#pgh
Settling in for a little work at Orbis Caffe in Lebanon. Good things happening here in #PGH. Stay tuned for some great new voices on Block Club’s pages. (at Orbis Caffe South Hills)
I recently came across this article that details how the author turned his iPhone into a “dumbphone”. He removed anything with a feed as well as the Internet browser and email. Being able to check anything and everything whenever he wanted from something in his pocket was starting to wear on him.
I love my iPhone and everything that it can do. I love reading about and testing new apps. I really related to what the author was saying though and decided to take on a similar experiment. I removed Facebook, Twitter and Instagram from my phone last weekend and am planning on keeping them off for the foreseeable future.
Four days later I am still alive and to be honest, my mind is much more clear. All of these services are great in their own way, but because they all go in indefinitely it can be overwhelming to keep up with everything. I still keep up with everything but only once or maybe twice a day via my computer.
Yesterday I grabbed some pizza for lunch and didn’t take my phone out once. If this were a week ago I would have had my phone out the entire time that I ate. I would have been concentrating more on my Instagram or Twitter feed then my delicious pizza. It was very refreshing to just sit and watch the world go by and not have to look into a tiny screen to do so.
- Steve
Creative workspaces are expanding beyond small tech companies and hip startups. Corporate giants like Microsoft and Lego are balancing the factors of proximity, privacy and permission to enhance employee communication, interaction and creativity. Even as this trend of openness and employee happiness seems new, the foundations of open and creative workspaces actually may lie in Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo which featured the first ever full story atrium/common work space, radiant heating and mobile steel furniture.
- Marilyn
This year Block Club is working with two students from the Communication Design department at Buffalo State to design the materials for Runway, the annual student fashion show. Tuesday night, we hosted a photo shoot with the great Luke Copping for the posters, just one of many exciting pieces we are putting together for this year’s event.
- Julie
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The finish line. #bcm31 #quality #quantity
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Facebook has done it again. They have teased a new look to their design that aims to reduce the clutter and focus more on the stories you care about. Reducing clutter is something we do here at Block Club often. We pride ourselves on being able to dissect anything from a website to a brochure and trim the fat to make it more efficient.
I think the biggest reason Facebook is making this change now is that they know they are losing ground with the younger generation who have taken more of a liking to services like Twitter and Instagram. I can always turn to some of my younger cousins who are in high school or just starting college to see what their take is on some of the apps and platforms we use on a daily basis. They all tell me that Facebook is boring and none of their friends use it anymore.
It will be interesting to see if this updated look helps with this problem. What do you think? Are you jumping the Facebook ship for other platforms?
If you are interested in learning more about the new look and signing up for the waiting list to get it visit this link.
- Steve
Hey boo.
Strategic Planning on the Daily
Strategic Planning and Thinking doesn’t have to be a one time/one size fits all/all night cram session. It can happen every day or every week in deliberate small bursts, allowing small companies to maintain their agility and innovate all while keeping up with daily tasks. Make sure that the approach you choose works for your company. You can’t do too much homework on this subject.
- Marilyn
Hard at work on the next issue of Block Club, called Quality/Quantity. Tomorrow we head into the studio for an exciting collaboration with one of Buffalo’s most progressive workshops. Stay tuned for updates, but in the meantime, pencil yourself in for the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair on April 6-7, where we’ll have a table for the first time!
-Ben
Our seriously awesome friends from Pittsburgh food blog eatPGH are currently on their way to Austin, TX to present at this year’s SXSW Interactive Conference!
These four young ladies will be giving a presentation called Eat. Blog. Publish: Internet to Paper Hit, focusing on building an audience from the ground up through social media, and becoming a trusted source of information for a community.
While harnessing the power of the Interner is key, Sarah, Mandy, Julia and Laura will wax on the importance of good ol’ fashioned networking. Yes, folks: talking to people.
Peep the details:
Eat. Blog. Publish: Internet to Paper Hit
Sunday, March 10, 2013
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Courtyard Marriott
Rio Grande Ballroom
300 E. 4th St.
The girls will also be talking about the local food in Austin on a live broadcast on Sunday at 5 p.m. EST with Crystal Esquival, author of Food Lovers’ Guide to Austin: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants & Events. More info on that here.
After their TV broadcast, catch the girls signing books at the Austin Convention Center in the foyer of Ballroom D from 6 to 6:20 p.m.
If you’re in the area or attending the festival, make sure you check our friends out!
- PS