In the Blink of an i

Life is full of moments: good, bad, happy, sad. Full of colour and breadth or detail and depth. We have a personal and unbreakable connection with a memory but we make our own judgement of an image. Thanks to the phone camera in our pockets, we are all photographers and this makes us individually responsible for capturing the most incredible moments.

I used to be a dedicated SLR photographer. Having pursued an education in photography (if not a career), I had progressed from several film-based SLR’s to the digital variety. I loved the feel of a full-sized camera, the perceived quality and the flexibility the lens selection and manual controls offered.

The reality was, my eldest daughter Olivia began life with a set of ‘perfect’ photos. I would painstakingly photoshop food from her face and unwanted toys, pieces of furniture or poorly shaped friends and family from my photos – just to aid composition!

By the time my other daughter Hattie arrived on the scene, I had ditched the cumbersome D-SLR and replaced the full digital darkroom with the iPhone in my pocket.

This was a revelation.

I moved from the selection of perfection, to a lifetime of moments. Rather than hoping to capture something whenever I had my camera, I would take 100 casual shots for one visual memory – and that is why I’ll never turn back.

I find being able to photograph the unexpected a far greater reward than a staged set piece. You know when a smile is real, because the rest of the face wasn’t expecting it.

That doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop being a ‘proper’ photographer at heart, or a designer. I love to create, so the moments I capture are the ones I’d like to see – and I have a critical eye. Most shots are edited in Snapseed or Black and many never reach a public audience.

It has never been easier to share great photography with the world. That doesn’t mean I haven’t got myself into trouble trying to do just this during my world travels. I was detained at gunpoint in Beirut for snapping architectural photos where I shouldn’t, I ventured into the most dangerous parts of Moscow to capture street lighting and walked back out – thanks to ignorance rather than travel awareness and I have taken risks for great automotive shots by hanging out of a few car windows, off-roading a Bentley GT and many more.

Smartphone technology moves on every year, but I still use an iPhone 7 Plus. The phone isn’t slow, the battery life is acceptable, and the camera is great. Do I need a new phone? No. Would I like one? I’m an Apple fan, so of course.

Will an iPhone 11 Pro make me a better photographer? Absolutely not. It will deliver greater detail and perform better under lower light conditions. But a phone doesn’t make a moment…

…we do.

You can find all my photo highlights on Instagram if you’d like to follow the journey.

Firestarter

Let me be quite clear, I don’t have and am never likely to have many heroes in my life. My Dad is one, Steve Jobs was another and a new one has entered my life recently, but Elon Musk is someone I’ve always placed firmly in this category. He still is.

However…

I know from personal experience how it feels to possess superhuman powers. That’s not as ridiculous a statement as it may sound. I do this for a living. I explore the potential for new technology, to enhance and compliment our lives on this planet and beyond, then demonstrate that to a global audience.

This requires a level of theatrical entertainment to bring technology to life and my constantly evolving XR Immersion Suit is the ideal platform to show man and machine in perfect (or occasionally imperfect) harmony. From the full-body haptic Tesla Suit, my AR and VR helmets, exoskeleton and bionic shoes, to the fireballs shooting from my fingertips – this all demonstrates future potential, the art of collaboration and believing in your dreams.

And when it comes to dreams, Elon Musk is the master. Offering an extraordinary vision for the future and delivering on that time and time again. From electric vehicles to space travel to the Boring Company pushing our concept of time itself.

Today, I’m torn. I’m always going to encourage everyone to live a life of passion and adventure, make dreams a reality and go beyond expectations but Elon just launched his $500 FlameThrower and I feel like the world’s biggest hypocrite.

My immediate reaction, along with thousands of others was “I want this”. Why would I not? It fits perfectly into my world. I took a look at the site, took out my credit card, then took a breath.

This fits into my world because this is exactly what I do and how I live, for others, it fits into the world they’ve always dreamt of, for the rest it has no place at all, but, well… IT’S A FLAMETHROWER, how cool is that?

Great for roasting nuts 🔥 🥜

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Jan 27, 2018 at 4:53pm PST

But this isn’t something that simulates the action of a flamethrower, like an AR lightsaber – it’s real. Real heat. Real fire. Real responsibility. In a country where handguns are available from Walmart, we’re now offered a device “Guaranteed to liven up any party”. This may be accompanied by the line “World’s safest flamethrower” but that means jack shit when in the wrong hands – like the world’s safest guns.

For all this, I’m not saying don’t buy one – because I still love the idea of it, but I’m not prepared to jump on stage and promote it when it can so easily end up in the wrong hands. I’ve never felt more like an adult in my life!

There’s an enormous burden of responsibility if you’re a hero. Some take on the weight of the world – more than most will ever know or care, others simply inspire with their actions. To be a true hero, words aren’t enough because actions speak far louder, but when you combine the two they are extraordinarily powerful.

To simply offer unrestricted access to the future is to invite issues into a world with more than its fair share of problems. Chaos runs through my veins, I’m just not sure ‘fire for everyone’ is going to end well.

#CES2016: Social Shockwaves

Well, CES 2016 delivered what it always delivers. It was amazing, enlightening, exhilarating, mentally and physically exhausting in equal measures. I'm rejuvenated and broken at the same time.

