Flow Engines & Fracking The Social Web

@WILLSH
FLOW ENGINES
& FRACKING
JOHN V WILLSHIRE
!
@WILLSH
!
SMITHERY / ARTEFACT CARDS

@WILLSH
OHAI I’M JOHN
I RUN SMITHERY,
AND MAKE ARTEFACT CARDS…

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“WORK OF”

@WILLSH
“WORK OF”
“GOODS MADE”

@WILLSH
TODAY
PART 1 - A WAY OF WORKING
!PART 2 - WHY WE NEED TO WORK DIFFERENTLY
!PART 3 - YOUR IDEAS ON HOW WE DO IT

I SPEND LESS TIME NOW WORRYING
IF ARTEFACT CARDS WORK
BUT MORE TIME WONDERING
WHY THEY WORK…
@WILLSH

@WILLSH
PEOPLE X SPACE READING:
!HTTP://RIVETIN.GS/65

@WILLSH
WHAT IF:
!BY CHANGING THE
SPACE WE WORK IN…
!….WE CHANGE THE
RATE WE WORK AT?

@WILLSH
FLOW ENGINE
!A WAY TO TURN CREATIVE
ENERGY INTO PRODUCTIVE
FORWARD MOTION

@WILLSH
FLOW
!IN WHICH A PERSON PERFORMING
AN ACTIVITY IS FULLY IMMERSED IN
A FEELING OF ENERGISED FOCUS,
FULL INVOLVEMENT, AND
ENJOYMENT IN THE PROCESS
WIKIPEDIA

@WILLSH
“YOU KNOW THAT WHAT YOU
NEED TO DO IS POSSIBLE TO DO,
EVEN THOUGH DIFFICULT, AND
SENSE OF TIME DISAPPEARS.
YOU FORGET YOURSELF.
YOU FEEL PART OF
SOMETHING LARGER.”
!
- MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI

@WILLSH
A VERY
INTERESTING
BOOK (WITH AN
ADMITTEDLY
CREEPY TITLE)

CREATING A
SENSE OF FLOW 1 IT SUGGESTS
@WILLSH 7TRIGGERS FOR
THERE ARE

3ENVIRONMENTAL
TRIGGERS
@WILLSH I’M MOST
INTERESTED
IN THE

@WILLSH
1. CONSEQUENCES
2. ENVIRONMENT
3. EMBODIMENT SOURCE: STEVEN KOTLER
“THE RISE OF SUPERMAN”

FIRST TRIGGER:
CONSEQUENCES
@WILLSH

@WILLSH
STATE AT THE BEGINNING OF
ANY TASK - WHAT HAVE I
GOT TO DO, AND WHAT
HAPPENS IF I DON’T?
!IT FOCUSSES THE MIND…

YOU’RE AIMING FOR THIS CHANNEL
@WILLSH
SOURCE: GAMASUTRA

@WILLSH
SECOND TRIGGER:
ENVIRONMENT

@WILLSH
A DIVERSE, RICH
ENVIRONMENT OF
STIMULATING MATERIAL
TO WORK WITH

NOVELTY
THINGS YOU
HAVEN’T SEEN
BEFORE
@WILLSH

COMPLEXITY LETTING YOUR MIND SIFT THROUGH THE
IMPLICATIONS OF A MULTIFACETED WORLD
@WILLSH

UNPREDICTABILITY
@WILLSH
KEEP PEOPLE GUESSING…
ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN NEXT

USING
PERIPHERAL VISION
@WILLSH

@WILLSH
THIRD TRIGGER:
EMBODIMENT

@WILLSH
HOW DO
YOU MAKE
TEN FINGERS,
TWO EYES AND
A BRAIN PAY
ATTENTION?

@WILLSH
QUICKLY MAKING A
PHYSICAL OBJECT OF
YOUR IDEA, LIKE AN
ARTEFACT CARD,
BRINGS IT INTO THE
WORLD IN A TANGIBLE,
TESTABLE WAY.

CONSEQUENCES EMBODIMENT
@WILLSH
ENVIRONMENT
JUST THREE
SIMPLE
TRIGGERS?

