We're entering that ambiguous middle phase of a project where things are sufficiently developed that there's A Lot to Do, but not yet so imminent as to be fiercely urgent. That's a fancy way of saying that there are many things on the burner but only a few tangible outcomes.
Adriel, Ezra, and Justin finished up their respective Challenge Briefing drafts on Friday. Justin and Adriel are each celebrating by taking some well-earned vacation to Peru and Florida, respectively. Send us some sunshine. OK, gentlemen?
This is why we need a sunshine delivery. Photo by Tomi Kukkonen on Flickr.
Next week Marco and I will be reviewing the drafts with the partners for each of the studios and then sending everything off to TwoPoints in Barcelona to turn the Word docs into booklets, which should be done around the end of March.
Seungho spent a day and a half in the belly of the National Archives for Prints and Photographs digging up historical images of Finland's settlements, work life, and family conditions to be used in these booklets. Now he's off to Cambodia with Aalto University's City in Crisis program. We're looking forward to hearing from him while he's away. If he has time, Seungho promised to post some short updates to the blog.
Hanna continues to search for a studio space. Some promising leads but nothing confirmed yet. Jaana and Minna are exploring diplomatic protocol for some of our invites.
Marco happened to choose the week of Snowpocalypse to visit the US for meetings with some potential partners. He reports good conversations in Boston and New York City, but the DC leg unfortunately had to be canceled. This will be rescheduled, though, since we had a packed session planned on Capitol Hill.
I've been doing lots of little things. It feels a bit like building a car while it's already starting to roll out of the garage. Confirming studio participants, working on bits of our collaboration infrastructure, preparing content for the website relaunch, interviewing designers for the HDL 2010 identity, and drinking a lot of tea. The Ambiguous Middle Phase continues.
CASE STUDY Redesigning surgical instruments with careful ethnography and strategic design