Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Fast Company

“A friend of mine came up with a variant on [Occam’s razor, which is] that the most ironic outcome is the most likely one,” Elon Musk told fellow billionaire Jack Dorsey and Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood during a virtual Bitcoin conference in July. Musk, who had been delivering a relatively sober perspective on blockchain technologies, seemed delighted that the conversation had turned to Dogecoin, the satirical cryptocurrency devoted to memes and dogs. “And then I have a variant on that, which is the most entertaining outcome is the most likely one,” he continued. “If that is true, then the most ironic and entertaining outcome would be that the cryptocurrency [Dogecoin] that was started as a joke to make fun of cryptocurrencies ends up being the lead cryptocurrency.” Musk laughed.…

As COVID-19 wiped out the possibility of meeting a partner in real life, people searched online instead. To keep users swiping during lockdown—even without the possibility of going on a date—relationship apps got creative. Bumble added video calling to its interface. Tinder offered all of its users the option of talking to people around the world. And, amid rising political and social tensions, some services added features to let users showcase their personal politics. During the pandemic, more people started using dating apps 3B Number of Tinder swipes on March 29, 2020, a new record A record since matched 130x Increase in Hinge’s app downloads, 2020 vs. 2019 Love in bloom When new users joined a dating app, according to a Fast Company/Harris Poll survey of 1,012 U.S. adults Most…

As part of its ongoing effort to combat climate change, the state of California is on track to make massive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. The plans to reach net-zero emissions will rely heavily on increasing solar and wind power, but they also present exciting opportunities to harness existing energy infrastructure, including gas pipelines. As the largest natural gas distribution utility in the country, serving 22 million people in Southern California, SoCalGas is in a prime position to face today’s energy challenges head on. Following the state’s lead, the company has also committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. It is seeking to decarbonize its pipeline by replacing fossil fuels with increasingly higher amounts of renewable natural gas and low-carbon hydrogen.…

Who Calm ► Est. 2012 ► $218 M in VC funding ► 60% Female / 40% Male users Headspace ► Est. 2010 ► $215.9 M in VC funding ► 50% Female / 50% Male users Sleep Added Sleep Stories in 2016 and now there are 100+, narrated by dreamy voices like Harry Styles and Matthew McConaughey Introduced Sleepcasts in 2018, a 45-minute podcast/bedtime-story hybrid for adults Music Debuted popular-songs library in 2017, altered by Calm to bolster serenity based on when you listen Appointed John Legend chief music officer in 2020 to curate stations to promote focus Streaming A World of Calm (October 1, 2020, HBO Max) takes a NatGeo doc-style approach to relaxation, narrated by stars like Idris Elba. Headspace Guide to Meditation (January 1, 2021, Netflix) seeks to…

Ryan Tedder, singer, OneRepublic; founder, Mad Tasty 01 “MOVING ON,” ROOSEVELT I discovered Roosevelt on a “French funk-disco” playlist a couple years ago on Spotify. Ever since, he’s been one of my must-plays at any cookout or party. 02 “A-PUNK,” VAMPIRE WEEKEND Vampire Weekend is my favorite band, and 99% of their songs make me feel like it’s a party. “A-Punk” is one of the best. 03 “B ONNIE AND CLYDE,” SERGE GAINSBOURG AND BRIGITTE BARDOT Nothing is cooler than this song. You could be cooking on an apartment balcony in Queens or the deck of a mega yacht, and it fits. 04 “ I CAN’T BE SATISFIED,” MUDDY WATERS Muddy Waters might be my most-played solo artist of all time. This is the Delta blues, but it somehow puts…

01 India: The Cookbook PUSHPESH PANT This book opened my eyes to the depth of Indian cuisine. It also changed the way that I build flavors. 02 Kitcho: Japan’s Ultimate Dining Experience KUNIO TOKUOKA Cooking with hyperseasonal ingredients and traditional methods, kaiseki cuisine has inspired the way we eat hundreds of years later. 03 Thailand: The Cookbook JEAN-PIERRE GABRIEL This book shows how diverse the cooking is in Thailand: so many different flavor combinations and obscure herbs that are original. 04 Cooking With Patrick Clark CHARLIE TROTTER Patrick Clark is an inspiration who will be immortalized in the rafters of the culinary world. 05 The Professional Chef THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA In the industry, we refer to it as a bible. Into the Frying Pan Harvested from heirloom olives…

Voices of Design “Design can be an enabler of access to information and, in turn, an enabler of opportunities that uplift entire communities.”—Catherine Courage, VP, user experience, Google “In the next decade, design can make the biggest impact by increasing accessibility, which will, in turn, make it an empowering tool.”—Toshiko Mori, founding principal, Toshiko Mori Architect “[We have] a unique opportunity to repurpose prime urban real estate for mixed use and breathe new life into cities, focusing on community, accessibility, and inclusion.”—Paul Priestman, founder and chairman, PriestmanGoode Martha EDU Students in Jordan who are deaf or hard of hearing face limited educational opportunities. So Jordan-based Martha EDU created a smartphone app that uses augmented reality and flash cards to teach kids sign language, offering a mix of illustrations and videos…

