MARIA EXPLORES WHAT MAKES A...

Fun Experience with Data

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Last week, we were all working in peace on a quiet Thursday afternoon until Yu Ting announced: “Guys, Spotify Wrapped - it’s out!” There is just something about Spotify Wrapped that gets us excited. María was curious about the design that played a part in creating this experience and decided to explore and share with us more about it.  

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First of all, can we just take a moment to appreciate how Spotify has made collecting our personal data feel so delightful? The word ‘privacy’ did not come up in our sharing; not even once. Second of all, thank you Spotify for coming up with an innovative (and data-driven) way to answer the frequently asked question: “What kind of music do you listen to?”

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The data visualisation and storytelling for Spotify Wrapped are done well. It has the right amount and types of data presented in a manner that is comprehensible and systematic. Combined with bold colours and intuitive web animation, this is the ‘annual report’ we never thought we needed. It is the report that creates conversations; not confusion.  

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María’s favourite part was the presentation for the time spent on Spotify on a vinyl record. She thought it was a really ingenious way of data visualisation. Just when she thought it would be a good time to ‘flex’ her musicality, María shared that his brother had a different interpretation.  

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“Damn, you must’ve been lonely that year,” her brother pointed out when he saw the insane amount of time she spent one year.

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YU TING EXPLORES WHAT MAKES A...

Concept come to life

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A good idea is only good when you can help others see how good it is, and that is what Yu Ting strongly believes in. A loyal follower of Sophia Chang’s videos, Yu Ting shared one about Womn., which is Sophia’s apparel line. The video is a behind-the-scenes vlog on their recent collection launch, and Yu Ting was very inspired by the concept pitch because the team presented it in a way that helps us visualise it - photos, colours, and lookbook. It really was, as they say, very ‘moody’.  

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When we went onto the website to check out the new collection and lookbook, we felt that the concept was being brought to life. It also reminded us of the amount of research being done for each of the projects, and that sense of satisfaction when you see your concepts come to life.

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EVELYN EXPLORES WHAT MAKES A...

Minimalist 3-Room HDB in Singapore

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There are tons of documentaries online about minimalism; don’t even get us started on the books. That being said, Evelyn was saying: “For some reason, I cannot imagine living a minimalist lifestyle in Singapore. It feels like a feat.” And oddly enough, it was totally relatable for us. Well, someone must have done it, right?  

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Evelyn found a video by Thoughtworthy Co., where the couple behind the channel does a tour of their minimalist 3-Room HDB in Singapore. In the video, we saw how the 700 square foot space was fully utilised.  

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Having design principles for a home is something that is commonly overlooked. It is really important to decide how you want to feel in your space and then deciding how to make that happen. At the beginning of the tour, the owners mentioned that they wanted the space to be conducive to living an active, healthy lifestyle. That meant that having ample space for the movement was crucial, which they have achieved just by being more conscious of the stuff they own. From a detachable table to a portable projector, we were in awe at how the flexibility of the furniture makes such a huge difference.

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Evelyn kept repeating: “I don’t know how they have so little things!”

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AKRAM EXPLORES WHAT MAKES A...

Truly Great Logo

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“This is one of my favourite videos - I’ve watched it many times,” Akram told us before he played the video.  

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There are many factors that contribute to the success of a logo, and we do not think that we can explain it better than Michael Bierut does, so we will leave you with three great quotes from the video:

1. “It really is about thinking of these symbols as being empty vessels. And then you pour the meaning into them. Some vessels are better at holding one kind of meaning.”
2. “It’s not what kind of splash you make when you hit the water - it’s about how long you can keep your head above that water.”
3. “Logos need to have a long life, not win points in a discussion.”