seeing things we’re in the business of “seeing things” a symptom for some people a business model for the rest of us our clients depend on seeing things early and clearly, on grasping new patterns pattern: product idea, campaign theme, BFI, innovation, positioning strategy, new media play it wasn’t there naturally at MIT so I started wondering what are the mechanics? are there patterns to pattern recognition?

we’re in the business of “seeing things”

a symptom for some people

a business model for the rest of us

our clients depend on seeing things early and clearly, on grasping new patterns

pattern: product idea, campaign theme, BFI, innovation, positioning strategy, new media play

it wasn’t there naturally at MIT

so I started wondering what are the mechanics?

are there patterns to pattern recognition?

recognition becomes cognition It’s not pattern recognition, exactly it’s not an act of identification oh, there’s a pattern or this is an example of that it’s finding a match between something swirling in the client’s world something swirling in our heads and this is a matter of making patterns cognitioning them (apologies to Elvis Presley)

It’s not pattern recognition, exactly

it’s not an act of identification

oh, there’s a pattern

or this is an example of that

it’s finding a match between

something swirling in the client’s world

something swirling in our heads

and this is a matter of making patterns

cognitioning them (apologies to Elvis Presley)

two categories of useful patterns in our heads 1. prefabricated ideas all that reading in college and since patterns at the ready this is kind of like pattern recognition 2. purpose build, custom made ideas we make on our own

1. prefabricated ideas

all that reading in college and since

patterns at the ready

this is kind of like pattern recognition

2. purpose build, custom made

ideas we make on our own

intellectual appliances these patterns are a little like blenders or toasters they are created to solve a particular problem simply and well we surround these ideas with all kinds of worshipful regard and a certain amount of hocus pocus better to think of them as practical devices

these patterns are a little like blenders or toasters

they are created to solve a particular problem simply and well

we surround these ideas with all kinds of worshipful regard and a certain amount of hocus pocus

better to think of them as practical devices

1. prefabricated patterns Oh, that’s like kinda like … what Simmel says about social imitation Freud on the “preconscious stream” that’s very Buffy or Simpson’s that’s very Burton or Jarmusch getting a fix on something it is a kind of bagging and tagging it helps us think take an evanescent idea and give it shape and form an intellectual appliance (like a toaster)

Oh, that’s like kinda like …

what Simmel says about social imitation

Freud on the “preconscious stream”

that’s very Buffy or Simpson’s

that’s very Burton or Jarmusch

getting a fix on something

it is a kind of bagging and tagging

it helps us think

take an evanescent idea and give it shape and form

an intellectual appliance (like a toaster)

a case in point yesterday NFL threatened to ban long hair a violation of personal freedom football players as Roman gladiators controlled until sacrificed to owner greed but if you use Daniel Bell’s distinction between instrumental and expressive individualism, a more elegant argument emerges one cannot be allowed to extinguish the other the issue leaps up when seen through this lens

yesterday NFL threatened to ban long hair

a violation of personal freedom

football players as Roman gladiators

controlled until sacrificed to owner greed

but if you use Daniel Bell’s distinction between instrumental and expressive individualism, a more elegant argument emerges

one cannot be allowed to extinguish the other

the issue leaps up when seen through this lens

10 ideas 1. Kauffman on messiness as a good thing 2. Goffman on public life as a stage 3. Brooks on multiplicity in social life (Bobos) 4. Blue Oceans 5. Shirky and emergent categories 6. Granovetter and strength of weak ties 7. Surowiecki and wisdom of crowds 8. Levitt: what business are we in 9. David Weinberger and the new structure: small pieces loosely joined 10. X on porousness

