Sign of good things to come..
About a month ago, I visited the much touted Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport for the first time. The airy, vaulted space is the nicest of Heathrow’s offerings, but that isn’t really a recommendation – Terminals 1-4 set the bar pretty low as these things go. But I did have an opportunity to eat at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey’s “
Plane Food”.
Let me put it this way, the experience was so good, I just might start flying British Airways again. For those of you who have seen my service-design presentation, you’ll know that this is high praise indeed.
An airport restaurant by design
The first thing you notice is the friendly, attentive staff. There are a lot of them in crisp black uniforms. These are not kids who took a low-paying job that bores them to tears; the “Plane Food” crew is professional, polite, and efficient. And they actually know something about food.
Next, there’s the menu. Real food at affordable prices. And a full bar.
The table is set with good china, decent glasses, and steel cutlery (in a security approved design).
And finally, there’s the layout. For once, a designer has understood that people in airports drag around rolling luggage. Plane Food features ample space between the tables so you can concentrate on your meal and not on keeping your bags from being kicked.
The entry leads visitors away from the hustle of the terminal and into a more relaxing environment.
Great food, superb service
My entire extended family was on its way to Miami from Copenhagen. While the women opted for noodles at Wagamama, my son-in-law, Lars, and I were curious to see what Gordon Ramsey had to offer. After all, most of the world has seen the foul-mouthed chef on one of his various culinary reality shows. Well, Chef Ramsey clearly knows how to create a successful restaurant – even in an airport terminal.
The menu was large and varied – something for every taste, yet wonderfully uncomplicated. Lars (who happens to be a professional chef) opted for pasta, I had a mushroom and truffle risotto. Both dishes were exquisite; the pasta homemade and perfectly al dente; the risotto velvety and with real truffles, not just a few drops of oil.
And our servers were as good as any I’ve met at other restaurants.
The picnic box
For those of us who loathe airline food, Gordon Ramsey has reinvented the picnic lunch. For GBP 11.95, you get a full three-course cold meal in a nifty insulated canvas lunchbox. Just to put this into perspective, Scandinavian Airlines charges just about the same for a tired old cheese sandwich and a canned Bloody Mary on board their flights.
The picnic menu offers a choice of four starters, four main courses, and four desserts. There are options for both vegetarians and meat-eaters (strict vegans are advised to stick to Wagamama).
When returning to Denmark a week later, the entire family bought picnics to take home. Here's mine:
Tiger prawn salad with watercress and soy sesame dressing
Cumbrian honey-roast and parma ham with slow roast vine tomatoes
Chocolate and pecan brownie with crème Chantilly
Absolutely fabulous!
The picnic box contains everything you need for a great meal, from sauces to cutlery.
UX and the British Airways business plan
FatDUX Creative Director Søren Muus and I are off to the IA Summit conference in Phoenix, AZ in a few weeks time. We actually booked on British Airways just so we could visit Plane Food. Hmm…maybe Gordon Ramsey should take over beleaguered BA CEO Willie Walsh’s job for a while. Who knows what might happen?
Full menus, prices, cocktail lists, and more photos can be found at
Plane Food's website.
New Year’s is a time of reflection. In my case, I pondered the many and varied ways we can promote the cause of information architecture. And I think I’ve discovered a completely untapped opportunity: professional wrestling.
Amazingly, there is not a single professional wrestler with an IA background! I’ve considered making this career move myself, but my wife thinks I look dumb in a Speedo (then again, who doesn’t?). So since my plans seem to have been vetoed, let me share my thoughts with you – perhaps someone else will enter the arena to make this bold, long-overdue move.
The name’s the game
First, professional wrestlers have a catchy name. I’ve considered the following:
Leo the Librarian (famous for the “Shssh of Death”)
Doctor Depends (never looks you straight in the eye)
The Terrible Thesaurus (a magical, yet misunderstood creature)
Getting a move on
Next, all wrestlers have “signature moves,” so I think I should have a couple, too. For example, Hard-Boiled Haggerty is famous for his “Shillelagh Swing.” And Cowboy Bob Ellis has “The Bulldog Headlock.” Well, here are some ideas I’ve been tossing around.
The Polar Bearhug
Perfect for tackling large-scale opponents
The Wurman Whirl
Create anxiety through the deadly use of information overload
The Dewey Decimator
796.8 ways to send your foe back to the stacks
The Barbed Wireframe
Box in your target no matter where he happens to be.
The Berrypicking Brainbuster
A shrewd combination of the very best moves available at any given time.
Michigan Leg Swirl
Prevail by degrees (this move is known in the industry as an “MLS”)
The Morville Mindbender
Become completely unfindable in the ring!
The Dublin Corner
Trap your opponent in a maze of metadata
Full Nielsen
Use statistics to pummel your adversaries into submission.
