I thought this Wheel of Nutrition Plate is pretty funny. So, then I looked to see if ensuring the proper portion size was a big enough problem that someone would need to use an illustrated, color-coded surface to lay out their food. I guess some people do.
Nathan Martin is CEO and Art Director at Deeplocal, Inc. but he has also worked with clients like Palm Computing, Brodia, Panasonic and Nike. Nathan has shared his passion for art and design through public speaking engagements as well as teaching at several universities. Nathan recently found some time to share his thoughts on creativity and design with Davison Creators in his Pittsburgh office.
We recently met at TEDx at CMU. You have also appeared on the BBC television show “Beat the Boss,” and in Washington, D.C., speaking before a panel of the FCC. Do you enjoy public speaking? Yes, I do. In the last three months, I have had five big themed speaking engagements; of those, TEDx at CMU was by far the most nerve racking. I am comfortable talking about many things, but speaking about being fearless was a hard topic. That’s saying a lot because I have joined forces with Mark Cuban when speaking before the FCC, and I have even followed speakers like the COO of Twitter at large events. I made the topic fit to me, though. TEDx was one of those events I really enjoyed attending because I got to view many speakers as an audience member and then meet after their presentations.
I thought I was going to follow this older guy talking about a seemingly boring topic (finance), which would have been easy. In reality, this CMU finance guy actually did this hysterical rap to close his talk, and I was thinking ‘I have to follow this guy?!’ He’s great, I am actually meeting with him later; I really connected with him even though we do very different things. I love sharing ideas, having a conversation with people. Speaking engagements are a great way to meet people, hear ideas and share my thoughts with others.
Beat the Boss was a cool experience. It was filmed locally in Pittsburgh, and I teamed up with other entrepreneurs to compete against a team of kids to make a new condiment for Heinz. I told my team, “if you want to win, just mix cheese and ketchup.” We went that direction and it worked. We won by the largest margin in the history of the show, actually.
As CEO of Deeplocal, you have many projects running at one time. How do you manage to work in a creative designer mindset when you have to worry about the business side of it all? How do you fit in with your design group? I have to remind myself of the role I play, growing to accept that I am more of an art director than a designer. But I am better as an art director than a designer so it makes playing that role easier for me. I have surrounded myself with great employees which also makes it easier for me. Our environment also has a lot to do with our productivity at Deeplocal. So much in fact, that everyone was asked to sketch out what they would want their new work space to be as far as lighting, layout, sounds; pretty much a list of what you want and why you want it.
We are expanding, but we’re still small; we still afford the time to meet one on one and consult each other. We also try meet as a group outside of work at art events or pick-up kickball games (hence Pickupalooza). I have had the compliment of being told that Deeplocal is a culture. I want to further that culture by growing our design team and creating our work environment together.
Much of your creative work relies on using already existing technologies, assembled as new working parts in a system. What is the prominent advantage to developing designs using simple technologies? Oh yeah, repurposing items, yes! This is the value of being an amateur versus being an expert. You see things stripped down and basic. Like this (points to a fan), this is not just a fan. This has a motor; can I play a record on it? Can I put a needle on it? Can I use it to spin something else? You almost are squinting at everyday items. When you are a specialist you presume a lot of things to be true. By being an amateur, you see things as source materials. As you squint, you see things not as how they are, but as how they can be.
Inventors are the same; they find new ways to use old things. And as a consumer, people only care about end results. They don’t care where the motor came from, where the speakers or buttons came from. Chalkbot is a collaboration of a lot of already invented components, assembled as a new device. That’s why we want to expand and create a bigger workspace with more ‘things’, and ask ourselves, ‘why can’t I use a power drill using Twitter’ or any other challenges we want to ask ourselves.
Your most famous work to date, at least in the eyes of the design community, is Chalkbot. Chalkbot was debuted at the Tour De France in 2009 as a pneumatic powered painting robot with a software system that brings Twitter feeds to life in real time. In the process of bringing this project to life, did you have any other ideas? What is going on with Chalkbot now? Nike is going to run it again this year for the Tour de France! Chalkbot has since been recognized as a CLIO gold and silver award winner and also won an Andy Award and a One Show Award this spring. At first we were going to use powdered chalk to paint the road, but the nozzles limited what material could be used. We then tried environmentally-friendly spray paint, and it seemed to work.
