Standing in front of a classroom, or trying to talk to anyone raised in the distraction generations, emphasizes how we are constantly trying to compete for attention. I guess that competing for attention is nothing new; it is just the sources of distraction are different. Back in the “before times” of not too long ago, people would get distracted by daydreaming, where their minds would wander to some other made up location and they could get lost in their thoughts. At least in those occasions, there are minds and thoughts at play, an engagement in the creative that can hopefully be the wellspring of inspiration.

Now with social media content, the addictive intention and allure of notifications and other “dings” on our phones, and other technological intrusions, we are brought out of a moment of our creation, and into the creations of others. Along with ruining our ‘alone time,’ these features of the distraction age get in the way of co-creating moments with others. Given that we are by nature social animals, the disruption of co-creating moments and shared experiences in a very real way takes away our very nature and essence. The question then becomes, “How do we get it back?”

My guest today on Experience by Design thinks he has if not THE answer, it is at least a good way to make strides to reclaiming our spaces for ourselves. Howard Lewis, despite what could be characterized as unimpressive results from his schooling, found a start in the world of money and finance which then moved into the world of art (in which there can be a lot of money and finance).

What he carried forward was his general fascination with the world, and the desire to connect with it intentionally and mindfully. This eventually led to Offline dinner parties, where no one was allowed to have their phones and everyone had to engage in a shared topic. He curated the guest list to have people with different backgrounds and experiences, hoping that such a mix would yield conversation that would lead to shared experiences and connection. He even found that people would embrace their vulnerability and be more open with their contributions, the sharing of the moment creating the momentum to be more open and accepting.

We talk about the structure and dynamics of the Offline dinner parties. Howard stresses that very casual conversation can be very meaningful when they are accompanied by small and simple gestures. If you start with the positive, people will reciprocate in kind. In the end, this create an opportunity to break down hierarchies and divisions, and come together as people through a mechanism perhaps as old as time: breaking bread, eating together, sharing thoughts and stories, and just being in the present together.

Offline and On: https://offlineandon.com/

Offline and On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdfnm8ztBTYt1O2jHA9tOXg

Howard Lewis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-lewis-3968a/

“Leave Your Phone at the Door: The Joy of Offline”: https://publishizer.com/leave-your-smartphone-at-the-door-the-joy-of-offline/

I think I am being honest when I say that I have never eaten at a Cracker Barrel. I may have once or twice in my life, but I honestly don’t remember. This is not out of any ideological reason or intentional decision. It just never happened. Never seemed like a place I would want to go when passing by. Given that there are four Cracker Barrel’s in Massachusetts, it is hardly an option. I don’t think I’m missing out on it, but you can tell me if I am wrong. I’m not that interested in “southern comfort food,”

I had to look up what is a “cracker barrel”. Apparently it was used to ship actual crackers, and then would be an object used for people to socialize around and use like a table, as is depicted in the logo which generated such backlash when it changed. All the crackers I ever got were in boxes, I never sat around a barrel to socialize, and I never lived in the southern parts of the United States. Thus, the whole Cracker Barrel brand controversy was something I had no real attachment to, nor knew much about.

It was interesting to see this change not just evoking feelings of the brand, but also of a sense of cultural change and loss of power. Part of this is due to the larger cultural climate in the United States. Another part of it is how brands can become connected to culture, and in a very real sense become representations of it in our contemporary lives and memories.

Today’s guest on Experience by Design knows something about working with legacy brands, and the responsibility that comes with it. Matt Powell, Creative Director at Great State, like many of our guests started out in art education by getting a degree in Graphic Information Design. He explains that graphic information design is all about getting messages across to your audiences. His career involves working with clients who are seeking to build trust with and bridges to their audiences. As he notes, agencies serve a purpose as an exchange point between brands and audiences, helping clients find pathways to communicate effectively.

Matt has worked with iconic brands like the British Royal Navy, well known names in higher education, industry, and finance. This creates a lot of responsibility to hold onto what these brands historically mean, along with creating messages that speak to new audiences.

In our conversation, we talk a lot about how the ways that you breed brand loyalty has changed because media consumption has changed. Social media means that agencies and clients need to be fluid and fluent when thinking about changes. Additionally, younger generations create unique challenges and opportunities as consumers and creators of this content. We also explore the importance of creating integrated experiences, tying customer, user, digital, and brand experiences together.

Finally we talk about the importance of sustainability in web design. Despite all the changes taking place in the media landscape, it still comes down to communicating with people and the key requirement of keeping our eyes on base human needs and requirements. When using tools like artificial intelligence, we need to remember that loyalty is built on authenticity and believability, especially when representing brands that have deep cultural meaning.

Matt Powell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/observatron/

Great State: https://www.greatstate.co/

For parents who have school-aged children, it is the most wonderful time of the year when the children are gone from the house and return to places of learning, or at least someplace other than bothering their parents. We love are children dearly, but loving them when they are somewhere else is a welcome reprieve.

Each new school year presents some amount of changes in how education is done. Part of this is rooted in our evolving understanding and adoption of modes of teaching. Even though teaching is by no means a new endeavor, changes in society whether it be the culture, technology, social patterns, media, and the like are going to impact what happens in education. New material might be introduced, new topics explored, new things tried. Education, especially today, can be an idea incubator where experimentation not only needs to happen, but needs to be embraced.

At the same time, there are a lot of pressures being exerted on education. Political pressures around the presence or absence of implicit or explicit ideologies. The competition for children’s attention, which is being dominated and shaped by technology. Cuts in budgets, resulting in fewer staff members and resources. Teachers being asked to not only teach, but also counsel, care for, emotionally support, and mentor students. There is a lot of going on, and a lot of pressure being exerted from different directions. While pressure can turn coal into diamonds, pressure also can cause things to implode.

Good thing that today’s guest is with Lasada Pippen, who also goes by LP. LP had a career as an Exchange Administrator and Exchange Messaging Engineer, and if you don’t know what that is, you soon will. He was a first-generation college student, majoring in engineering as a way to build economic security that he didn’t necessarily have growing up. While achieving that goal, he still felt there was a lot missing, which has led him to his real passion of helping to create change.

Today he is a much sought-after speaker and advisor for a range of organizations, including educational institutions. We talk about how he is able to help kids who were just like him in the sense that they weren’t motivated to achieve much and didn’t have direction or vision. He emphasizes that rather than telling people how they should be doing their jobs, he listens and helps them to think differently about their jobs. He also shares the four simple questions for chasing your dreams: Is it something you love, are you good at it, how can you get paid for it, and how does it help someone else.

Lasada Pippen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lasada-pippen-keynote/

Lasada Pippen Website: https://lasadapippen.com

Lasada Pippen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lasadapippen/