Defining the Damned Thing
A horrifying manoeuvre from which there is no apparent escape.
Moving forward
I have to confess, throughout my years as a professional information architect, I've had a secret mentor. I'd like to share his identity with you now:
Happy New Year!
Eric
Three service experiences from a recent trip to Miami, FL.
At Whole Foods in Pinecrest
Me: “Hi. I’m looking for vermouth.”
Whole Foods: “That’s like beer, right?”
Me: “It’s like a strong wine.”
Whole Foods: “This is the wine department.”
Me: “Yes. I know. Where do you have stuff like port?”
Whole Foods: “Which port? Is this something you got on a cruise ship?”
At Macy’s in Dadeland
Me: “Hi. I’m looking for black, canvas tennis shoes.”
Macy’s: “Canvas? Is that a kind of leather?”
Me: “No. It’s heavy cloth. Like what they make sails out of.”
Macy’s: “Like nylon? We have Docksides. But they’re not made of nylon.”
At Staples office supplies
Me: “Hi. I need an At-A-Glance calendar refill.”
Staples: “What year?”
Me (biting tongue): “2010″
Staples: “But that’s next year.”
Me: “Er…yes…I need a refill for my current calendar.”
Staples: “We don’t carry that brand.”
Me: “You have an At-A-Glance display over there, but there’s nothing in it.”
Staples: “That’s a mistake.”
Me: “That you have the display or that it’s not filled?”
Staples: “Yes. Sorry we can’t help you.”
And we web designers wonder why folks can’t fill out online forms…geez.
I’ve been involved in choosing venues for conferences for a couple of years now. I’m curious as to whether the international Olympic Committee uses the same methodology I do – and examines similar user-experience issues. If so, they’re going to choose Rio de Janeiro tomorrow for the 2016 Olympics. Here’s why:
The case against Tokyo, Madrid, and Chicago
Everyone is busy making the case
for their city. But being best is not how decisions of this kind are usually made. The slimy truth is, decision-makers always start with the case
against a given venue. Here, are four considerations:
- has the city already hosted an Olympics recently?
- is their geographic area interesting in terms of promoting the Olympic concept?
- is a particular choice going to get the Committee into political hot water?
- is a particular choice going to rob the Committee of a PR opportunity?
Evaluating the venues
Tokyo – not likely. This was the venue back in 1964. And they got it primarily because the start of WWII cancelled the 1940 Tokyo Olympics (in fact, my mom was to have been a U.S. high-jumper at that event). The Committee is probably going to look at other options before returning to Japan.
Madrid – forget it. Barcelona got the Olympics in 1992. Two Spanish cities within a 25-year period? I just can’t see this happening.
Chicago – slim chance. With Los Angeles in 1984 and Atlanta in 1996, there’s been too much U.S. exposure. And honestly, pulling in Barack and Oprah to plead the case is simply overkill; this may ultimately work against the Chicagoans (no one wants to be perceived as buckling under to pressure from American superstars). Moreover, with the U.S. spearheading military “conflicts” in two theaters of operation, I think the Committee will go for more neutral ground.
The case for Rio
South America has never held an Olympics (Mexico City doesn’t count). In this age of sustainability, holding the Olympics in the country that governs the greatest part of the Amazon rain forest can focus the world’s eyes on the country – and hopefully bring about positive change. Rio is only an hour ahead of New York in terms of time-zones, which means events can be scheduled for TV transmission at optimal times for U.S. viewers. Finally, the Brazilians could use the money – South American economies are not the strongest around.
A final note
Mr. President, Ms. Winfrey, please don’t doubt my loyalty to the cause. As an ex-Chicagoan, I would love for our “toddlin’ town” to play host. But I just don’t think it’s going to happen.
I’ve used Eurocard (the European equivalent of MasterCard) for about 20 years. That's why we also chose Eurocard for the FatDUX corporate cards. My particular card was set to expire sometime in 2010. So I was surprised when I got a new card in the mail with a nice cover letter already in April 2009:
“Here’s your new Eurocard Corporate Gold”
“New card, new name, same code…”
The letter went on to tell me that now that they had added the word “Corporate” that it would be easier for me to distinguish this particular card from the others in my wallet – not really a problem as far as I was concerned. Buried among the other services that were promoted (none of which were new), the letter discreetly suggested that I contact any companies that had my card number on file and let them know that it had changed.
Yikes. I could barely remember all of the places this particular card is registered. Why couldn’t they simply let the card expire normally? Was there a security issue? I could understand that. Or an improvement to the built-in chip? Who knows?
Bother disguised as improvement
I asked the company. After all, there was basically no advantage, just a lot of bother to me.
Janni Hansen of Eurocard Customer Service wrote back to tell me: “We had to make new cardnumbers on all Eurocard Gold Corporate cards, because of ‘Corporate’ had to be on the front of the card.”
