Read Steve Jobs’ full “Thoughts On Flash” here.
Flash was created during the PC era – for PCs and mice. Flash is a successful business for Adobe, and we can understand why they want to push it beyond PCs. But the mobile era is about low power devices, touch interfaces and open web standards – all areas where Flash falls short.
The avalanche of media outlets offering their content for Apple’s mobile devices demonstrates that Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content. And the 200,000 apps on Apple’s App Store proves that Flash isn’t necessary for tens of thousands of developers to create graphically rich applications, including games.
New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too). Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind.
I came across this excellent and short Fast Company article regarding the value designers can bring VC’s.
This got me thinking.
One of the greatest values that designers can bring Venture Capitalists is their ability to make the “unreal” into something “real”.
Many of the projects I’ve been grabbed for, especially the exciting ones, are from business people who have an idea. They have essentially what could be described as a business idea and funding, and my job as the brand guy is to make it as real and compelling for their customers, enough to join, buy their product, hire them, visit their restaurant, etc. In the case of a product driven business, that product will do better by seeming real sooner than later, in the case of a service credibility will be the only thing that will attract early adopters without sacrificing on price.
Now the amazing value that a designer has for a venture capitalist is that most good designers are able to see the physical side of what many business people write in their business plan or powerpoint deck. But in reality, when a startup is in its early days credibility is the single most important element. You may not have customers, or a product that’s even available yet. A good designer can help make this challenge go away by bringing that product or service as close to the sense of “real” as you’re going to get.
For example, prototyping a product so that it looks and feels fully functional, instead of presented in powerpoint is one clear way to handle this issue. This moves you from describing something to letting them use it, rapid prototyping is where it’s at. A good designer can do this with a product and a brand.
Developing a brand platform that’s integrated, so your business cards lead you to a website which leads you to follow a blog, which engages you in a product, this is all created by a good designer with a solid strategy.
I had an idea on a hike with a friend of mine the other day, how about an advertising or brand agency with a VC as a CEO. Who better to advise on start-up businesses than an expert on ones that fail and succeed?