An amazing amount of research goes into even the smallest design tweaks in new products or upgraded models, for everything from diaper bags for dudes to Volvo’s concept car designed and developed almost exclusively by women.

Of course not all designs deserve an A. Last year Philadelphia replaced hundreds of public trash cans with solar-powered Big Belly cans. Thanks to the solar-powered compactor system, the cans could hold up to five times as much trash as a regular can – which means the cans don’t have to be emptied as frequently (translation = salary savings). Sounds good, right? It is, except for one major impediment. In order to actually throw away your garbage, you must first open the can’s mouth by pulling on the handle. A dirty, filthy handle. Sure, it’s impossible to go through a day without touching communal objects: doors, faucets, elevator buttons, etc. But we can’t help but wonder why a simple foot pedal couldn’t work here.

If that’s not enough, many of the Big Belly cans are partnered with a separate can for recyclables. Paper products go in the mail-slot sized opening, and cans and bottles through the circular opening. Simple right? Before you release your green applause, it should be noted that there is no direction on what number plastics are accepted by Philadelphia recycling programs. Even if someone is out there sorting through the recycled collections, we’re sure they’d appreciate even the small improvement in their workload that could be managed by a communication on the can of what plastics can be recycled.

Now that we’ve managed to write an entire piece about the highs and lows of product design, without once mentioning Apple, we’d like to hear what are your favorites and pet peeves of product design. Do share!,

That’s why it’s always very interesting when a brand decides to revisit the past when they “update” a look. WD-40, the timeless toolbox essential, recently began offering a product two-pack, with one of the bottles featuring packaging design from the 1950s. Although we’re, frankly, unfamiliar with the community of lubricant can collectors, we do very much like the tie-in with social media. Inviting fans to post pictures and comment on product usage is a terrific idea.

Automobile manufacturers know that a sure-fire way to appease their brand loyalists is to dip back into the library of classics. Models that is. And it seems like the category most likely to go retro is muscle cars. After an 8-year hiatus, the 2010 Chevy Chevrolet Camaro emerged with modern amenities tucked inside a familiar, classic exterior design. The statement paid off when the Camaro was named Motor Trend’s “Car of the Year”.

Two of the Camaro’s biggest competitors, the Dodge Charger and Ford Mustang also followed suit with redesigns that borrowed familiar lines and styling from their (much) older relatives. BMW also acknowledged loyalist nostalgia in 2006 when it released the 2002 tii, a cult (and this writer’s) favorite from the 1960s and ’70s.

Aside from lubricant and automobile manufacturers, what brands can you think of that have returned to the design library for modern updates? We’d love to hear what you think of the practice.

Unique, memorable spokesperson: check
Witty, quoteworthy, parody-worthy script: check
Target market that can be swayed by unique spokesperson with quoteworthy lines: check

The formula worked for the SuperBowl. The second commercial (Swan Dive!) came out a few weeks ago and re-invigorated the chatter. But none of us could guess what the team had planned next. Plenty of celebrities have used Twitter to engage with fans and push their own brand, but is this the first time our industry has created a Twitter celebrity?

If eyeballs, followers, fans, subscribers, ReTweets are measures of success, there is no doubt how this project turned out for Old Spice. And for the hundreds of thousands of young men out there just starting to care about hygiene, we have no doubt they’re considering the same brand their father probably used (uses?). But are older users switching?

We hope so.

When great, inspiring creative captivates the jaded, skeptical advertiser inside us, we have to wish for the product’s success. Product sales make clients happy. Happy clients are more likely to entertain the creative idea every agency person wishes they could pitch. What it comes down to is trust. To pull off the Old Spice YouTube project was no small feat in effort, but before a team even started building the bathroom set, there was a level of trust. P&G had to implicitly trust W+K (their traditional, not social media agency, it’s worthy to note) knew enough about the brand and the audience to make this a success.

We think they did. Congrats to everyone involved. We may just have to go out and pick up some Old Spice body wash. And we’re a woman.

Inspired by a unique gift idea shared by our friends at the Art Director’s Club of Philadelphia, we started thinking of what other items we’d come across in the past that would make a great “Designer Gift Registry” for your designer/creative friends on various occasions – housewarming, holiday, wedding… or just because you are an awesome gift-giver.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Housewarming:

First impressions mean everything, and this Come in/go away mat ambigram literally says it all.

Take a seat in these conversation-worthy alphabet letter chairs by Roeland Otten. One would look great in a corner, or a series around the dining room table.

Can’t get enough of the Pantone-mania?

How about a couple folding chairs for your studio or next party? The Holding Company makes seven hot hues.

Welcome little one:

Leave it to DwellStudio to come up with a terrific way to get your little one off to a creative start. The series of board books are bold, modern and invite immediate interaction – just like YOUR favorite Dwell pieces.

Just because:
For coffee, tea or just a conversation piece, these Pantone mugs will let everyone know your preferred tone.

Because money isn’t an option:

Commission your local woodworker to whittle a custom gift inspired by this Type Chess Set by Wary Meyers. Hey, we can dream.