No word as to
why “Corporate” had to be on the front of the card. Or
why the company had to issue new card numbers, etc. You'd think that if they could retain the PIN, they could also retain the card number.
And then the fun started…
Having missed the really fine print that explained the old card was soon to be cancelled, I unexpectedly found myself barred from the Copenhagen Airport Business Lounge.
Our electronic pass that automatically paid the toll-bridge to Sweden no longer worked.
Basecamp wrote a nasty letter:
“This is your first failed credit card transaction. You have 6 more days to update your credit card information before your account is frozen.”
I’ve since talked to a dozen different business entities. And I keep finding new places where our card number no longer works – from Amazon to Avis. Honestly, Eurocard, I’m so irritated this may well mark the end of a long and profitable relationship for you guys.
As I generally say when people disguise inconvenience as better service, “Don’t pee on my boots and tell me it’s raining.”
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We couldn't pass up an opportunity to wish our favorite duck happy birthday. That's right, Donald Duck is now 75 years old! Appearing for the first time in a Silly Symphony cartoon back on June 9, 1934 (
The Wise Little Hen), Donald has since become an icon in his own right. In fact, in some countries, he's even better known than his Disney compatriot, Mickey Mouse.
Of course, there are also compelling arguments that Donald was actually born on March 13 (see
http://www.simplecodeworks.com/ndcc/313/). But since we missed that anniversary, we'll celebrate this one instead.
Congratulations - and quack, quack!
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Sometimes great news has a way of waiting for you back home. We just got back from an energizing 10th Information Architecture Summit in Memphis, Tennessee, to discover that our Big Duck, Eric Reiss, had been elected “Best Professor” for the first intake of the Master in Digital Marketing at the Instituto de Empresa Business School in Madrid, Spain.
The Master is run by the combined talents of 15 brilliant teachers. Eric, an Associate Professor of Usability and Design, was chosen by more than 80% of the graduating class, an exceptional result especially given the fact that Eric is a de facto first-timer at the IE Business School.
Marta Pérez Lidón, Executive Director of the Master in Digital Marketing degree program, wrote Eric a couple of days ago while we were
out drinking having the most interesting conversations in Memphis, to tell FatDUX HQ about this coveted award and to share some details.
Eric will accept the award via video-conferencing during the graduation ceremony, which will take place in the University's Aula Magna in Madrid today March 25th around noon. I think there is going to be some drinking involved as well and some secret recipes for a Manhattan, but I don't have all the details and I'm not sure Eric can share. Business is business, after all.
Congratulations, or, as they say in Madrid, felicidades!
Update
Eric Reiss accepts the coveted "Best Professor" award via video at the IE Business School commencement ceremony in Madrid, Spain. Notice the Manhattan in the lower right-hand corner...
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CEO of Cleantech Motors Jesper Boie Rasmussen and I have known each other for years. Not only do we like classic cars, but we’re both Jaguar freaks. I drove a Mark II for years; Jesper has a stunning MK IX.
After I somehow ripped the front bumper off my aging Sovereign, I ran into Jesper at the Jaguar dealership here in Copenhagen. He had just purchased a brand-new XF – Jaguar’s magnificent four-door replacement for the popular S-type.
Don’t worry if you don’t know all these silly naming codes from Jaguar – it’s taken me 20 years to figure them out. But here’s the point:
Jesper, a physicist by training and creative by nature, is well on his way to building Europe’s first luxury electric car. Not a hybrid, mind you, but a true 100% electric car. “I’d love to come by and show you what I’m up to,” said Jesper. An offer that was clearly not to be missed.
A couple of weeks ago, Jesper dropped by and invited us to participate in the project. Not only is it fascinating from an automotive standpoint, from a user-experience point of view, it is priceless – how to retain the thrill of driving a Jag that hums rather than growls when you put the pedal to the metal. Sounds are important. G-forces are important. Handling is important (batteries and electric motors change the weight distribution). And before we knew it, FatDUX Copenhagen was deep into the assignment - which we promptly named
Project Green Light.
Yesterday, the car ran a test circuit of the innovative
CO2 race that will be held in Copenhagen later this year. This was its last run before the diesel motor gets pulled. And logos from all of the partners in this project decorated the side of this “not your average NASCAR”.
The soon-to-be-electric Jag humbles the little yellow Fatmobile parked next to it. (Notice the FatDUX logo on the front wing of the Jag!
The plan now is to develop a working prototype ASAP. The
Copenhagen Climate Council (with Sir Richard Branson and other luminaries) will be holding a
World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen in late May. And
COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference – one of the most important environmental get-togethers of the year - will take place in Copenhagen this December.
We’re incredibly proud to be part of this project. Who says user experience is strictly for digital media?
Jesper Boie Rasmussen and the E-Jag
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