Although I’ve mentioned VR and connectivity in previous posts, this year’s event wasn’t really about one thing in particular, and that’s because the overarching banner of ‘IoT’ covers a multitude of sins. When so much is connected, mobile devices, home appliances, wearable tech and cars are all spoken about in the same breath.

For me, this year was big for Twitter, Vine and Instagram again, so I’ve summarised the CES 2016 headlines via my own social channels. From wearable airbags to Zombie Smart Fridges, I still believe effective social broadcast is an art form. I’m never likely to resort to mere retweets or regurgitating a news feed. If you follow me, you get cutting edge insight, divisive opinion, original content and irreverence in equal measures.

And actual conversation.

Human Airbag

Connected Development

#CES2016 kicks off with #FaradayFuture's #ConnectedCar, #IoT & #AI: Connected Development https://t.co/SupFUDyZwD pic.twitter.com/3CmTAMlnBW
— Dean Johnson (@activrightbrain) January 5, 2016

Zombie Smart Fridge

#CES2016 Breaking: Samsung announces #WalkingDead Limited Edition of its #SmartFridge. Keep that Walker fed! #IoT pic.twitter.com/kKWOiCpo75
— Dean Johnson (@activrightbrain) January 5, 2016

The Year of VR. Again

#CES2016: The Year of VR. Again https://t.co/jk9W48tUg7 #VR #VirtualReality #AR #WearableTech #OculusRift #SonyCES pic.twitter.com/lMrlBSmW5L
— Dean Johnson (@activrightbrain) January 6, 2016

Hoverboard Meetings

This > All meetings at #CES2016 pic.twitter.com/r1PmYroNRD
— Dean Johnson (@activrightbrain) January 6, 2016

Pimp my 7 Series

Loved my @BMWUSA #7Series ride to #CES2016 this morning. Just wish it could take me everywhere! #BMWCES2016 pic.twitter.com/1rrWMdQ7e5
— Dean Johnson (@activrightbrain) January 7, 2016

Spyderman

The @BMWUSA #7Series was stunning but the #BMWi8 #Spyder was a work of art! #CES2016 #BMWCES2016 @BMWiUSA pic.twitter.com/cfpewGiFx7
— Dean Johnson (@activrightbrain) January 7, 2016

The Future’s Bright, The Future’s Faraday Future

Speaking of stunning #CES2016 cars, #FaradayFuture #FFZERO1 is one of those... @FaradayFuture @CES pic.twitter.com/VnIjhE4pkq
— Dean Johnson (@activrightbrain) January 7, 2016

Walking the Light Fantastic – Orphe shoes

The full visual journey is covered on my Instagram feed.

Fast Forward

On April 3rd 2010, the iPad was unleashed on the world and our first iPad app was ready to download on day one. Fast forward to April 24th 2015 and our first Apple Watch app is available on the day the Cupertino giant’s smartwatch hits the streets. Brandwidth’s bloody good at this stuff, but we don’t like to shout about it.

It’s easy to claim innovation and futurology are all about predicting trends and second-guessing the market. What’s more useful for clients is to take control of the path for their products, services and delivery based on facts. To achieve this, businesses need to get better at shaping their own futures.

In 2010 the iPad-related headlines were for our incredible Guinness World Records app, now we’ve developed an extension to our existing Vodafone Porsche Car Connect app for Apple Watch. Neither of these apps were knee-jerk reactions to product announcements, they were carefully planned, developed and crafted titles, targeted to maximise user experience for new audiences.

We didn’t wait for an official announcement for either tablet or watch. I hinted at the possibility of Apple’s tablet back in 2009 (and referenced the ‘iPad’) and we’ve been planning for an Apple Watch for nearly three years. The Porsche Car Connect app wouldn’t have been possible without a visionary client, willing to take a few risks for a well-deserved halo effect. The same can be said for Guinness World Records and both clients shared in the roller-coaster ride towards launch day. It was worth every minute!

By creating bespoke products for new technology we’ve added value rather than noise. Unfortunately, for the next few months there will be a lot of white noise surrounding the Apple Watch. The temptation for existing app publishers will be to develop smartwatch extensions just for the sake of it. To make something just because they can and because their audience is demanding content for their new toys.

Stop. if you merely add clutter to what is already a small piece of digital real estate, you’ll run the risk of consumers wanting the app off their watch AND their smartphone.

We’re entering a challenging phase in UI design. Just when you thought screens were getting bigger, along comes a new era of tiny wrist-worn technology requiring effective and intelligent design, not merely smaller text and images.

Here’s the smartwatch rule to apply, as a designer, developer or client: “If there is value added by delivering information or functionality more conveniently on the wrist than any other screen, do it. It’s the future and your audience will expect it.”

We’re not afraid of firsts but they’re carefully researched, meticulously planned and expertly produced. They’re not punts based on guesswork, dressed up as analysis. We don’t bet it all on red unless we’ve been instrumental in designing a red thing.

Top L-R: Guinness World Records: At Your Fingertips, Early Apple Watch connected concept, Oculus Rift Light Saber battle. Bottom L-R: Toyota Auris 3D filming, Lexus Symphony Orchestra, Holiday Inn Green Room.

It’s not all about Apple and apps either, demonstrated by our award-winning Lexus Symphony Orchestra, 3D screens, gestural interaction and a gold medal won at the Hampton Court Flower Show for our Holiday Inn Green Room… and a bunch of things you haven’t seen yet.

The future’s bright, because we’re busy designing bright things.