This was going to be a tweet, but let’s face it – 140 characters is never enough. Well, quite often, but not in this case anyway.

Over the 1st and 2nd of June, ExpoManagement 2011 is being held in Madrid. It’s the ninth of such meetings, and is designed especially for leaders who anticipate change. It’s a collective meeting of minds, where experts debate ideas and trends, and where those leaders who dare to act, and who are capable of generating new opportunities for driving change, meet to push these changes that can have profound effect on the future. You can check out the programme to the ExpoManagement 2011, although it’s only available in Spanish.

Designit is excited to have two guys heading to Madrid in June, Mikal Hallstrup, and Humberto Matas. The conference is divided into themes, and both our guys will be speaking on June 1st, under Marketing and Innovation. While Mikal focuses on inspiration for businesses, and design experiences, Humberto will concentrate on innovation and people, innovative educational experiences.

Ultimately, both are focusing on the importance of the user; user-centric design for services and experiences that can improve life, and society. Design is not just about a great product, or smart catalogue. More and more we’re seeing design popping up in everyday situations, examining how design can help us make the world a better place.

If you’re in Madrid, and like design, you should definitely check it out!

Yeah, there was no way that was going to be a tweet!

Yes yes! Our second book, ‘The Irresistible at First Glance Book’ is in the house. Full of examples of products we have worked on, products that demand attention, catch your eye, and just ooze instant appeal…

To whet your appetite, here are some pictures. Enjoy!

No, you can’t see anymore. If you want more, you’ll have to ask for one (either comment here, tweet @SocialDesignit, or email lara.mulady@designit.com – remember your address!).

Yesterday morning, while doing the routine surf, I came across this article from Fast Company; User-Led Innovation Can’t Create Breakthroughs; Just Ask Apple and Ikea (written by two Danes, no less!). A good little article, but one that I can’t quite let go. Why? Because Designit firmly believes in user-centred design. It’s a belief we’ve based our work on from the day we began work, and it’s a belief that has so far, given us nothing but success.

We know that the consumer is not king, that’s a 90’s mantra, but neither is the brand king. The playing field is levelled, and with that, brand and user meet each other on common ground. We work together as one unit.

We all know the story about Henry Ford, cars, and faster horses, which is in effect what this article claims Apple and IKEA adhere to, and of course, there is some truth in that. Just look at crowdsourcing; not exactly the death of advertising it was once touted by some to be. However, I don’t think any brand believes exclusively in the ‘user as leader’. User-centeredness doesn’t mean ‘what the user says goes’ as this article implies. It means involving the user from the outset, taking the views and opinions of the end-user and then incorporating the skills and talents of designers and creatives to help evolve, enhance, and refine the ideas.

The whole process is easily explained through our approach; we, (Designit) and you (the client) both create the solutions you need. We constantly throw ideas back and forth, never losing sight of the market or your customers, meaning that the end result fits perfectly with your expectations, your customers, and your ideals.

No brand relies solely on their users, and no brand completely ignores their users (even Apple!). Winning innovation and winning design are born from collaboration. It’s worked extremely well for us over the past 11 years, and it’s only getting better.

Feel inventy and collaborative today? If you have awesome ideas for innovative, eco-efficient products it’s time for action. While climate gurus debate a greener world in Copenhagen these weeks Quirky walks the talk. During the summit, you can submit your wildest, sustainable product ideas to the site – without the usual fee of 99 USD.

Or you can discuss or vote others’ eco-effective ideas closer to production. Even improve them to gain co-ownership. Unlike other community-based idea sites, such as Dell’s ideastorm or Starbucks’ mystarbucksidea Quirky shares profits with you if your product vision makes it to production. 12 cents in your pocket for every dollar your product makes.

So, what are you waiting for? Experience the power of co-creation and crowd-sourcing before you try it out in your own business.

Robot geeks, check out Botjunkie, or as a starter, Fast Companys great line up of Boston Dynamics amazing running, walking, climbing ’terminators’. Cool stuff. I’m gonna buy one of these guys asap. Maybe the RHex on the video below who seems to be the perfect role model and buddy for my Husquarna AutoMower®.

One of my colleagues circulated a series of 70′s Trabant commercials. Watching them with both amazement and ostalgia, I realised that I’d almost forgotten about this automotive impossibility which survived more than thirty years. Including most of its strange signature features. 15 years delivery time. Under-the-hood, fast refuelling. Its funny two-stroke sound. Its signature 50 meter smoke tail dragging behind it. And not to forget, the innovative body work in Duroplast composite (which unfortunately wasn’t really water resistant). But even more fascinating is how more than three million of these things were put together – finished off with both passion and frustration. Have a look, and rediscover that superior product finish is nothing but a matter of creative craftsmanship and a willing heart.

My new design thrill is time. After 17 years of designing, it’s occurred to me that companies continually fail to consider one important parameter: time factor. Put simply, this is the amount of time a user is willing to spend on your product, service or communication solution before they give up and walk away.

Take this American billboard, for example. It may not be pretty, but it sure as hell works.

Why? Its design acknowledges the fact that people only have a split second to get the message. A two-word eye-catching question against a brightly coloured background attracts your attention in a flash and quickly communicates the product.

It competes hands down against the hundreds of other billboards in the city, which demand as much as 10 seconds from passers by. Just a thought … Check out Thinkaboutit for more reflections on the design time factor.

Businesses and organisations often overly invest in short-term initiatives, instead of identifying the problem and developing solutions – the key to which is multi-skilled, stakeholder involvement.

One example is cycle helmets. Today, after more than 10 years of public campaigns with little impact, people are starting to don helmets. Why? A new product design approach is supplementing the public campaigns.

New design solutions make people want to wear a helmet. BELL, for example, has moved away from the typically unattractive cycle helmet to a tough and attractive piece of sports equipment. Yakkay has taken it a step further by placing the visual focus on fashion instead of safety. But their success isn’t just the result of good design, but also years of public campaigns. In other words: it’s a combined effort.

The lesson? Involving all stakeholders early on in multi-skilled, collaborative process will result in hitting target faster and more accurately. If the public health campaigners had teamed up with designers 10 years ago, we may all have been cycling more safely and stylishly for years now.

Know road heating? That stuff has been around for about 30 years without really taking off. Bum heating in urban spaces will definitely make it big. This massive, concrete bench with built-in bum heating and internet access, and a halo found downtown Umeå, Sweden documents this trend. I guess the purpose is to get a couple of people out on the streets when it is minus 20°C and dark at 3PM. Cool thing but someone told me that each bench consumes the same amount of energy as a family home. You might want erect a wind mill beside it to get heated in a sustainable way.

Start taking notice of your (potential) female customers, was thrust of a seminar late last year at Copenhagen Business School. The seminar focused on how businesses can increase sales significantly by focusing on female customers. According to Helle Katholm Knutsen, women decide or influence a whopping 80% of all purchases! A GIANT business opportunity.

Many of Designit’s clients are starting to recognise this opportunity and requesting our expertise on how to best target the female segment. And we’re not the only ones. Here are examples of formerly male-focused companies that are doing what they can to get their foot on the female ladder.

Take for example Sydbank, which has a pension and investment service especially tailored to women. Or Q8, the chain of petrol stations, who is launching ‘Qvik To Go’, a new product series of healthy snacks and stations with new interior that appeals more to female customers. When Procter & Gamble Co. invented Swiffer, it was a result of considering how women feel while cleaning the house.

The business potential of the female segment is huge, so grab it!