1. Kauffman on messiness as a good thing

2. Goffman on public life as a stage

3. Brooks on multiplicity in social life (Bobos)

4. Blue Oceans

5. Shirky and emergent categories

6. Granovetter and strength of weak ties

7. Surowiecki and wisdom of crowds

8. Levitt: what business are we in

9. David Weinberger and the new structure: small pieces loosely joined

10. X on porousness

2. purpose built, custom made patterns starts with noticing my Sahlinsian instruction an alert had sounded in his head full alert, what was this? the point is not to be glib noticing as a brute activity do it often and easily (PSFK every morning)

starts with noticing

my Sahlinsian instruction

an alert had sounded in his head

full alert, what was this?

the point is not to be glib

noticing as a brute activity

do it often and easily

(PSFK every morning)

our heads teeming things we notice things we’ve heard things we’ve read the way the client likes to think about things all swimming about not consciously entertained but quick to manifest there is a process at work of which we are unaware

things we notice

things we’ve heard

things we’ve read

the way the client likes to think about things

all swimming about

not consciously entertained

but quick to manifest

there is a process at work of which we are unaware

An example I was talking to Teri Rogers and a couple of half-patterns emerged and rushed together 1. Just-in-time 2. Just-enough These are really still in the works I am doing pattern cognition “under glass”

I was talking to Teri Rogers

and a couple of half-patterns emerged and rushed together

1. Just-in-time

2. Just-enough

These are really still in the works

I am doing pattern cognition “under glass”

possible pattern 1: just-in-time the world is more responsive the things I need to get the job done are there at hand some simple improvements: messages by SMS or email packages for FedEx airline tickets on line, tickets produced at airport gmaps on your iphone as you step out of the subway the concierge effect, invisible order everything at hand just as and when we need it the term is from Taiichi Ohno , Toyota car assembly plants, early 1970s we use it more broadly as a way of thinking about how our social, commercial, urban worlds reengineered and made available

the world is more responsive

the things I need to get the job done are there at hand

some simple improvements:

messages by SMS or email

packages for FedEx

airline tickets on line, tickets produced at airport

gmaps on your iphone as you step out of the subway

the concierge effect, invisible order

everything at hand just as and when we need it

the term is from Taiichi Ohno , Toyota car assembly plants, early 1970s

we use it more broadly as a way of thinking about how our social, commercial, urban worlds reengineered and made available

possible pattern 1: just-in-time in design more metaphorically this time objects that comes with intelligence built in so that the intelligence of the designer leaves the object, passes into my hand, runs up my arm, enters my brain, and becomes an idea, 1) I know how to operate this thing! 2) I must be a genius! well, no, it’s the object that’s a genius it delivers what I need to know about the object at the very moment I need to operate the object

more metaphorically this time

objects that comes with intelligence built in

so that the intelligence of the designer leaves the object, passes into my hand, runs up my arm, enters my brain, and becomes an idea,

1) I know how to operate this thing!

2) I must be a genius!

well, no, it’s the object that’s a genius

it delivers what I need to know about the object at the very moment I need to operate the object

possible pattern 1: is this something or is it nothing the Letterman question am I “on to something”? and if I am on to something, am I talking about it in the right way, with the right tag is this “just in time” or something else if it isn’t this, then what?

the Letterman question

am I “on to something”?

and if I am on to something, am I talking about it in the right way, with the right tag

is this “just in time” or something else

if it isn’t this, then what?

possible pattern 2: just enough Yale economist Barry Nalebuff: Honest Tea Sugar, like most goods, has a declining marginal utility. One teaspoon takes away tea’s bitterness. Another adds a nice sweetness. That’s where we stop. a new model of consumption? as opposed to the “Denny’s model”: all you eat and at least 3000 calories more 1950s: America the bountiful, land of plenty every American duty-bound to consume heroic quantities of sugar, salt, fat, nicotine, alcohol, sun (to say nothing of carbon) all the world is a resort culture we have been scaling this back but perhaps now we have an idea for scaling this back rework the fundamental terms of the bargain?

