Showing Censored Art, Learning Innovation From Package Design and a SXSW 2022 Announcement | Non-Obvious Insights #292

Dear Newsletterest,

This has been a big week of announcements for me. The new trailer for my latest book is now out (see below) and SXSW just announced their 2022 lineup, which includes a Featured Session from me. If you're a regular there, I hope to meet you in Austin next year!

Aside from the announcements, we have some great stories this week too - including a new device that might reinvent dance, how Gen Z became the "debt averse" generation, how Austrian museums show censored art, why Jane Goodall feels there's hope to save the planet and the important lesson about innovation you can learn from package designers. Enjoy this week's Non-Obvious Insights newsletter!

The Book Trailer for my Upcoming Book is LIVE! Check it out ...

The Official Book Trailer for Beyond Diversity

The book will officially go on sale on November 9th! You can pre-order your copy at your favorite bookstore.

How Gen Z Became The "Debt Averse" Generation, and What It Means

Imagining graduating today. Young people starting their careers or considering college are faced with a world where workers are quitting their jobs in record numbers. More people are single, choosing to spend their entire lives without a spouse or partner. The value of a college degree is constantly under fire. And "climate sickness" is now the big future threat to be afraid of. Culturally, things are changing too. Superman is now bisexual and Mac & cheese is now an ice cream flavor. So among all this disruption, the natural question is what long term changes will this create for industries in the future?

We may be seeing the beginnings of one such shift in the financial services industry. Trade publications in finance are now writing about the potential for this growing Generation Z to be extremely debt averse and unwilling to take out loans that they will spend years paying back. As the young people of today continue to react to a changing world, this last article really got me thinking about what other core elements of an industry will likely need to be overhauled as those 18 year olds get older and start to enter the workforce.

A New Wearable Sensor That Could Reinvent Dance ... and Music

A German startup recently launched a range of wearable sensors that track movement and use an app that translates movements into sound." Rather than creating a dance inspired by music, this technology could enable dancers to literally choreograph the music to fit their movements. Reading about this new technology, it got me wondering how much inventors of technology like this really understand what worlds they may be disrupting. What use case do they have in mind when they build something like this? Is it intended as a way for the hearing impaired to experience music? Or as a tool to help choreographers reinvent their art? Or perhaps they just did it for fun. That's the thing about innovation ... you can't always predict why it works or who will love it and use it once it does.

How Does a Museum Show Censored Art? On Social Media ...

When the Vienna Tourism Board received content strikes on social media platforms after posting links to its nude artwork, they turned to Adult platform OnlyFans to show the art. In a fascinating irony of history, the same art that was banned by governments a century ago is now banned by social networks for similar reasons. History repeating itself. As their spokesperson notes: "right now, an algorithm determines what is okay to see and what is not, and it definitely should not determine our cultural legacy." Yet another example of the dangers of letting algorithms make decisions that humans should be making.

Why You Should Learn Innovation From Package Designers

Recently in a Q&A session after a virtual keynote, I was asked about my "secrets" for coming up with better ideas. It's a question I hear often. One piece of advice I often share is to look for visual real life examples instead of online creativity. This redesign for the packaging for how nails are sold is a perfect example. A group of design students imagined this solution for selling nails that is functional, clever and beautiful. Not only does is avoid the usual plastic packaging, but it's easy to attach to your best and roll away for storage. Are you in the business of selling nails? Probably not. Can you learn something about how to imagine an unusual and innovative solution to a problem from their example? Obviously.

Even More Non-Obvious Stories ...

Every week I always curate more stories than I'm able to explore in detail. In case you're looking for some more reading this week, here are a few other stories that captured my attention ...

How are these stories curated?

Every week I spend hours going through hundreds of stories in order to curate this email. Want to discuss how I could bring this thinking to your next event as a virtual speaker? Visit my speaking page to watch my new 2021 sizzle reel >>

Get Your Copy of Beyond Diversity ...

My latest book explores what it takes to create a more diverse and inclusive world. The book features the voices of more than 200 amazing people and is co-authored by inclusion expert Jennifer Brown. Be among the first to get an exclusive sneak preview of the book!

Get a FREE Excerpt >>

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The Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter features this week's most underappreciated stories, curated for you. | View in browser

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Showing Censored Art, Learning Innovation From Package Design and a SXSW 2022 Announcement | Non-Obvious Insights #292

The Book Trailer for my Upcoming Book is LIVE! Check it out ...

How Gen Z Became The "Debt Averse" Generation, and What It Means

A New Wearable Sensor That Could Reinvent Dance ... and Music

How Does a Museum Show Censored Art? On Social Media ...

Why You Should Learn Innovation From Package Designers

Even More Non-Obvious Stories ...

Older messages

Why Visualizations Fail, Making Baseball Less Boring and Secrets of Squid Game | Non-Obvious Insights #291

The Decline of Clubhouse, Dubai World Expo Highlights and Why Marketers Are To Blame For Facebook's Choices | Non-Obvious Insights #290

ICYMI: Finishing Beethoven's Lost Symphony, the Internet Blackout and the Ultimate Writing Keyboard | Non-Obvious Insights #289

Finishing Beethoven's Lost Symphony, the Internet Blackout and the Ultimate Writing Keyboard | Non-Obvious Insights #289

How To Fix Tantrum-Throwing Adults, Bringing Back the Woolly Mammoth and Why To Include "Dad" In Your Bio | Non-Obvious Insights #288

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