Attending TEDxUtrecht felt like the ultimate luxury: an entire day of inspiration and fascinating speakers. It really was fantastic. The speakers were varied, the presentations short and sharp, and the organisation excellent. A few days later, however, organiser @mcoster asked what I had thought of it. Beyond feeling that I had reached the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I did not yet have an answer. Too much was still bubbling around in my head. It had been wonderful and satisfying, but what would I do with it? That made me particularly curious about its impact six months later. What would I remember? What remains after a whole day of TED inspiration?
Of all the presentations, industrial designer Massoud Hassani’s has stayed with me most. It was not the slickest presentation, and he was sometimes hard to hear, but it touched me. With a beautiful, artistic design, he aims to rid his native Afghanistan of landmines. I remember thinking that afternoon: “Wow, artists really do think differently!” The same thought returned last week when Progress introduced the commemorative coin for the Peace of Utrecht. The designer asked himself how to depict peace and decided a dove was too obvious. He designed a coin featuring 35 quill pens, representing the delegations, which together form a globe and Utrecht’s coat of arms. Beautifully conceived!
Fun Theory and gamification
I also clearly remember Reint Jan Renes’s TED presentation about TouchPoints, perhaps because it was so relatable. It explored how everyone essentially wants to do the right thing but fails to follow through in daily life. In the morning, you plan to exercise; by evening, you postpone it until tomorrow. To compensate, you decide not to snack on crisps after dinner. At 11 pm, you reach for the bag anyway, solemnly promising to eat only half… You probably know the rest.
TouchPoints could help: small prompts that put you back on the path you intended to follow. In one example, a red plastic crisp was placed halfway down a tube of crisps. Half the participants stopped eating at that point and put the tube away. Gamification could add more TouchPoints to our lives and make following the rules enjoyable. Take Volkswagen’s Fun Theory, which makes sticking to the speed limit both fun and financially rewarding.
Inspiration beyond your profession
I think — or hope — that recalling such beautiful designs, ideas and stories gets the creative side of my brain working again. That helps us bring clients plans that are imaginative and professionally grounded. If so, TEDxUtrecht has done its job for me and taught me something valuable: people outside your own field may indirectly inspire you most of all.
Stella
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