@WILLSH
CONSEQUENCES
ENVIRONMENT
EMBODIMENT
THE KEY IS
REINFORCEMENT

@WILLSH
CONSEQUENCES
ENVIRONMENT
EMBODIMENT
STEP 1

@WILLSH
CONSEQUENCES
ENVIRONMENT
EMBODIMENT
STEP 2

@WILLSH
CONSEQUENCES
ENVIRONMENT
EMBODIMENT
STEP 3

@WILLSH
CONSEQUENCES
ENVIRONMENT
EMBODIMENT
THIS IS A
FLOW ENGINE

@WILLSH
HACK THE WAY YOU
WORK, INSTEAD OF THE
TIME YOU HAVE…

FRACKING THE
SOCIAL WEB
MARKETING VS
INTERNET CULTURE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
LET’S TALK ABOUT
FRACKING...

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“FRACKING IS AN
AGGRESSIVE, INVASIVE
TECHNIQUE FOR
EXTRACTING VALUABLE
RAW MATERIALS OUT OF
HARD TO REACH PLACES”
PHIL ADAMS, BLONDE DIGITAL
(AND CHEMICAL ENGINEER GRAD)

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
!ATTENTION
IS THE
MOST
VALUABLE
RAW
MATERIAL
THERE IS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE BRANDS
FRACKING THE
SOCIAL WEB?

“I BELIEVE THAT THE FUTURE OF BRAND
COMMUNICATIONS LIES IN FINDING A WAY
TO BECOME PART OF COMMUNITIES, AND
COMMUNICATE WITH THEM IN A WAY
THAT IS SHARED, PARTICIPATORY AND
RECIPROCAL”
ME, FIVE YEARS AGO, BEING A DICK
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

THAT SOUNDS
REALLY ANNOYING
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

YEP, REALLY ANNOYING. @WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
PERHAPS BRANDS AND THE
SOCIAL WEB ARE JUST VERY
DIFFERENT TYPES OF THING?

LET’S THINK
A LITTLE ABOUT
“CONVERSATIONS”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

THREE BOOKS ABOUT THE SKILLS PEOPLE
NEED TO SUSTAIN EVERYDAY LIFE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THE CRAFTSMAN
2008
TOGETHER
2012
WITH “CITIES”
TO FOLLOW...
WORKING WELL COOPERATION

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COOPERATION
“AN EXCHANGE IN
WHICH THE
PARTICIPANTS
BENEFIT FROM THE
ENCOUNTER”

IT CONTAINS A
VERY USEFUL
WAY TO THINK
ABOUT
CONVERSATION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

“WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT
COMMUNICATION SKILLS, WE FOCUS
ON HOW TO MAKE A CLEAR
PRESENTATION, TO PRESENT WHAT
WE THINK OR FEEL...”
RICHARD SENNETT, TOGETHER
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
CONVERSATION IS
ABOUT LISTENING

BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN
JUST LISTENING IS
LISTENING WELL
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
LISTENING CAREFULLY
PRODUCES CONVERSATIONS
OF TWO SORTS...
THE DIALECTIC
AND THE DIALOGIC
“
”

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WHAT THE F***?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALECTIC
FROM WORK OF
GERMAN PHILOSOPHER
GWF HEGEL
!THE INTERACTION AND
RESOLUTION BETWEEN
MULTIPLE IDEAS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALECTIC:
“THE AIM IS TO COME
EVENTUALLY TO A COMMON
UNDERSTANDING”

CgbAD fAD
bA CD Fe Ge
A b C D E F G H
@WILLSH DIALECTIC WANTS CONSENSUS
SMITHERY.CO
CbAD G fAD

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
...NO MATTER
HOW GOOD THAT
CONSENSUS IS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALOGIC
FROM WORK OF RUSSIAN
PHILOSOPHER MIKHAIL BAHKTIN
!
“A DISCUSSION THAT DOES NOT
RESOLVE ITSELF BY FINDING
COMMON GROUND...”

