Protein Forum

Went to the Protein Forum last night, a series of talks around science meeting culture.

The Delighter:

Matt Jones, designer at Dopplr said some really interesting things. One, was the idea that travel today is 'broken'. Stuck in my head as I've been doing a lot of research on responsible travel recently.

He also used the phrase 'Cybernetic Serendipity' to describe the way Dopplr connects users to their friends by spotting travel 'coincidences'.

I also liked the idea that diaries are 'models of the future'. By forward planning, we can optimise our future.

When designing Dopplr, the creators came across the phrase 'the delighter', a term used in the hotel industry to describe small, unexpected details which delight guests, such as the chocolate on your pillow.

I made a mental note of this luxury industry-relevant quote by experience designer Dan Saffer, 'Because details are hard to get right, they're hard to replicate.'

Dopplr uses the idea of the delighter in its logo, which is subtly customised to each user and changes colour based on their patterns of travel.

Bow down to the 22 year old:

Kate Moross is a geometry-loving illustrator who has worked for the likes of Nike, Cadbury's and Topshop. A self-taught, self-starter, she put most of the audience (including me) to shame with her youthful entrepreneurialism. She's publishing a book next year, 'Work Nice, Play Hard'. Instead of studying the visual arts, she obsesses over triangles and gets paid by clubs to draw on people. (She must be good). I'm inspired to write an article on her for Teen Vogue or 

i-D or something.

Eau de Golders Green:

RCA graduate Tuur Van Balen talked about his 'My City, My Body' project, a sort of biology meets geography study of London. This involved him 'branding' three local tap waters, creating a story and marketing sell for them. 

Golders Green was branded as a fertility water because it is relatively oestrogen-free due to local Jewish diets. City of London on the other hand, was labelled the 'Red Bull' of waters, pumped full of toxins and stress hormones. The most appetising was Notting Hill, which has the highest concentration of organic shops, so was aptly given the organic sell.