+ In honor of the 10th year of our Innovation by Design Awards, Fast Company asked more than 50 of the world’s preeminent designers to identify design’s most pressing challenges. Terry Irwin, director of Carnegie Mellon’s Transition Design Institute, cites a slew of critical problems, from forced migration to political polarization. “Instead of finding a cause célèbre,” she says, “we need to do triage; pick an urgent, local problem and use it as a ‘window’ into the larger system that needs to be transformed.” Here are more responses suggesting other such windows. On Redesigning Our World Verda Alexander, cofounder, Studio O+A + What’s the most urgent issue facing design? The need to stop designing for “right now.” A lot of the issues we are facing with climate change have to…

A New IBD Award + We’re delighted to announce an all-new trophy that celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Innovation by Design Awards. Designed by the legendary San Francisco firm Ammunition (known for Beats by Dre headphones), the 9.8-inch aluminum column tapers to an elegant ridge, representing how an innovative idea “tends to rise up from the status quo,” says designer Elvin Chu. A bead-blasted exterior contrasts with a high-shine interior to bolster the metaphor of an ascendant idea. The trophy also abstractly visualizes Innovation by Design’s new logo, developed by Fast Company art director Alice Alves. Ammunition initially sketched out approximately 25 concepts, evoking everything from the messiness of innovation (a crinkled tube) to Fast Company’s history as a print publication (a rolled-up piece of sheet metal). With input…

JAMIE LEE CURTIS HOMETOWN Los Angeles EARLY BREAK Starring as scream queen Laurie Strode in Halloween (1978) HOBBY Playing World of Warcraft JAMIE LEE CURTIS DID NOT EXPECT to reach the busiest point in her four-decade career now. In fact, there was a time in the mid-aughts when she talked repeatedly about retiring. “I wanted to leave the party before the party asked me to leave,” she explains, having watched her actor parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, “deal with the fact that people weren’t hiring them anymore, and it’s heartbreaking.” She ventured into TVwork, podcasting, and starting a social enterprise, but then her godson, Jake Gyllenhaal, called, wanting to introduce her to director David Gordon Green, who had an idea for a Halloween movie. When she realized that “the…

Fabiano Caruana is the No. 2-ranked chess player in the world. Fourteen years ago, he became the youngest American grandmaster, at age 14, beating a record set by chess legend Bobby Fischer. Still, the St. Louis-based Caruana—who trails Norway’s Magnus Carlsen by just 41 points—insists that he’s a pretty normal guy. “I like movies and sports, and I’m not a genius... plenty of people have the same skill level or ability as me,” he says. He credits his success to a strict training regimen and a strong work ethic. Here’s how he keeps his mental tools sharp enough to stay one of the best in the royal game. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Caruana’s parents signed him up for a chess club in Park Slope, Brooklyn, when he was 5 years old.…

The frenzy around special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs)— corporate shells that raise money to acquire a private business, help it go public, and avoid the regulatory requirements of a traditional IPO—may have peaked in January, when nearly $26 billion poured in. With the Se curities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice scrutinizing them, SPAC creation slowed, but there are reportedly about 400 in vitro. Will SPACs continue to be the route for speculative electric car, space, and synthetic biology ventures? These people’s actions will help decide that. 1 Bill Ackman After amassing a $4 billion SPAC in 2020, the legendary investor declared his intention to use it to buy 10% of Universal Music Group last June. The SEC expressed concerns over whether this deal qualified as a SPAC at…

While many people still think of the manufacturing sector as “dark, dirty, and dangerous,” that common misperception couldn’t be further from the truth. Manufacturing is on its way to becoming one of the more high-tech industries and one that’s focused on making products that change the world. “Manufacturing holds the key to solving some of the world’s most important problems,” says Dave Brousell, executive director of the Manufacturing Leadership Council (MLC), a global business leadership network of manufacturing executives. “The backbone of this is going to be digital capabilities.” Over the last several years, manufacturing companies around the world have adopted cloud-based technologies, including virtual servers that run programs and store data off-site, in addition to robotics, artificial intelligence, and big data. These technologies are helping manufacturers increase productivity and…