“[PEOPLE] BECOME
MORE AWARE OF
THEIR OWN VIEWS
AND EXPAND THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF
ONE ANOTHER”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
DIALOGIC:

IN DIALOGIC
CONVERSATION,
IDEOLOGIES COEXIST
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
A
b
E
C
D
G H
F

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THEY
CONSTANTLY
INTERACT AND
INFORM EACH
OTHER
A
b
E
C
D
G H
F

EACH IDEOLOGY CAN
HOLD MORE SALIENCE
IN CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
A
b
E
C
D
G H
F

CHANGES CAN BE
MADE IF A
STRATEGY DOES
NOT HAVE THE
DESIRED EFFECT
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
A
b
E
C
D
G H
F

THIS MIGHT NOT JUST APPLY TO
“CONVERSATION”
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

THIS INTERPLAY OF
IDEAS IS VERY
REMINISCENT OF
THE SOCIAL WEB...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WHAT IF THERE
ARE DIALECTIC AND
DIALOGIC
STRUCTURES &
CULTURES TOO?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE TRADITIONAL
MARKETING
STRUCTURES LIKELY
TO BE MORE
DIALECTIC?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE SOCIAL WEB
PLATFORMS AND
COMPANIES MORE
DIALOGIC IN NATURE?

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT WOULD HELP
EXPLAIN THE
CULTURE CLASH

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ARE BRANDS
INTENTIONALLY
FRACKING THE
SOCIAL WEB?
!PERHAPS...

OR IS IT THE FAULT OF A
MASSIVE CULTURAL DIVIDE?
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
FLOW ENGINE - STEP 1
WRITE DOWN, ON ONE CARD, THE HARDEST
THING ABOUT BRIDGING THIS DIVIDE

@WILLSH
CAPTURE QUICK NOTES
AND IDEAS ON CARDS
AS WE GO THROUGH
THIS NEXT BIT…

MODERN ECONOMICS:
! THE VALUE OF A THING IS
DETERMINED BY WHAT ONE IS
WILLING TO GIVE UP TO OBTAIN
THE THING
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THE LABOUR THEORY OF VALUE
!THE VALUE OF SOMETHING
IS DETERMINED BY THE
LABOUR THAT WENT
INTO ITS PRODUCTION

PERHAPS THERE’S A
LABOUR THEORY OF
BRAND VALUE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
FIELD NOTES

£0.99 £3.33
PER PAD PER PAD
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“MARKETING IS WORLD
BUILDING. WITH
UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH
WE CAN NOW SHOW YOU
THE WORLD.”
@TOBYBARNES

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
LABOUR
THEORY
OF BRAND VALUE
!YOU HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING WITH THE
INFINITE CANVAS OF THE INTERNET IN MIND

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WE’D RATHER BUY
THIS WORLD...

...THAN
THIS WORLD
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

BRANDS OFTEN
FIND THIS HARD
BECAUSE OF THEIR
HOLLOW FACTORY
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

THERE ARE TWO
OPPOSITE FORCES
OF INNOVATION AT
WORK IN MOST BIG
BRANDS TODAY
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

MAKE PRODUCT
VERY EFFICIENTLY
MAKE MARKETING
AS INTERESTING
AS POSSIBLE
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

“CREATING ASTOUNDING
PRODUCTS IS [TECH COMPANIES’]
MAIN OBSESSION. THERE IS
ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW TO SAY”
JIM CARROLL, BBH
!
ON HOW TECH COMPANIES BUILD BRANDS
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
MARX WAS
HALF RIGHT...

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT’S NOT
ABOUT THE
MEANS OF
PRODUCTION

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT’S ABOUT THE
MEANING
IN PRODUCTION

OVER HERE, IT’S WAY
EASIER TO CREATE
MEANING IN PRODUCTION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

BUT IT DEMANDS
DRAMATIC CHANGES IN
HOW WE WORK
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

HINT: BRAND
IS NOT A
PYRAMID
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
A BRAND TODAY IS
LIKE A BITTORRENT FILE
!COMPLEX, DISTRIBUTED,
MOVING...
!

