News

Josh Kornfeld, our principal, lends his voice to “The Power of Design” in this month’s Seattle Business Magazine. The article surveys the strength—and potentially exponential growth—of design in the Northwest’s largest city.

Last week, a few of our industrial, user experience and graphic designers attended a riveting talk by Stefan Sagmeister—the famed NYC–based Austrian designer—as part of the Design Lecture Series at the Seattle Public Library. The aloof designer stereotype definitely didn’t apply here: Stefan was animated and determined to keep the audience engaged. His current project is “The Happy Show,” and his little tricks—like having everyone sing coordinated karaoke at the top of their lungs—emerged from his self–experiments and research into the “user experience” of happiness. Another tip? Before bed, think of three things that “worked” today, rather than worrying, planning or letting your mind wander. As with gratitude, he’s decided that satisfaction is a key ingredient in happiness. Not revolutionary, but affirmation that it takes a little work to maintain a positive outlook.

We designers spend our days creating and actualizing products that are tangible, appropriate and well–suited to their critical functions. So it was particularly interesting to hear Stefan talk about his time away from day–to–day professional design, investigating discreet projects with purely artificial constraints. Each of his sabbatical exercises, everything from designing an entire CD package to drawing freehand, had to be completed in three hours. Not surprisingly, the lack of freedom and resources forced him to be more creative, focused, and even turned out a better product—a somewhat elementary lesson it never hurts to remember.

Sagmeister’s ideas are simple. It was the spirit of his talk, though, that was appealing: Stay engaged at all costs. Remember what’s working. Trick yourself into staying focused and keeping things fresh. Don’t let yourself become cynical or removed from the sheer creative joy of designing. And, most importantly, take time to find the silly little tricks that keep you happy each day.

Happy Halloween from Tactile! The 2013 Tactile Halloween Party–this past Saturday at Hilliard’s Brewery in Ballard—may have been the best one yet. There were sensational costumes, great music and plenty of fun. Best of all, there were friends, clients and peers from every corner of Seattle’s design community and beyond—there was hardly a local firm or product development professional not represented. We were proud to once again be connecting people through an unforgettable experience, and thrilled to celebrate our passion—creative collaboration—at the best party in town. Thanks to everyone who joined us, and we’ll see you next year.

Our annual company Halloween party is right around the corner on Saturday, October 26th. Contact us for an invitation or more information. Looking forward to see you and all the creative costumes this year!

Clearly, we’re not the only ones excited about craft brewing. Congratulations to our friends at nearby PicoBrew, whose Kickstarter campaign reached its goal with nearly a month to go! The automatic device is connected yet simple, a countertop combo of off–the–shelf parts and custom DIY solutions. In short, it’s what many of us have been waiting for. Risky flavor combinations, small batches, side–by–side comparisons? Check. A flexible platform means there is room for serious experimentation right at home.

More and more, we’re seeing projects like PicoBrew that bring product development into our daily lives. Want to innovate? Invent a new beer, 3D print a tool, write a storybook by animating your scribbles instantly. We marvel at the expanding possibilities—and we can’t wait to start experimenting with our own custom brews.

(Photo by Kuster & Wildhaber Photography)

A small Tactile team takes off for Anaheim this week for the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Expo. For several years running, we have worked on next–generation concepts with Panasonic Avionics, the world leader in in–flight entertainment and communications (IFEC) systems. Our shared mission: Don’t just provide passengers with the same entertainment and connectivity in the air they can access on the ground—make the experience superlative.

Airplanes are a unique environment, to say the least, exemplified by ultra–compact furniture and limited services. There are constraints and considerations in the air that simply aren’t present in the average living room. But that’s where Panasonic and Tactile shine: Turning limitations into opportunities to make the inside of an airplane feel a little more like home, work or your favorite coffee shop.

Together, we continue to explore new and meaningful ways to embed technology in the in–flight experience so every passenger feels entertained and delighted. Streamlined, comfortable handsets. Optimized touch–screen displays. Intuitive interaction. Who knows? A sophisticated, well–designed environment might inspire passengers to fly more—and perhaps be sad when the plane lands.

At APEX, we expect to see widespread efforts to integrate the in–flight experience more closely into the passenger journey. Armed with advanced technology and thoughtful design, a comfortable, connected ride becomes as crucial a part of travel as exploring the destination.

Protein equals power!

Happy Birthday Josh!

-Everyone at the office

We are thrilled to announce that Tactile won two 2013 Bronze International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) from the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). Characteristic of Tactile, the awards celebrate work in diverse disciplines: concept development and usability research for a global health product (Intellectual Ventures Lab’s “Cold Chain” device), and full product redesign for the Liposonix Body Contouring System. They also represent Tactile’s growing engagement in the fields of med–tech and global good—and it seems we’re on a roll.

Read more about Liposonix here or Intellectual Ventures here.

Oh Pacific Northwest, you’re too good to us!

(photo taken this weekend at Cape Disappointment).