I’m brooding on an article about Tripadvisor for quite some time now. In anticipation I’m putting several snippets here.
TripAdvisor and similar user review websites now influence corporate decisions on hotels to the tune of £500m a year, according to research firm BDRC.
In a BDRC survey of 1,000 business travellers, 28% said they actively seek advice on websites featuring consumer reviews; 46% were influenced in their hotel selection by consumer reviews, while 41% decided to change their original hotel choice after reading about other travellers’ experiences.
The influence of word of mouth recommendations – both on and off line – outweighs the star ratings offered by the AA and RAC and official ratings and advice from travel agents, the survey revealed.
Two years ago I took this photo when I visited the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art on the occasion of the 2005 Istanbul Biennial. The following photos made me remember it.
Mark Jenkins in Washington, DC.
Mark Jenkins in Royan, France.
I didn’t take notes when I took the first photo. Therefore I’m not sure the installation had something to do with the Street Art of Mark Jenkins, but there are similarities. Mark has a canny eye to create situations that take you off guard.
I like to share this See Through Reading Tray by Yu Hun Kim with you, because a cuppa java with something to read is an ultimate moment of luxury relaxation. With this tray you can have both pleasures at once, even in your hotel bed!
Oops: There we go again: I was hitting the publish button even before I had jotted down one sentence and without being able to insert a video in here quickly…
According to The World Health Organization approximately 1.6 million persons die annually by hazards connected with indoor open fire cooking.
Philips designed a better Chulha, a stove that creates a safer environment for indoor cooking in several ways.
It traps smoke and heat inside a locally cast housing in such a way as to heat two pot-holes with a high rate of efficiency to require less fuel;
It then directs the smoke through a chimney chamber that includes a stack of slotted clay tablets – they capture particulates as the smoke moves through, cleaning the exhaust before it ever leaves the assembly; and
The Chulha’s chimney also provides for indoor access for cleaning, eliminating the need seen in previous devices for a family member, usually the mother, to climb on the roof for chimney cleaning. This has been the cause for many accidents, along with the toxicity of the smoke.
Philips offers the design for free so that the stove can be made locally in clay casting.
Here is page of Philips where the design can be downloaded for Free. However note the rules of engagement…and I downloaded the package, but it is password protected…
Recently this design of a Chulha was awarded with an INDEX award. INDEX was founded in August 2002. It is a Danish non-profit organization under the patronage of HRH The Crown Prince of Denmark to inspire design worldwide that responds to the needs of people.
There are other Chula designs around the web.
I would say a clever way of marketing your brand sustainable..and…Mind you! The money involved with the Index award is Euro 100,000.-!!!
Recent Design Academy Eindhoven grad Bas van der Veer’s beautiful “A Drop of Water” is a simple rain-collection system with an integrated plant-watering bottle. The barrel is large enough to catch plenty of overflow, and a tap at the bottom lets you refill the bottle some more after draining its initial catch.
You guys know how we love production shots; below is van der Veer painstakingly making the mold, and he’s got plenty more on his site.
Mark Jenkins in Washington, DC.
Mark Jenkins in Royan, France.
