Comments on: The Man Without A Country http://johnnyholland.org/2010/01/the-man-without-a-country/ It's all about interaction Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:38:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Eric Reiss http://johnnyholland.org/2010/01/the-man-without-a-country/#comment-110771 Eric Reiss Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:59:37 +0000 http://johnnyholland.org/?p=5516#comment-110771 Tomás - I love the focal point analogy. Very very true. For most folks outside Europe, the continent is very fuzzy. But that works both ways - some people cannot see the forest for their own local trees. Stacy - We've got to stop meeting like this! I miss our weekly conversations when we were both on the IAI Board. Thanks for your support. Dano - In our private e-mail correspondence, you said something extremely poetic, which I will take the liberty of quoting: "If we look at "differences" only or we focus too hard on them, we are missing something more beautiful." What an important point you make! Thanks. Drew - In two hours, I'm going off to a client meeting to fight this very fight - 80 country sites that need to feel part of the family and not just language versions with a different contact address. I've often wondered why the EU insisted on common passports and drivers licenses. To me, this is very much a part of a "local" or "national" identity. In this case, I truly feel that uniformity created a certain degree of animosity without providing any real advantage (initially, that is. Today, these documents do seem to have helped create a "European" identity and have attracted new member states). In the U.S., each of the 50 states still has its own drivers license - or is this a problem I just haven't seen before? Tomás – I love the focal point analogy. Very very true. For most folks outside Europe, the continent is very fuzzy. But that works both ways – some people cannot see the forest for their own local trees.

Stacy – We’ve got to stop meeting like this! I miss our weekly conversations when we were both on the IAI Board. Thanks for your support.

Dano – In our private e-mail correspondence, you said something extremely poetic, which I will take the liberty of quoting: “If we look at “differences” only or we focus too hard on them, we are missing something more beautiful.” What an important point you make! Thanks.

Drew – In two hours, I’m going off to a client meeting to fight this very fight – 80 country sites that need to feel part of the family and not just language versions with a different contact address.

I’ve often wondered why the EU insisted on common passports and drivers licenses. To me, this is very much a part of a “local” or “national” identity. In this case, I truly feel that uniformity created a certain degree of animosity without providing any real advantage (initially, that is. Today, these documents do seem to have helped create a “European” identity and have attracted new member states). In the U.S., each of the 50 states still has its own drivers license – or is this a problem I just haven’t seen before?

]]> By: Drew Shapter http://johnnyholland.org/2010/01/the-man-without-a-country/#comment-110770 Drew Shapter Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:41:43 +0000 http://johnnyholland.org/?p=5516#comment-110770 I worked on a project for a global pharmaceutical company and was amazed to find that the best solution they could come up with was to have a central website that would be translated into 30 or so different world languages. They did change the images to reflect the local market, but the structure and experience of the site was based on IA and design created in an office in London for the british public. I found it so hard to work out how they thought this would be the best approach. Hence no surprises when every market wanted to stamp their own identity on the site. I worked on a project for a global pharmaceutical company and was amazed to find that the best solution they could come up with was to have a central website that would be translated into 30 or so different world languages. They did change the images to reflect the local market, but the structure and experience of the site was based on IA and design created in an office in London for the british public. I found it so hard to work out how they thought this would be the best approach. Hence no surprises when every market wanted to stamp their own identity on the site.

]]> By: Daniel Szuc http://johnnyholland.org/2010/01/the-man-without-a-country/#comment-110769 Daniel Szuc Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:28:34 +0000 http://johnnyholland.org/?p=5516#comment-110769 Good reading. Suggest some humility, inclusion and humanity go a long way towards understanding each other. If thats what we all really want to do in the first place. rgds, Dan Good reading.

Suggest some humility, inclusion and humanity go a long way towards understanding each other. If thats what we all really want to do in the first place.

rgds,
Dan

]]> By: Stacy Surla http://johnnyholland.org/2010/01/the-man-without-a-country/#comment-110768 Stacy Surla Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:21:22 +0000 http://johnnyholland.org/?p=5516#comment-110768 A delightful article, and an important reminder of our global diversity. I look forward to your continued column with great pleasure, Eric. A delightful article, and an important reminder of our global diversity. I look forward to your continued column with great pleasure, Eric.

]]> By: Tomás García Ferrari http://johnnyholland.org/2010/01/the-man-without-a-country/#comment-110767 Tomás García Ferrari Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:51:47 +0000 http://johnnyholland.org/?p=5516#comment-110767 Very interesting article on culture, differences and similarities. I always found this topic related to the “focal lenght” of the looking glass, that gives you the perspective point. Picture this idea somehow like Eames' movie “Powers of ten”: the further you go, more similarities emerge. On the contrary, while getting closer, lots of differences are visible. Probably you can even go to the level of families and siblings and keep founding this in a fractal way. While living in Germany, I use to tease German friends telling them that how could it be that people from Düsseldorf and Cologne – almost sharing the same Underground lines – could be so different that they must have different beers (and of course different glasses). You can always raise a case with food, right? Very interesting article on culture, differences and similarities.

I always found this topic related to the “focal lenght” of the looking glass, that gives you the perspective point. Picture this idea somehow like Eames’ movie “Powers of ten”: the further you go, more similarities emerge. On the contrary, while getting closer, lots of differences are visible. Probably you can even go to the level of families and siblings and keep founding this in a fractal way.

While living in Germany, I use to tease German friends telling them that how could it be that people from Düsseldorf and Cologne – almost sharing the same Underground lines – could be so different that they must have different beers (and of course different glasses). You can always raise a case with food, right?

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