convince them to knock it off.

The HW-01D (PDF) comes in yellow, blue, or pink. It's powered by Android, has a 2.0-inch QVGA screen with a 240x320 resolution.

The browser and phone can be restricted to parent-set contacts and sites.

It has a 100-decibel alarm to ward off nasty people, GPS, and can send SMS texts so you can keep tack of your little one all the time.

It's also made for abuse, constructed of sturdy plastic that's waterproof and dust-proof.

The HW-01D joins 18 other new DoCoMo summer models, some of which feature pre-installed manga comics.

Others will have the Twonky Beam app installed, which allows you to stream content to your Internet-connected TV.

DoCoMo's Raku-Raku Smartphone F-12D, meanwhile, will... [Read more]

Related Links:
Create an avatar and speak Japanese with NTT DoCoMo
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Huawei plans a 'get to know us' campaign in the U.S.
HTC: We'll rebound from dismal first quarter
Nokia suffers $1.76 billion loss, Lumia sales mixed

Steel Plants Could Provide 20 MW of ‘Green’ Thermal Energy
by: Environmental Leader, 2012-05-16 14:05:25 UTC
Steel plants located just outside Sheffield’s city center could be connected to the UK city’s existing district heating network (pictured) to provide an extra 20 MW of thermal energy, Phys.org reports. Steel companies actually spend money to cool flue gas and the water used during manufacturing, so heat recovery helps them to save money while [...]

E-Scape: Dynamic personal work space with several green twists
by: Ecofriend, 2012-05-16 12:20:30 UTC
B.Sameer Kumar:

Researchers believe that a dynamic and customized workspace can really bring more output from employees instead of the same old boring cubicles that are stacked one after another. Of course, if you are in the creative line of things, then there probably is nothing like a beautiful view of the oceans or some lovely green valleys. But not all of us can afford to find offices that promise such wonderful views. And one look at ‘E-Space’ and many of us will also feel that we are not lucky enough to have such vibrant and effervescent work environment. And you will start looking at your cubicle with new found disdain!

Designed by the brilliant Michael Jantzen, whose eco-friendly designs have been around for a while now, this dynamic work space gives you a multitude of options when it comes to customization. The entire structure is made from sustainably grown wood and organic fabric and with prefabricated curved wooden surfaces covered in rolls of fabric of your choice you achieve a highly personalized design that will wow others with its elegant form and flowing design. The E-Space can be created in various forms and sizes depending on the available space and your own requirements and the best part is that it is completely green.

Apart from the green material that is used for the making of the structure, one can disassemble and reuse the same wooden boards with different fabric patterns to achieve various textures and opacity. The enigmatic design and sustainable outlook ensure that E-Space stands out from the pack. If you want a work space that has a multitude of twists which inspire you each morning, then few match the vibrant vigor of E-Space.

[Thanks: Michael Jantzen]

Massachusetts to become first US state to ban commercial food waste
by: Ecofriend, 2012-05-17 06:40:56 UTC
Sonia Renthlei:

Hunting for sources of energy is all the rage these days as fuel reservoirs dry up and our demands for energy increase. The trend has prompted us to devise equipment ranging from solar panels, wind turbines and fuel cells. But a source that could serve as a double-edged weapon is food waste. Using it to create biofuel and clean up waste in the process is a win-win situation. Along these lines, the state of Massachusetts has become the first in the United States to implement a ban on the generation of commercial find waste that usually finds its way into landfills. Once the initiative gets underway, it’s likely that the prohibition will be implemented in other states as well.

The ban will cover such establishments as hotels, restaurants, companies and hospitals. It’s estimated that Massachusetts produces about 1.4 million tons of waste food every year. That’s a massive number which is usually left unutilized. With the ban, not only will thousands of pounds of food be used to generate electricity, but it will help reduce garbage at the landfills.

Modern food waste recycling systems use bacteria to break down food and produce hydrogen or methane gases which are then used to produce electricity. The Massachusetts initiative is currently in the legislative process and officials are hopeful that the ban will slowly extend to residential homes in the future. It’s expected that the proposal will be enacted in the next five years.

According to the UN, the world’s wealthiest nations waste about 222 million tons of food each year. Not only do they clog up landfills but they release potentially dangerous gases into the atmosphere. If the gases can be harnessed instead of being allowed to make their way into the air, then not only would it benefit the environment but serve as an important source of energy as well.

Via: Hydrogenfuelnews

Call for entries to the Wood Awards 2012
by: Dezeen, 2012-05-16 14:53:05 UTC

Promotion: entries are now being accepted for the Wood Awards 2012. (more…)

TED: Amory Lovins: A 50-year plan for energy - Amory Lovins (2012)
by: TEDTalks (video), 2012-05-01 15:30:30 UTC
In this intimate talk filmed at TED's offices, energy theorist Amory Lovins lays out the steps we must take to end the world's dependence on oil (before we run out). Some changes are already happening -- like lighter-weight cars and smarter trucks -- but some require a bigger vision.

malaria-fighting fashion developed at cornell
by: Designboom - Weblog, 2012-05-15 21:00:00 UTC

designed by fashion design student matilda ceesay in collaboration with fiber scientists, the 'njehringe' clothing collection includes a garment made of insect-repelling fabric to help prevent the spread of malaria. the new textile is three times more efficient than conventional mosquito nets.

read more

Panoramic Power’s P3E Designed to Save Energy, Detects Malfunctions Early
by: Environmental Leader, 2012-05-15 14:24:19 UTC
Panoramic Power has launched its P3E device-level energy management system for commercial and industrial properties. The cloud-based system generates real-time alerts on buildings’ energy efficiency, and enables users to reduce energy costs and identify operations and maintenance issues such as equipment malfunctions before a major problem occurs, the company says. Self-powered wireless sensors (pictured) collect [...]

The 4 pillars of sustainable chemistry and a green economy
by: Greener Design, 2012-05-03 16:17:02 UTC

Green chemistry has become a well known set of tools to design lower-impact products, but sustainable chemistry is one of the key building blocks of the innovations we need for long-term sustainability solutions.