Design Thinking Digest

The Olympics Tipping Point: Why Television will never be the same.

I think the 2008 will be looked at as the year that television and how we think about broadcasting begin to alter into something that would be unrecognizable only a few years ago.

The catalyst for this? NBC's broadcasting strategy for the 2008 Olympics. It's easy to look at what's disappointing about this effort (The lack of access to this great tool outside of the US and the somewhat challenging process of identifying your local NBC broadcaster but the benefits of NBC's actions and consumer demand will, I suspect, make these constraints go away in the future too.

NBC is basically conducting the largest online media event that has EVER been done on the Web. They'll offer up over 3,600 hours of video coverage and highlights that will reach tens of millions of viewers and enable hundreds of thousands of viewers to CONCURRENTLY watch events live or after the fact in the most mainstream Web browsers available for Windows PCs and the Mac. Below is a screen capture of the enhanced player with LIVE commentary.

The site is about far more than just streaming video. Enhanced modes in the player provide a wide screen experience, picture in picture and what I like to call the 'Elvis' mode which lets you go into a control room and watch 4 events at one. This is couple with commentary integration and a rich interactive navigation structure that lets truly see how much content is available.

There are three ingredients that were necessary to make this happen. One was a business rationale and way to monetize this experience. Truthfully this is where the regulatory structure of broadcasting and business models have work that must continue and it's also where existing online models fall short. The cost of the infrastructure and bandwidth and the regulatory environment of broadcast rights have been historical barriers. More cost effective technology and new service-focused advertising scenarios are what rationalized this effort for NBC.

The second was the technology that can make it happen. In this particular case NBC chose to use Silverlight because it was the most cost effective and scalable media presentation technology that could be used for this event. Silverlight made what NBC was attempting to do possible where just a year a ago it wouldn't have been possible from a cost and scalability perspective. Just like Tivo changed how consumers consume and watch traditional broadcasting I think Silverlight has the ability to change how we consume content as a connected social community online.

Finally, NBC focused on the experience and brought the 'long tail' of the Olympics to consumers. Gymnastics clubs across the US for example can now see everything that occurs at the Olympics, from training and trials and warm-ups to the entire event without having it crosscut with other competing events.

If you want to see the Olympics and everything that makes it a truly breathtaking event check it out at http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/

If you like what NBC is doing let them know about it at feedback@nbcolympics.com

Get whacked

One of the side effects of being a former smoker, I quite about 10 years ago, is that I fidget and need something to do with my hands almost constantly. This means I tear up drink coasters, peel labels of beer bottles and chew on alot of straws. As I did I found that the activity had a side benefit, it would get me into a zone where I could think. Since a big part of my job is spent in front of a computer and my wife is getting a little tired of the mess this practice makes I spend a great of time flipping pens, playing with little rubber squeezeballs, etc. But I do less of that now becasue I've found something better.

One thing that I've been using for the past few months is a great product called the Ball of Whacks. This is basically a collection of magnets that you can rearrange to your heart's content. I find it's an excellent tool for keeping me stimulated and for use during those lulls in conference calls or when stuck in an airport (a common occurrence for me recently).

Here's a picture of my son playing with it. (And here's a great video about how it works). The Ball of Whacks disappears in my house all the time as both my seven year old and four year old love to saunter into my office and slip away with it.

The Ball of Whacks was created by Roger von Oech and even though the name might sound unfamiliar his work has probably influenced you at some time. Roger is a bit of an expert on teaching folks how to foster and nurture creativity and has  collection of well-regarding books on the subject (start with A Whack on the Side of the Head) and then look into Roger's Creative and Innovation Whack Packs. Which is a creativity tool in the form of a deck of cards. Many people are exposed to Whack Packs as a gift. I got my first set a few years ago from Jack Blanchard, a colleague from my days at IBM. It's still one of the most useful tools I turn to when I get stuck.

Roger also has a wonderful blog that can be added to other inspiring voices like David Armano and Seth Godin.