#TBT to when Paul Rand got the Benoît Mandelbrot treatment during our Fractal Fest.
9 years ago
Can’t Spell Brand Without Rand
It’s hard to imagine a time in which a well-crafted logo was not deemed crucial to the success of a business. Paul Rand’s unmatched ability to represent a brand with just a few strokes of the paintbrush helped the logo break free from its chains of underestimation. He also possessed an eye for the future; amazingly enough, the IBM logo has only been changed ONCE since 1956. Thanks for the pocket-sized work of art, Rand, a talisman for now and years to come.
9 years ago
Paul Rand gave designers a land of opportunity. Explore his legacy today →
9 years ago
9 years ago
“It is important to use your hands. This is what distinguishes you from a cow or a computer operator.”
Paul Rand
Legendary artist, IBM logo designer
9 years ago
Black Diamond Ski Making ♦♦
We may never know whose idea it was to fasten long slats of wood onto their shoes and go careening down a mountainside. But many historians believe it happened somewhere in the Austrian Alps. Today, those hills are still alive with ingenuity at Blizzard Skis. Only they get their thrills from riding the peaks and troughs of what’s popular at ski shops. Rather than face planting into piles of unsold skis, data helps their factory alley-oop-flatspin-540 to the trends of the current ski season. Pour some hot chocolate and listen to this short podcast on the future of alpine ski making →
9 years ago
Fantastical nonfiction
For the love of chocolate
Valentine’s Day without chocolate? Say it isn’t so… ! Not long ago, disease ridden cacao crops made this heart-breaking scenario as a real possibility. Thankfully, due to some “research-love” in the field genomics, the world’s chocolate-lovers can breathe a collective sigh of relief. In 2008, IBMers and candy-makers at Mars Inc. launched a program to sequence, assemble and ultimately identify disease-resistant genomes in cacao plants. The result: healthier beans for farmers and a healthier chocolate supply for everyone. We ❤ ❤ ❤ research.
9 years ago
Happy Inventors’ Day! Wait, the inventors have their own day? Of course they do! They take creative risks in the name of making life easier, so they’ve earned it. This day also marks the unofficial end to our celebration of 22 record breaking years. A reminder that although over six million patents exist, somehow there are always more to be conceived. So don’t just sit there, get on with it!
9 years ago
9 years ago
Deleting Shifty Behavior
Another innovation from 22 record years
Can you spot the difference between the two actions above? Got it? Not quite? Convinced both sides are exactly the same? IBM Patent No. 8,650,080 has your back when your back is turned. This innovation can detect even the slightest change in cyber behavior, for each and every one of us has distinct mannerisms and preferences, a virtual fingerprint of sorts, whether we realize it or not. Think of the patent as a buddy who is looking out for you—hmm, Christine usually goes for the right shift and now she’s all left. Wait, Christine, is that really you?
9 years ago
“Love.” It’s Complicated.
Another innovation from 22 record years
You’re an alien on Mars who has a date with a gal on Earth (thanks to an online site!) You’ve memorized every single word in the human cannon so that you can converse effortlessly. GLITCH. Although you technically know every word she’s saying, you’ve absolutely no idea what she’s saying. Because language processing requires conceptual abilities unique to the human brain, it’s truly noteworthy that with IBM Patent No. 8,639,497, researchers have made countless developments in the field of Natural Language Processing. As for love, you alien, good luck, it’s a phenomenon even the brightest of humans can’t fully explain.
9 years ago
9 years ago
