Categories
Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

Consumer Behavior in Brazil: Growth of the Brazilian economy creates 19 millionaires a day, says ‘Forbes’

A report published online by the prestigious journal of the American economy “Forbes” says the Brazilian economy is creating 19 millionaires per day since 2007, thanks to the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and consumption rates, it said […]

Categories
China Consumer Behavior Economics Information Technology Trend Watching

China, Socialism & Consumer Behavior: Chinese consumers choosier, web-savvy

Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tastes and expect a wider range of better products, according to a report released Monday that says local companies lead foreign ones in using e-commerce to expand sales […]

Categories
China Consumer Behavior Economics Information Technology Trend Watching

China, Socialism & Consumer Behavior: Digital revolution drives retail

Chinese companies appear to be taking much more aggressive steps than their foreign counterparts to embrace the Internet as a sales channel, according to a recent survey […[

Categories
Design Economics Information Technology Innovation Trend Watching

Watch “What we’ve Learned from 5 million Books” talk at TED by Erez Lieberman Aiden and Jean-Baptiste Michel

Have you played with Google Labs’ NGram Viewer? It’s an addicting tool that lets you search for words and ideas in a database of 5 million books from across centuries. Erez Lieberman Aiden and Jean-Baptiste Michel show us how it works, and a few of the surprising things we can learn from 500 billion words […]

Categories
Design Innovation Software

Watch Aaron Koblin’s “Crowds and Clouds: Data, Sheep, and Collaboration” talk at MIT’s Office of the Arts

Where others see just data points and fodder for bar graphs, Aaron Koblin visualizes dynamic systems where information assumes forms both abstract and familiar. In this talk, Koblin shares recent projects that meld statistical science and art to convey a really big picture, while often inviting the viewer to partake in a more personal experience […]

Categories
Design Economics Trend Watching

Watch James Howard Kunstler dissects suburbia at TED

In James Howard Kunstler’s view, public spaces should be inspired centers of civic life and the physical manifestation of the common good. Instead, he argues, what we have in America is a nation of places not worth caring about […]

Categories
Economics Information Technology Innovation Trend Watching

Information Technology in Brazil: New Plan to Boost Innovation

Technological innovation is the foundation of a new industrial policy that the Brazilian government will deploy to improve the country’s competitiveness in domestic and foreign markets. The program will provide a variety of financial incentives for Brazilian innovators in IT as well as other industry sectors between now and 2014 […]

Categories
Design Economics Innovation

Design in Brazil: overcoming exchange rate pressure and increasing exports with innovation

Despite the devaluation of the dollar is affecting the competitiveness of Brazilian industry — especially manufacturing — companies such as Marcopolo, Anatomic Gel and Inova Electronic Systems have managed to maintain their level of exports and to increase sales to other countries to invest in innovation, refinement and reduction of production costs […]

Categories
Consumer Behavior Economics Trend Watching

Watch John Gerzema’s “The post-crisis consumer” talk at TED

John Gerzema says there’s an upside to the recent financial crisis — the opportunity for positive change. Speaking at TEDxKC, he identifies four major cultural shifts driving new consumer behavior and shows how businesses are evolving to connect with thoughtful spending […]

Categories
Design Innovation

Watch Joshua Walters’ “On being just crazy enough” talk at TED

At TEDs Full Spectrum Auditions, comedian Joshua Walters, whos bipolar, walks the line between mental illness and mental “skillness.” In this funny, thought-provoking talk, he asks: Whats the right balance between medicating craziness away and riding the manic edge of creativity and drive?