Paradigm Shift: The User-Generated, Real-Time Web

The industry's leading visionaries rate and debate what technology trends will emerge during the year ahead.

Steve Jurvetson, Vinod Khosla, Joe Schoendorf, Ram Shriram, and Ann Winblad are among the speakers.

Questions to Contemplate at the SAM Event

Hello everyone,

As promised... here are some questions to contemplate as you wander through the museum and see the various works of art. I will send these in a email to all RSVPs the day of the event as a reminder. For now... they will be here for all to see. Enjoy!

Hanging by a Thread, by Cai Guo-Qiang
It's hard not to notice the symbolically exploding hanging cars in the lobby. Created after the tragic events of September 11th, one must ask themselves, how does one respond when the world radically changes? How has the tragic events of this decade shaped world dialogue and opinions. Today, with the advent of swine flu, we seem to live in a panic driven society. What is the cost of information overload versus the freedom of constant, instant information?

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. (Highlight exhibit)
Study these paintings. Ask yourself, these are ideal images about the American dream. How has this dream changed over the last 200 years? What ideals should be revisited? How does modern business "sell" these American ideals to customers for better or worse? And what part will you play in the next 200 years?

Less is More
The minimalist room. Before you brush off the area as "non-art," take a moment to absorb the feeling of the room. Is this the future of retail space? How does modern art use spacial relations to tell a story or invoke a feeling? Is this something you can incorporate into your company. Is this the future of retail?

Sea Change, 1947 by Jackson Pollock
The middle part of the 20th century saw great changes in our country. Jackson Pollack captures the emotion of that change in his work. As yourself, how must it have felt to be thirty-something in the late 1940s and early 1950s? How would you have reacted to the sweeping changes in the 1960s? And how have those radical changes effected our society to this day?

Double Elvis, 1963/1976 by Andy Warhol
How has the massive infusion of pop-culture changed the way we see the world today? Or more accurately, is there a way is hasn't?

How My Mother's Embroidered Apron Unfolds in My Life, 1944 by Arshile Gorky
Is this painting, that was visually way ahead of its time, the future look of advertising?

Native & Meso-American Art
This culture once thrived in the Pacific Northwest. It is a reminder that eventually life, culture, and society changes over time. Ask yourself, a thousand years from now, what legacy will you leave behind? And finally, look closely at the native art... what elements of this style has carried over to modern society. (Hint: Think about the Seahawks logo for starters.)

The Doge's Palace and the Grand Canal, Venice, ca. 1710 by Luca Carlevariis
This painting offers a window onto life in Venice along the Molo, the wharf near the Piazza San Marco. A moment captured in history. With the advent of modern technology, a lot has changed, but much has stayed the same. Especially the need for face-to-face personal relationships, which technology has yet to replace. How would someone from 1710 respond to our modern society? With fear? Inspiration? Hope?

Field Trip to the SAM: Seattle Art Museum

Hosted by Michael Foster, Jaime Foster & Jewels Foster in Seattle, Washington

Type: Business Mixer
When: Thursday, April 30 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Fee: Free

Event Info

Title:

Field Trip to the SAM: Seattle Art Museum

Hosts:

• Michael Foster
  

  
  
  
  
• Jaime Foster
  

  
  
  
  
• Jewels Foster
  

  
  
  
  

Start date & time:

30 Apr 2009, 3:30 PM Pick end time?

End date & time:

30 Apr 2009, 7:00 PM

Type of Event: Business Mixer Educational Workshop Breakfast/Lunch Meet Discussion Walk & Talk Other
Event summary:Field Trip to the Seattle Art Museum with free admission exclusively for RSVPed Biznik members. RSVPs will obtain free admission to the museum until 6pm. Afterwards we'll gather at the TASTE Restaurant for food, drinks & networking.

One short paragraph that describes your event concisely. This is what will appear on the main events page.

RSVP Limit (optional):
Your Fee:

Free

Note that changing any information on this page means that we'll review it for content again, and could possibly result in it getting delisted.

Visit the Museum Site: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/

In the 21st Century, Art and business are quickly becoming more interwoven. The need to think creatively is quickly becoming essential to the survival of your company. We strive to create events that not only up the ante for future Biznik gatherings, but also impress and inspire your creative needs.