Of course, for jewelry, art and fashion – we love Etsy for supporting the work of independent artists.

If you’d like to create your own Designer Registry there’s, of course, a site for that. Compile and share your favorite items at Svpply. If you create a profile, or already have one, share with us your picks!

Global clients, technology and doing what you love (re: entrepreneurs) are now standard factors for modern-day workers and have practically redefined the term work “day”. It may be 5:00 for you, but your biggest client still has three hours left in the “workday”. Airlines now boast of wi-fi service, and how many times have you checked your email first thing in the morning before (or while) having a cup of coffee and catching the morning news? And I’ll make a good guess that you wouldn’t be checking if the inbox didn’t have a pile of bold, unread messages to greet you every morning. Because of course, when you work for yourself there’s that extra pressure to deliver superior customer service as well as product.

And until someone discovers a 25th hour or 8th day, these additional hours all come at a cost. Breakfast with the family. Soccer games. Happy hours. Vacations even. And where do you draw the line? Do you? We posed the question on our Facebook page and received quite a range of answers. (Kudos to Rachel!)

While everyone’s situation is different (priorities change vastly when there are family members involves), here are just three very simple changes that you can start with toward evening out your work and life balance. Just three!

1) No checking email in the morning! Resist the Blackberry and the laptop until entering the office. Enjoy breakfast, time with family, catching up on the news.
2) Make sure you take a break during the day for yourself – whether that’s a short walk, a break from staring at the computer screen or just to eat a healthy lunch!
3) Schedule times to check your email, facebook or twitter and between those times – close the software! Otherwise it’s too easy a distraction!

So has the technology that was suppose to make our jobs easier actually made us work longer? What are your thoughts on our entry-level suggestions and can you add any useful tips for maintaining a work-life balance? Please share!

In the meantime, here are a few books for helping to balance your work and life:

Never Check Email in the Morning, by Julie Morgenstern

Rework, by Jason Fried

Making Ideas Happen, by Scott Belsky

The Four Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss

As much as digital technology has revolutionized communication, there is one vestige of the past that I am trying desperately to hold onto – stationery. Yes, I still visit paper stores, and yes I even still buy birthday cards. And while I can be a bit of what my husband calls “a paper snob” I’m very impressed with Hallmark’s section of sympathy cards. And if a store can give you a range of messaging in the sympathy section, you know you’re in good hands.

Granted, I don’t have much occasion to write a personal correspondence anymore. It’s too easy to wish a happy birthday on a Wall or send an email to thank someone for their kindness. These two examples of technology are the biggest reasons I still have quite a stack of the monogrammed cards I bought in advance of our wedding – three years ago.

I love spending time in the aisles of a paper or card store (even CVS and Target have great card selections) searching for just the right sentiment. And as I shared earlier, the quality of design and messaging is really quite impressive, given this is a form that’s slowly dying.

And if I haven’t isolated myself enough as She Who Lives In The Past, it gets worse. It’s my love for quality, expensive paperie. There’s just something wonderful about holding a beautiful letterpressed card in your hands. And then sending it out to that one person who you know will appreciate the art, the sentiment, the whimsy. And maybe even the stock.

A love for outdated technology isn’t really something that gets an extended conversation in regular company, and I’ve found that most brides don’t want to carry on as much about their invitations as I’d like to. And when in doubt, what do we all know to do?

I turned to the Internet. Where I discovered that my favorite printing was actually experiencing a revival, and how I discovered a community of letterpress lovers much, much more committed than myself. And by that I mean ones who are actually creating the pieces that I love, toiling away in studios around the world, and some even in my backyard (must. take. studio tour!)

Now that my stationary pigeonholes are stocked with various cards and sheets, I just have to work on my handwriting.

How important is the quality of paper for your communication and correspondence, or have you gone entirely digital?

How much shopping do you do online?

Books, makeup, home accessories – when an item comes across my radar the first place I look to find what I need is online. My Amazon Wishlist is stocked with books I only found about when they appeared as recommendations based on my purchases. One of my favorite places to shop doesn’t even have a store I could physically visit, Etsy.

And I can’t lie – once those holiday jingles start taking over the airwaves I know it’s time to start my shopping. Online. Every year I make it a goal to do as much shopping online as possible; I have yet to achieve my personal Grail, which would be to avoid a box store entirely. And lest you think I’m a complete Grinch, with three nephews and a niece scattered down the Eastern Seaboard, I can shop, wrap and ship gifts with a few mere clicks. Now that’s a jolly holiday.

Buying clothes online, of course, is a true test of shopper’s dedication. I love being able to click on a “Reviews” option to see what other buyers thought of the product. On the flip side, I am genuinely shocked that there are still big-name retailers that treat their website as practically nothing more than a digital version of their catalog. Perhaps J.Crew thinks that opinions and reviews of their products are best left to (their very dedicated following of) bloggers.

There are, of course, plenty of items that are better purchased in-store rather than based solely on size measurements and strangers’ shared experiences. Luxury items, certainly; bathing suits and jeans, probably. Part of luxury shopping is the customer service – sure it’s the same scarf online and on the shelf, but many consumers enjoy the entire experience of visiting Hermes and walking out with that signature bag in hand.