@WILLSH …UNCONTROLLABLE
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IMPOSSIBLE
TO TRULY,
WHOLLY
PERCEIVE

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
WE DON’T NEED TO COMPRESS A
BRAND ONTO PAPER...
!...WE JUST HAVE TO FIND
PRINCIPLES THAT HELP US WORK

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COMPETITION
SIMPLICITY
COMPRESSION
CERTAINTY
COOPERATION
COMPLEXITY
FRAGMENTATION
EXPERIMENTATION

FRAGMENTATION EXPERIMENTATION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
COMPLEXITY
COOPERATION

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
FRAGMENTATION
EMBRACE THE
GRANULARITY OF
EVERYTHING YOU’VE
EVER DONE

I’M REALLY INTERESTED IN THE MAKING
OF ‘IT’ -WHERE THE MAKING IS PART OF
THE STORY OF THE ‘IT’...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
THOMAS HEATHERWICK
!
“
”

IT COULD BE
BLENDING
EVERYTHING
YOU DO NOW
WITH A RICH
TAPESTRY OF
YOUR PAST...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OR IT COULD
BE SHOWING EVERYONE
EVERYTHING
YOU DO TO
MAKE A THING...

COOPERATION
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE,
AND WHAT THEY DO
TOGETHER TO MAKE
GREAT THINGS HAPPEN

AND INSIDE THE
FACTORY, NOT JUST
OUTSIDE...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

HAVING LOTS OF
PEOPLE IN A
COMPANY MAKES
IT EASY...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OWNING LOTS OF BRANDS
MAKES IT HARD

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
ZOMBIE
BRANDS
“THE MUSIC IS DEAD, BUT IT WON’T GO AWAY.
IT’S CONSTANTLY REPLAYED TO US, AND IT IS
LIKE ZOMBIE CULTURE”
!ADAM CURTIS

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
...BECAUSE
PEOPLE
ARE ALIVE

@WILLSH
COMPLEXITY
SMITHERY.CO
IT’S HARD WORK.
!
!
!SO DEAL WITH IT.

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
IF IT’S COMPLICATED:
LOTS OF EXPERTISE
!IF IT’S COMPLEX:
LOTS OF EFFORT

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“ITGD’SS NOT
COMPLICATED,
IT’S JUST HARD”
RUSSELL DAVIES, GDS,
!
QUOTING MICHAEL SLABY
PIC: @LEXIE_BROWN

MAKE ALL THE
CHANNELS PEOPLE
ACTUALLY WANT.
!NOT COMPLICATED,
BUT COMPLEX.
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
!JUST HARD.

WITH THE RIGHT
MECHANIC,
COMPLEXITY
BECOMES
AMAZINGLY
COMPELLING...
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
“YAY, IT
WORKS!”

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
OF COURSE IT WORKS.
!IT’S A BRILLIANT, COMPLEX IDEA
THAT THEY WORKED HARD AT.
!AND IT’S NOW BEEN RUN FIVE TIMES.

EXPERIMENTATION
SHOW PEOPLE THE
FUTURE YOU WANT TO
LIVE IN WITH THEM
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

@WILLSH
IN TEAMS,
MAKE A MAP
OF THE
TERRITORY…

@WILLSH
MAKE ONE CARD OF SOMETHING
YOU SHOULD DO WHEN YOU GET
BACK TO THE OFFICE.
!

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE FRAGMENTATION
GIVE UP PERFECTIONISM
SWAP IT FOR
CONTENT

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE COOPERATION
GIVE UP CONTROL
SWAP IT FOR
COMMUNITY

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE COMPLEXITY
GIVE UP CONSOLIDATION
SWAP IT FOR
SPEED

@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO
TO EMBRACE EXPERIMENTATION
GIVE UP KNOWING
SWAP IT FOR
LEARNING

@WILLSH
“LEARN, THINK AND
THRIVE IN THE
CONTEXT OF WORKING
WITH MULTIPLE
PERSPECTIVES AND
ULTIMATE
UNCERTAINTY”
SMITHERY.CO
RUPERT WEGERIF

QUESTIONS, PLEASE
JOHN V WILLSHIRE
HTTP://SMITHERY.CO
@WILLSH
ARTEFACTSHOP.COM
@WILLSH
SMITHERY.CO

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