Yale economist Barry Nalebuff: Honest Tea

Sugar, like most goods, has a declining marginal utility. One teaspoon takes away tea’s bitterness. Another adds a nice sweetness. That’s where we stop.

a new model of consumption?

as opposed to the “Denny’s model”: all you eat and at least 3000 calories more

1950s: America the bountiful, land of plenty

every American duty-bound to consume heroic quantities of sugar, salt, fat, nicotine, alcohol, sun (to say nothing of carbon)

all the world is a resort culture

we have been scaling this back

but perhaps now we have an idea for scaling this back

rework the fundamental terms of the bargain?

the patterning process we are always coming across things like Honest Tea PSFK every morning, a stream of Ohs! we want to keep all of them as candidates, keep all of them in play, and see if confirmation is forthcoming a couple of days ago: Newman’s Own Sweet Enough cereal Oh becomes Ok this pattern is forming

we are always coming across things like Honest Tea

PSFK every morning, a stream of Ohs!

we want to keep all of them as candidates, keep all of them in play, and see if confirmation is forthcoming

a couple of days ago:

Newman’s Own Sweet Enough cereal

Oh becomes Ok

this pattern is forming

ideas cohabiting in your head so, for most of us, the ordinary world finds our heads teeming with possible meanings and in this case, in my conversation with Teri, while talking about real estate, these two ideas fell hopelessly in love teeming becomes teaming they leapt up and said “we belong together” just-in-time and just-enough together forever?

so, for most of us, the ordinary world finds our heads teeming with possible meanings

and in this case, in my conversation with Teri, while talking about real estate, these two ideas fell hopelessly in love

teeming becomes teaming

they leapt up and said “we belong together”

just-in-time and just-enough together forever?

But do they (belong together)? well, kinda, sorta, maybe, if you squint your eyes and tilt your head, sure now the task is to find the pattern that brings these ideas together

well, kinda, sorta, maybe, if you squint your eyes and tilt your head, sure

now the task is to find the pattern that brings these ideas together

what do we call this and what happens when we do? The “engineering” option: calibration, engineering, delicate mechanics Tokyo and trains that arrive on time a clockwork, wheels within wheels, the Clockwork American?i Escher “the world inventing itself” option: escalators, things that emerge just as you need them to The Game Space option that game renders to the right when we go right, dream time, a new time-space thingy Synchronicity option too badly damaged by that Police song? a new bargain in the consumer society? we get more as we take less we are enabled, not indulged Argh: none of these is quite right

The “engineering” option:

calibration, engineering, delicate mechanics

Tokyo and trains that arrive on time

a clockwork, wheels within wheels, the Clockwork American?i

Escher “the world inventing itself” option:

escalators, things that emerge just as you need them to

The Game Space option

that game renders to the right when we go right, dream time, a new time-space thingy

Synchronicity option

too badly damaged by that Police song?

a new bargain in the consumer society?

we get more as we take less

we are enabled, not indulged

Argh: none of these is quite right

the new bargain of the digital age I like this last one, imperfect as it is it invites us to rethink the consumer proposition globally, expansively look, we can say, consumers are no longer consumers the point of goods and services is not to indulge the consumer, but to enable them we are getting more instrumentality, even as we use less stuff we are becoming more vaporous, more virtual, less weighty, less punishing to the planet less voracious and more active notice that this still might not be an idea and certainly I haven’t yet found the right tag my hope is that somewhere out there is a client someday will go, “right, I could use that”

I like this last one, imperfect as it is

it invites us to rethink the consumer proposition globally, expansively

look, we can say, consumers are no longer consumers

the point of goods and services is not to indulge the consumer, but to enable them

we are getting more instrumentality, even as we use less stuff

we are becoming more vaporous, more virtual, less weighty, less punishing to the planet

less voracious and more active

notice that this still might not be an idea

and certainly I haven’t yet found the right tag

my hope is that somewhere out there is a client someday will go, “right, I could use that”

the new urgency 5 reasons for better pattern cognition 1. the sheer ferocity of change 2. clients are all in the innovation game 3. they need more ideas more quickly 4. “black box” creativity in deep disrepute 5. we have made pattern cognition a private activity, we do not share our intellectual appliances with enthusiasm