This isn’t, of course, to say that I’ve sworn off going into stores altogether. Just today, in fact, I took not one but two trips to Lowes. Some inefficiencies – especially with home-ownership – just can’t be avoided.

Do you “click” with online shopping? I’d love to hear your favorite sites and why!

I love interviewing junior advertising copywriters. I love it because I shared that same naivete, enthusiasm and ambition (all crammed into an Objective statement). I love looking through junior portfolios at their shiniest brightest work on display, while trying to determine whether the chops behind this press release will translate to writing great direct response. (I’m also a little scared of it, especially when I see a resume with a degree that didn’t even exist when I was in college. Digital communications?!)

But oh aren’t there just times you wish for a Zach Morris and “Time Out” to stop time to whisper a better answer or issue a do-over? Like, feel free to change that comment about wanting a 9-5 job! The only time I have broken through the fourth wall is to comment – positively, constructively – about portfolio work. Show off that work that didn’t get produced – let me see how your brain works, not your brain edited by clients! I once had someone do it for me (and didn’t get hired) and I’ve always appreciated that honesty.

In one of the tightest job markets, we want to make sure we’re not selecting someone who is going to up and leave as soon as something better opens elsewhere. We want someone who wants This job, not A job. And there are so many simple, simple things that I can’t believe candidates overlook: Preparation and Followup, to name two major.
• Take a few moments before the interview to investigate the company’s website. Learn the clients and certainly the industry.
• After the interview, follow up! Sending a short note to the email listed on the business card you received shows you appreciated their time, and do truly want the job.

During the interview, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the position. Again, this
should be as much a fit for you as it is for the company. Don’t be shy.

These tips just a start, what advice do you have for young interviewers looking for
their first job in a creative industry?

Even the brains behind the program themselves quickly realized Twitter’s evolving use and the prompt “What are you doing” was soon replaced by the more resourceful “What’s happening?”

What IS happening is that Twitter is now as important a tool for individuals as for businesses (which we chatted about in our inaugural post). Which makes the question not whether you are using it, but are you exploiting Twitter’s full potential.
• Catch breaking news as it happens, both on local and national levels
• To network with people in your industry. Talk to Alex Bogusky!
• To network by “attending” industry events. By searching for or following various hashtags (#) you can follow conversation being shared at virtual and real-live events!
• To receive exclusive offers and advance notice of sales from your favorite national retailers and many local businesses
• Job hunting, hello! Connect with headhunters and places you’d like to work!
• When all else fails, you can certainly always follow your favorite celebrity. Shaq often gives shout-outs to fans and has even offered up free game tickets!

If the Dalai Lama is doing it, why shouldn’t you?

Did we miss any exciting ways that you’re using Twitter to enhance your life? And would you like to see a future post about how or what you should be Tweeting to grow your audience of followers?

Initially tech geeks lampooned everything from name to capabilities (or lack thereof). No flash. No webcam. No 3G service! Slowly at first, people started thinking of the iPad’s different uses. Perhaps the iPad wasn’t perfect for the traditional Apple-head, but for the casual web surfer… or better yet, the avid reader. Ahh-ha.

Now this is an area about which I’m qualified to speak. I don’t work in a design field – I don’t use Illustrator or other Mac-geek applications. However, I do own one (and an iPod), and I love them both for their design and ease of use.

I also read. A lot. I surf the web, a lot. Although relatively informed on current events, it pains me to reveal the last time I read a hard copy of a newspaper; in my years of gathering news and information from various (new and changing) sources I have closely followed the publishing business’ struggles to find its way in this new information age.

I started noticing the shift of opinion once the iPad started being positioned as a Kindle competitor. Balancing Infinite Jest on one knee and a dictionary on the other I started realizing that the iPad might have an interesting little niche, though Apple certainly has a ways to go to build up the same e-book library (itunes anyone? shouldn’t be a problem). Then media outlets started jumping on board, with Conde Nast announcing that content will be released on the tablet before the Web. Interesting move – is it the right one? Certainly by using Wired as a guinea pig, the argument is a strong one. Very strong, as evidenced by this demo video. Then think of other magazines with die-hard followings that could benefit from such an enriched experience — National Geographic, I’m looking at you.

And just like that I’m on board. Can this little gadget change the way journalists present the news, facts, stories? More importantly — will they be able to convince readers this value is worth a fee?

Tech writer’s reviews haven’t been very surprising, focusing on what Apple does well — design intuitive products,. but I would have loved to see a broader audience given the opportunity to review the tablet. Perhaps Dooce? Apple will likely listen to the flock’s gripes and wishlists and we’ll see some big functionality improvements with future generations of the iPad. But as it stands as simply a lifestyle accessory — yes, it has its place. So maybe the tech geeks won’t buy an iPad for themselves until some of the enhanced features come out, but Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and mom definitely doesn’t want another bottle of perfume.

Have you pre-ordered yours?