W HAT I CHECK REGULARLY Spice of Life One Stripe Chai’s masala chai and turmeric latte blends (from $16; onestripechai.com) include freshly ground spices sourced from an organic farm in India. Serve them up in Corkcicle’s prismatic mug glass ($44.95 for two; corkcicle.com), which is made from double-walled borosilicate glass for extra insulation. Podcast SMARTLESS I like the silence these days. I like to listen to my thoughts. On road trips, though, we usually catch up on SmartLess. Newsletter THE WEEK Every morning [I read] The Week, and The Week’s joyful weekly Good News newsletter, every Thursday. Website EMERGENCY COMPLIMENT.COM AND MAKE-EVERYTHING-OK.COM It depends on my mood … I go to these if I’m feeling goofy or if I need a boost. Instagram @5.MIN.CRAFTS Because I believe in the mountain-moving power…

Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world into chaos, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities-better known as ALSAC-was better prepared than most. As the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, ALSAC has experience working in tough situations. “It’s part of our DNA and our mission,” said Emily Callahan, ALSAC’s chief marketing and experience officer. “We deal with really hard stuff, so we’re equipped to take on crises and to be able to find the silver lining.” ALSAC had just wrapped up its 41st consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth, with much of its fundraising relying heavily on more than 30,000 in-person events. It was clear that if the world’s largest healthcare charity wanted to keep providing funding from generous donors to sustain and grow St.…

Wide Eye The design agency helps purpose-driven organizations stand out—and get results. Here’s a look. Ben Ostrower, founder and creative director Local Projects + During the night of May 31, 1921, mobs of white people stormed the thriving Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With some individuals deputized by local officials, they burned more than 1,000 Black-owned homes and businesses and killed upwards of 300 people. The full tally of the dead is unknown because the horrific event was not investigated seriously in the Jim Crow era, and it was deliberately left out of history books in the decades that followed. Now, the full story is being told. Greenwood Rising, a new museum that opened in the historic neighborhood in early August, explores the tragedy of the massacre in vivid ways.…

Behind the Touchscreen “Designing for the edge case (i.e., for someone who has no use of their arms—like me!) will lead to innovation for all. The best example of this is the touchscreen. Wayne Westerman, an engineering graduate student in Delaware [in the late ’90s], was working on his dissertation when he began developing carpal tunnel syndrome. To help deal with the painful condition, he began to experiment with a small, multi-touch input device. The idea was to create something he could use to enter information without having to press hard. This technology became the touchscreen, which was later sold to Apple.” “The secret is to create systems that prioritize materials that go back to earth as food, not as poison.”—Céline Semaan, founder, Slow Factory Foundation “For every project, I…

Winners Design Company of the Year Local Projects A studio that creates immersive learning experiences, including Planet Word, Greenwood Rising, Norton Art+, and the Hyde Park Barracks Museum General Excellence 3D Printed Homes for the Homeless Icon A community of 3D-printed homes for people who have experienced chronic homelessness Advertising What’s Possible Way to Lead A narrative strategy tailored toward young and diverse voters, encouraging them to come out for the 2020 election Apps and Games HoloVista Aconite A mixed-reality mobile game with immersive 360-degree graphics Branding Burger King Rebrand Jones Knowles Ritchie A retro rebranding of the fast-food giant Cities MTA Live Subway Map Work & Co A new map of New York City’s subway lines that’s updated in real time Data Design Key Workers Federica Fragapane and Alex…

DANTLEY DAVIS WAS SITTING IN HIS CAR IN SAN JOSE WHEN THE POLICE OFFICER APPROACHED, HAND ON GUN. IT WASN’T DAVIS’S FIRST BASELESS RUN-IN WITH THE POLICE, NOR WOULD IT BE HIS LAST. There was a robbery in the neighborhood and Davis—whose father was Black and mother is Korean—fit the description of the thief, the officer said. While the officer didn’t know Davis, he was almost certainly familiar with Davis’s work. At the time, Davis was a rising design star in Silicon Valley, responsible for some of the most engaged-with interfaces in the world. He had built the shopping cart for PayPal, which lets you seamlessly check out from third-party retailers. He had designed much of Netflix’s modern TV interface, which remains in use today. Davis is why you can…

A Quicker Change Curtis patented a diaper design in 1987 featuring a pocket containing wipes, so they can be taken out with one hand. She refused to let the diaper be put to market until companies sell biodegradable diapers, and refiled the patent in 2017. A Cleaner Ride Curtis didn’t invent the technology, but she was an early evangelist for hydrogen fuel cell energy and successfully lobbied to receive one of the first 200 Honda Clarity sedans, which run on the fuel, when they were released in 2008. Keepsakes for a Cause During the pandemic, Curtis launched My Hand in Yours, a marketplace for wellness products, art, and accessories, with all proceeds going to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Insight for Kids … and Grown-ups Curtis is the author of 13…

Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura The four-time U.S. chess champion is a dominant player in the Blitz game variety, otherwise known as speed chess. Known for being a calm and collected player, Nakamura is also famous for singing during games and mentoring other players. Anna Rudolf The 33-year-old Hungarian player is an international grandmaster and woman grandmaster; she is known for her signature bright-red lipstick, which she wears while playing. Rudolf is popular with fans across the world, creating content in English, Spanish, and Hungarian. Alexandra Botez Five-time Canadian National Girls Champion Alexandra Botez began streaming her games while at Stanford. Now she manages the BotezLive Twitch and YouTube channels with her chess-playing sister, Andrea, where they have more than 70,000 followers. Levy Rozman The 25-year-old chess international master gained fame for…

Modern Sprout’s compact, brass-plated Smart Growhouse ($199; store.modsprout.com) lets you cultivate herbs right on your kitchen counter, with the help of its full-spectrum LED grow lights and Bluetooth-connected app. The company’s stylish, ergonomic pruning shears ($17.99) make tending to your in-home garden a snip.…

What’s your best habit, and what’s your worst one? My worst habit in recent years is missing deadlines, because I say yes to everything. My best habit is that I always follow through on what I say I am going to do and I always do my best. What do you do when you’re creatively stuck? Look at art or go to the movies, and definitely step away from the computer. Is there a buzzword you never want to hear again? Synergy. How do you unplug? The thing I do to relax, other than reading, is playing VR games. I plug in to unplug, I guess. Is there a book you recommend to everyone? Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence, because it is a perfect novel. What’s the advice you’re glad…

One of the first winners of Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards, which launched in 2012, was the BioLite CampStove, a portable device for turning biomass into a heat source that cooks food, charges gadgets, and produces fewer toxic emissions. Another was Uber, which won for reinventing the user experience of hailing a ride. At the time, a juror praised Uber for “hacking the system.” Two effective designs, two wildly divergent outcomes. BioLite went on to generate more than $25 million in revenue in 2020 and invest proceeds from the CampStove and other consumer products into green energy solutions for families living without access to the grid. To date, BioLite has supplied 2.9 million people in Asia and Africa with clean stoves and lighting. Uber went on to IPO in…

Flare Self-defense products for women abound, from handheld retractable claws to pepper spray to Tasers disguised as lipstick tubes. But as survivors of sexual assault, Flare founders (from left) Sara de Zarraga and Quinn Fitzgerald believe that these products, which are largely designed by men, can do more harm than good. “When you’re in an uncomfortable situation, it’s hard to pinpoint a moment when you would use a weapon to fight someone,” says de Zarraga, and “escalating can be dangerous.” As students at Harvard Business School in 2015, the two began working on Flare, a startup that creates tools that help women feel safer in real-life scenarios, such as taking an Uber alone or going on a date with someone who suddenly crosses the line. After interviewing survivors about what…

Building on the Past Internationally renowned architect Jeanne Gang is transforming neglected old structures into modern marvels. Sometimes the best new building is the building that already exists. “One of my mottoes is ‘Start with what’s there,’ ” says architect Jeanne Gang, whose Chicago-based firm, Studio Gang, has become a go-to for environmentally conscious and architecturally adventurous design. Gang’s philosophy leans heavily on community input, ecological awareness, and knowing when to reuse existing structures and materials instead of building anew. Founded in 1997, when Gang was just 33, Studio Gang became famous for stunning new structures like the Starlight Theatre, in Rockford, Illinois, and the undulating 82-story Aqua Tower, in Chicago. The firm has matured into a global powerhouse (and a perennial Innovation by Design honoree), with work around the…

ON THE EIGHTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH LAST year, Barry Honig saw light. He could see the shape of the menorah, the flames like fuzzy buds at the top of long sticks. Honig hadn’t been able to see a menorah for 20 years. In his younger years, he could discern a brunette from a blonde or see the sun shimmering on a lake. But by his thirties, his ability to see detail had started to fade. He was born with a retinal disorder called Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA). Inside his eyes, photoreceptors, the cells responsible for translating light, were dying off. It was as though someone had put a dimmer switch on his whole field of vision and dialed it way down. In the spring of 2020, a friend mentioned a…

● MISINFORMATION L ABELS ISSUE: Anyone can tweet. And that’s great, until they amplify conspiracy theories about our government or diseases like COVID-19. SOLUTION: A still-evolving flag that calls out tweets as factually questionable. ● D EATH TO “REPLY GUYS” ISSUE: Users suffer random tweet attacks from people offended by their politics, parenting, or favorite icecream flavor. SOLUTION: Users can now choose who can reply to their posts: everyone, followers, or only users mentioned in the post. ● READ BEFORE YOU RETWEET ISSUE: Fake news can spread six times faster on Twitter than fact. SOLUTION: A simple prompt that asks if you’ve read an article before retweeting it. A similar slow-down feature, Reply Prompts, debuted in 2021 to flag your own angry responses to people on Twitter. ● SPACES ISSUE:…