5 reasons for better pattern cognition

1. the sheer ferocity of change

2. clients are all in the innovation game

3. they need more ideas more quickly

4. “black box” creativity in deep disrepute

5. we have made pattern cognition a private activity, we do not share our intellectual appliances with enthusiasm

next steps pattern cognition is a private activity even when conducted in a “brain storm” the patterns at work in our heads often remain proprietary software we never reveal the code it is time for us to think more explicit about the patterns we use to find patterns it’s time for us to share these patterns

pattern cognition is a private activity

even when conducted in a “brain storm”

the patterns at work in our heads often remain proprietary software

we never reveal the code

it is time for us to think more explicit about the patterns we use to find patterns

it’s time for us to share these patterns

Pattern cognition in summary: 1. applying prefabricated patterns Daniel Bell as a case in point our parents are thrilled, liberal arts education vindicated by this time, you would think we would be better at this time to break with the business press model almost uniformly hopeless too long, clumsy, inelegant and insufficiently illuminating maybe PSFK will treat us to periodic reviews of best ideas found on blogs this month

Daniel Bell as a case in point

our parents are thrilled, liberal arts education vindicated

by this time, you would think we would be better at this

time to break with the business press model

almost uniformly hopeless

too long, clumsy, inelegant and insufficiently illuminating

maybe PSFK will treat us to periodic reviews of best ideas found on blogs this month

pattern cognition in summary: 2. building our own ideas as we go Just-in-time as one case in point Just enough as a second not exemplary but the ideas that happened to happen this week we can follow up here but sharing half formed observations there are conversational rules about how “half baked” a thought can be we need to change these rules, these tolerances (or get new friends)

Just-in-time as one case in point

Just enough as a second

not exemplary but the ideas that happened to happen this week

we can follow up here but sharing half formed observations

there are conversational rules about how “half baked” a thought can be

we need to change these rules, these tolerances

(or get new friends)

Pattern cognition in summary: 3. brute noticing, Sahlinsian! noticing stuff in the world nothing happens unless this does not assimilating not being Mr. or Ms Smarty Pants not grabbing at things but letting the world put us on notice no, we don’t “get” this stopping to think what we would have to think to think this listening for what might be patterns

noticing stuff in the world

nothing happens unless this does

not assimilating

not being Mr. or Ms Smarty Pants

not grabbing at things

but letting the world put us on notice

no, we don’t “get” this

stopping to think what we would have to think to think this

listening for what might be patterns

Pattern cognition in summary: 4. patterns make more patterns this is the climb from small patterns to bigger ones in the case of our rush to a meta-pattern for just-in-time and just-enough, we climbed very far indeed a whole new bargain really? anthropologist, please! but this really is the high rigger stuff and the most fun possible we need forums for this PSFK here too?

this is the climb from small patterns to bigger ones

in the case of our rush to a meta-pattern for just-in-time and just-enough, we climbed very far indeed

a whole new bargain

really? anthropologist, please!

but this really is the high rigger stuff and the most fun possible

we need forums for this

PSFK here too?

seeing things we’re in the business of “seeing things” our clients depend on seeing things early and clearly, on grasping new patterns pattern: product idea, campaign theme, BFI, innovation, positioning strategy, new media play it wasn’t there naturally at MIT so I started wondering what are the mechanics? are there patterns to pattern recognition? I hope this was useful

we’re in the business of “seeing things”

our clients depend on seeing things early and clearly, on grasping new patterns

pattern: product idea, campaign theme, BFI, innovation, positioning strategy, new media play

it wasn’t there naturally at MIT

so I started wondering what are the mechanics?

are there patterns to pattern recognition?

I hope this was useful

you can reach Grant McCracken at grant27@gmail.com

you can reach Grant McCracken at grant27@gmail.com