The web has experienced some great initiatives the last few years. Everybody loves youtube, last.fm, google maps and many more 2.0 initiatives.

The most fun I get from these initiatives is how creative people give a new meaning to stuff like google maps. There are a lot of innovative people on the web who see new opportunities in products and services.
I came across a presentation by the ‘google creative lab’. They went through a journey over the web to find some of the coolest experiments in digital creativity. I hope you can enjoy these examples and, even more important, I hope you will get a bright idea yourself. Hopefully google creative lab can add you in their next years presentation with your birlliant mash up of google maps, last.fm, twitter, facebook, spotified and the Klatergoud website…?

In our market there is a shift going on from production to creation. No longer are expensive, exhaustively branded products desirable. Handcrafted and authentic goods are getting a growing attention. There is no fun in paying large amounts of money for something the whole city is able to buy. The same counts for creative concepts. They are worth the added value given to a product or service by providing it with a unique story and authenticity.

We are ending a period in which consumption made us blind for pureness and true needs. Needs that go beyond the definition of traditional economists who only value monetary and calculable aspects of goods. We now want to feel unique, express authenticity and look for connections with others. Against this background I would like to introduce the concept of reproducible and non-reproducible goods. The first one being products like tables and confection clothing, produced in large numbers. Once designed, they can be easily reproduced. The latter one being goods like artwork and creative concepts, that, after being designed can only be found in certain spaces.

Another key element of non-reproducible goods lies in storytelling. The so called reproducible goods lack in a story. Once the design is created they are mechanically produced and brought to stores. On the contrary, non-reproducible goods cover a real story that never ends. Think of the design of a building, the drawing of a painting, the creation of a couture dress. They all have a story. Consider the story of people, their drive, character, life and personal evolution. Stories are what make individuals unique, not only the jobs they have or the houses they live in. It is the total combination.

Non-reproducible goods have a soul. Take for example a creative concept. No matter what, a food concept, a shop concept, a concept for corporate identity. They have a birth, and just like a child, need to be raised and taken care of. The more attention they get, the better they will grow and learn what fits the nature of the concept. For a creator it is therefore necessary to dive into the essence of what is covered by the concept. In the case of handcrafted goods, the maker puts a lot of effort and personal energy in the product, putting his or her soul in it, expressing their very soul through the product and its making.

The monetary value of non-reproducible goods is difficult to determine, that is because they get their value over time and in space. They are also rare. It is the longings for the product by a select group of people, rather than the ideas of the marketing department, that set the price. In case of concepts, it is their return on investment that finally determines their value.

Economists haven’t paid attention to non-reproducible goods for a long time. They only focused on products that could be defined in terms of costs and profit. The economical crisis shows us that this is not what it is all about in life. Non-reproducible goods are made with the heart and with caring for the result, being a way of expression for the creator. Most of the times money is not the pushing factor. It even is an insecure element. As we read above the monetary value is set over time and in space. Added to this are the private thoughts of the buyer that influences the price and how he or she sees the creative added value.

One of our contributors added value to the creation of a restaurant by providing a story to it. He worked out the name, did research on the history of the concept and made it tangible by providing advice on interior development and event management. Everything fits: the location, the food, the people, the history, and the looks. Rather than just being a nice place to eat, it now is a place with a story that holds its roots with a strong concept. See how Tasca Bellota turned from just another tapas restaurant, into a real tasca. Creative thoughts added value. But the reach of that value can only be measured over time. Does the restaurant get more attention because of the story? Does it attract more customers? And then again, after ‘birth’ the concept is dependable on others to carry the idea and give proper execution to it.

Another example is also drawn from my social environment. Lots of makers of non-reproducible goods, like painters, can’t find their way to the market. They put much effort in making their paintings, but lack in showing it to the world. That is, at least, what I experience. They make beautiful artwork, but their work is stalled in attic rooms or parental houses. While IKEA and Intratuin sell paintings that come just from the factory and don’t incorporate any soul or authenticity at all. But these merchandisers have well paid marketeers who create the demand and set the prices and attract people to visit the shops.

The value of a creative process cannot be defined in the amount of hours spent. It develops value over time. Value is defined mainly by what story is told and what promise it beholds. Therefore buyers of these creative goods need to ask themselves what value the good represent, and what the needs of the maker are. A direct interaction between maker and buyer should be developed. Openness and communication are important to prevent from getting into misunderstandings. Once reached, this is a wonderful way to do business… Don’t you think?

Businessweek just announced the best of global design for 2008. Industrial design that is, and some great products there. The article mentions some stats about the winners, that shed a clear light on the current state in the industrial design market:

IDEO, based in Palo Alto, Calif., led the innovation/design consultancies by taking seven awards. Fuseproject came in second, with five; and Ziba and Whipsaw tied for third, with four apiece. France’s Decathlon came in first among corporations, with six IDEAs to Apple’s four. Denmark’s Eva Solo and Motorola won four awards each. Sony and Samsung earned three. Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., dominated among design schools, with three silvers and three bronzes. All other top winners were Asian and European: Hongik University, Seoul National University, Hanyang University, and Samsung Design Membership from Korea, Britain’s Royal College of Art, and Germany’s University of Wuppertal. The U.S. won just over half of the awards, with Europe taking 23%, Asia 18%, and South America 6%.

My favorites:

Gotta love the simplicity and cuteness.