What ever happened to the test run sprayed in the alley behind your house? The first thing Chalkbot wrote was, “hello world,” the famous words written by programmers. I actually did a test run behind my house about a mile from here. My new neighbors were curious to say the least about what was sprayed in the alley, but I don’t think they really know what Chalkbot is or understand the graffiti. Hey, it may be a historical landmark someday!
You helped in the creation of BikePgh’s new 2010 edition trails map. What can riders expect to see in the new layout and design, something that has been added since the last printed edition? We have created new icons and have updated recommended paths with newly created bike lanes; neighborhoods have changed and the bike paths are growing! There was over a decade between when we picked up on the bike map project, so now we are looking at three consecutive years where people have come to see Bike PGH map as expected. Once we get feedback, probably in the fall, we will get started on the new map. Of course, the cover was new, and we will do a new cover for the next edition.
Where do you go for creative content? For some people it is a short list of blogs or websites, or maybe a group of creative people that stir their creativity. Where is your creative drinking hole? I find myself getting sick of new media. I read a lot of print; the New Yorker, Post Gazette, plenty of books. I get a lot of links from friends and colleagues, but I try to spend less time online. My functioning computer is at work, so when I’m not at work I try to stay active and off of my computer. I hike, I bike and I run. Not that each one defines me, like I am a ‘hiker’ or a ‘runner’ but I pursue qualities that I want to encompass me. My creative input comes from picking and choosing what things I am a part of: music, time with family, outdoor activities. I go beyond blogs and online new media for creative input.
Are there any new projects you can speak of that you are excited about and looking forward to launching in the near future? We are looking to expand to create more room – possibly acquiring a nearby store front. It would be used to host Waffle Wednesday, have a working lab with kind of a gimmicky appeal. We are also working with Nike and EA Sports, too. We have a project in the works for World Cup 2010; I really can’t speak about that now, but you’ll see it soon enough. But watch for more things to come from Deeplocal!
Thank you so much for your time!
Winter is definitely here and so comes the snow. Shovels come in a variety of styles these days. Here are a few innovative ways to manage snowfall this season.
Whether it’s lounging around the lawn or poolside, grilling out or keeping up on lawn care, summer always brings out the best gadgets. Here are a few product designs to get you excited.
Simple and safe is the way to go with this lighter-fluid-free fire starter. Just load this chimney starter with charcoal, light paper from beneath and then dump out red hot coals within minutes — without the lighter fluid taste!
Can’t wait to start your fire? Try this 60-second charcoal starter that uses heat-focused technology to reach temperatures of over 1,200 degrees in seconds! Also a lighter fluid-free design, this electric alternative can have you barbecuing in no time!
Urban sun bathing can be uncomfortable if you don’t have a lawn, but this grass lawn chair makes it a little more pleasant to soak up some rays atop the concrete.
Growing a chair is a clever way to create seating in the backyard, too. This simple to assemble design is made of cardboard and then filled with soil, topped off with grass seed and will eventually biodegrade into the earth. I think these would be great built into a circle around a fire pit for a nighttime summer bonfire.
This roving lawn chair is for moving around the yard to have it made in the shade. Based on the wheel barrow design, the handled chair goes anywhere you want to lounge.
So, how can you maintain that beautiful landscape? Try using one of these Hovering lawnmowers. They are nothing new; older diesel versions were available in Europe decades ago, but they are still an awesome design.
Why not extend cool yard design products to man’s best friend? This doggie peeking window is a nice way to allow your dog to see outside of a fence — might even keep him from trying to run through or paw at the gate.
Keep your garden green by going green. This compost tumbler is a quick and smart way to reuse food waste by composting using an easy spinning action.
What good is being outside on a hot summer day if you don’t get in the water? Try this underwater pogo stick, the only one of its kind, to make pool time fun.
Not everyone is game for going under water, so this floating ping-pong tabletop game is a great alternative. Almost anything that is designed to float in a pool goes up a notch on the cool-o-meter, if you ask me.
This wireless surge protector switch takes the chore out of conserving energy. Simply assign your electronic devices to the ‘always on’ or ‘can be powered down’ ports of this surge protector. Then, the next time you leave home, all you have to do is use the wireless switch that you mount next to your light switch to save on your electric bill. Simply brilliant!