Hence, with special thanks to the Facilities Marketing Manager at the SAM, John Ferguson, we are hosting a Field Trip to the Seattle Art Museum with free admission exclusively for RSVPed Biznik members. (Sack lunches not necessary.) We will gather in the Arnold Board Room from 3:30pm until 4:00pm, where 100 RSVPs will obtain free admission to the museum until 6pm. Afterwards we can gather at the TASTE Restaurant downstairs for food, drinks & networking. (The admission is FREE, but you gotta cover the food and beverage tab.)

Also, we will post a series of questions in our blog to keep in mind as you wander around the museum, to help enhance your senses and translate the experience of how art can make you feel, and how that feeling can be translated into how you think and feel about your company.

Art opens the mind, the heart, and the senses. In business, it is easy to become so embedded with a routine work schedule, that we do not take the opportunity to infuse new ideas and experiences into our lives. This event is strictly aimed at the hard working individual that needs a break, and wants to interact with like-minded business savvy individuals in a nurturing and creative environment. We sincerely hope you can join us.

The Human Face by Goldie Jones

Incorporating video into your website can be an amazing opportunity to give your company a human face and make a personal connection with your clients before they ever even pick up the phone to give you that first call.

In an era where "economically uncertain times" has become one of the most common phrases we hear on a daily basis, people are looking for things that they feel like they can trust. And more and more often, companies are finding that they need to give their potential customers a human face to relate to as they carefully consider how to spend their increasingly limited budgets.

For most of us, when we look for a new product or service provider, we go to the internet. Websites are typically a company's opportunity to make a first and lasting impression on prospective clients. And yet, all too often these websites are fairly impersonal, focusing on products and services and pricing packages and a short bio of the business credentials of the team that makes up the company. But these don't really give the client a good idea of who they will be working with. This doesn't give them any idea of those people's personalities. It doesn't give them an opportunity to feel a personal connection with another living human being.

More and more, my clients are coming to me to give them a human face on their websites. Web video is affordable and internet speeds and video compression are capable of giving the vast majority of the wired public access to high quality videos. So, except for camera shyness, there is very little reason not to include video on your company's website. People, now more than ever, need to trust the people that they will be giving their money to. Open up to them, give them the opportunity to get to know you and your company and feel like they already have a personal connection with you before they even pick up the phone to call for the first time.

There are countless types of videos that you can do to create a human face for your website.

1) Let your team introduce themselves and what they love about working at your company.

2) Let your clients introduce themselves and what they love about what you have done for them.

3) Give your prospective clients a glimpse into what a day at your company is like.

4) Give your prospective clients a chance to see you just being you, talking about the things that you are passionate about, and how you bring that passion to your work.

5) Show them how you found your way into the industry you are in. Most of us start of down a path in our lives that branches many, many times along the way and frequently some pretty fascinating events lead us to where we are today. Share those stories with potential clients, sharing your journey is a very personal way to share your background and expertise without simply listing off your past employers.

6) Just play with it. Fun simple little animations about your service/process/product. This can be as low tech as using drawings on a white board or paper cutouts. Google, Microsoft, and UPS aren't afraid to utilize lowtech animation, why can't you use it?

7) Share a personal story, how your work has create a positive impact on other people in a powerful way? Does your company donate to charities or non-profits? Does your company volunteer in the community? Share these stories.

Reaching out to another human being on a personal level may just help you and your clients find a little more certainty in uncertain times.

Goldie Jones is the owner of Subversionz Media, a Seattle based video production and motion graphics company. She has spent years in the Seattle area creating hundreds of broadcast, marketing, web, event, b2b, and internal videos for dozens of companies

VIDEO Cafe Brainstorm: The Future of the Web Part 1 of 4

Recorded February 27th, 2009: Part one of a groundbreaking think tank. Seattle based creatives and technicians discussed in depth the trends and ideas that will shape the world wide web, web interaction, the problems with content management, design for the web, and the importance of video.

VIDEO Cafe Brainstorm: The Future of the Web Part 2 of 4

Recorded February 27th, 2009: Part one of a groundbreaking think tank. Seattle based creatives and technicians discussed in depth the trends and ideas that will shape the world wide web, web interaction, the problems with content management, design for the web, and the importance of video.

Intermission: Rags Madison

I know Rags is gonna kill me for this, but this creative video he created and submitted for his introduction to the Brainstorm Cafe just simply didn't fit in the opening with the rest of the introductions. However, considering our event consists of four brain pounding half-hour segments, it works quite well as an intermission. So, Rags... your efforts will not be in vein. For all of you wanting a sample of a clever introduction to video self promotion, take notes.