Intelligent (product) design ?

Put a lid on it !

British product design has long been one of the country's creative bright spots. Intense thought goes into the psychology as well as the practicality of how consumer goods are bought and used. Many was the time I received, as a marketing journalist, long and passionate presentations from design specialists keen to impress with their portfolios.

Brazilian product design ? Well, a good start would be to pass what I call the "little old lady" test. Jam jars whose lids might unscrew without an accompanying trip to the hospital for a dislocated shoulder. This morning's exciting encounter with local packaging came in the form of a jar of mushrooms. The lid (pictured) had a little blob of sticky something in the centre. The instructions said to remove it, which I did, not very easily. Then one would imagine that the rest of the lid should gently detach from the jar. Of course not! No, it required high drama, the cut and thrust of a knife wedged under the lid and, just when you're despairing, and sweating, it suddenly flies off, sending mushrooms all over the show.

Is there perchance a Government Minister for Product Design ? And if so, is he or she perhaps related to the people who supply my local supermarket with such delightfully sealed foodstuffs ?

UPDATE: How hard is it to make a milk carton that allows you to pour the milk without spilling it everywhere ? Simple as pie in most countries but another example of "rocket science" in Brazil.

UPDATE 2: Just received an email from a fellow Brit living in the North-East of Brazil and trying to build a couple of houses on some land. He writes:

"We haven't progressed far because the architect who was recommended to us turned out to be very unreliable, eg waited weeks for plans which were nothing like I asked for and when I drew up my own plans, I waited 5 weeks for a very basic outline which again was completely different to what I asked for. These Brazilians drive me maaad!!!!

On our second architect now so here's hoping. I think these people here have never heard of "reliability" or "customer service"...a totally alien concept."

IT's the economy, stupid. *

Sao Paulo IT workers are now on strike, after weeks of failed negotiations. I was asked for my thoughts by Mark Hillary, another expat Brit in the city, who runs a website called IT Decisions.Thanks, Mark, for giving me the opportunity to learn and think about this issue.

I will start my musings (perhaps incongruously but bear with me !) by recalling a visit to the hairdresser here in Bom Retiro, an area absolutely saturated with hairdressing salons. Back in the UK, I have a weakness for what I call the "sheep shearing" approach to haircuts: no messing about with scissors, just a satisfying army-style sweep of the clippers back and forth across the scalp. Even with my unruly hair, I can be in and out of the chair within ten minutes.

Time and talent, the two most precious commodities

Just back from a very stimulating first meeting with Ricardo Geromel, a fellow blogger and an Italian-Brazilian. Still only 23, he represents exactly the kind of talent that Brazil needs. Sao Paulo-born but in recent years a globe trotter thanks to a soccer scholarship in the US, where he graduated first in his year, then business studies in Paris, accompanied by work as a commodities trader in Africa and research in a number of other far-flung locations. He may soon be off to China.

Mad men & part-time women

It's been decades since the developed countries got to grips with new ways of working, adapting to a world where women are a major part of the workforce and men no longer have a job for life. The Internet has changed the notion of physical proximity, thus enabling the rise of the telecommuter. And while debate still continues over the motivational merits of working shoulder to shoulder with colleagues versus working solo from home, most companies now accept that there are numerous alternatives to the traditional nine to five, office-bound drudgery.

Glass half-full or half-empty ?

It's so easy to be demoralised by the institutional corruption, passivity and idiocy that starts at the very top of the Brazilian tree. But then, trying hard to be journalistic or academic rather than polemic, you search for evidence showing that, despite the sea of dross on which you are floating, Brazil is in fact moving, however painfully slowly, in the right direction. Articles such as this one. Key quote:

“There is a historical, cultural problem of a certain backwardness which is very hard to overcome but there is also increasing public demand for transparency and respect for the electorate.”

Robber Barons in the Age of the Internet

What with all these news stories about Americans flocking down to Brazil, the purported Land of Opportunity, and Forbes magazine publishing its new Rich List, in which Mexican Carlos Slim Helú increased his wealth by $20bn last year, taking his filthy lucre total to over $70bn, it seems hard to refute the notion that South America's moment has finally arrived.

Hard to refute if you don't live here and like to view things through rose-tinted spectacles. What struck me as I watched a recent Bloomberg TV interview with Señor Slim (who isn't very), was how embarrassingly old-school he was. The Bloomberg interviewer vainly imagined he would be as forthcoming and interesting as a Warren Buffet; that he would have fascinating things to say about hot new areas to invest; and that he would have no problem sharing at least some of his great financial wisdom.

Scientific wonders

It seems Brazil is making some serious headway in the scientific world, which I want to acknowledge here. Makes me wonder if my previous post was too bleak and simplistic. Still, It's hard to deny what you see with your eyes and experience with your wallet when you are actually living in a country rather than talking about it from a distance. Incidentally, the website carrying the science story looks interesting for other economy-focused articles on Brazil.