Interactive Menu

I was eating at a Lebanese restaurant a month back, and saw a regular couple quiz the waiter about some menu items. The lady wanted to know how many pieces a certain dish had and where it was on the spice scale. Now, I love to guess backgrounds from the type of questions people ask, and I immediately put this couple in the Indian subcontinent. Their language confirmed my guess.
Traditionally we have been a cautious population. Its only now that people are taking risks with cuisines, clothes and opinions in general. And even when we go out to eat and see a movie, we want to judge how value for money ( VFM) every experience is.
I have noticed this trend among Indians to enquire about the number of pieces, spices, gravy type. There may be other nationalities who do this as well, but in International cuisine you never ask the content. Most Lebanese waiters give puzzled expressions and expect you to know your food. They even put thumbnail type pictures on the menu card to point out the item.
While eating the succulent kebabs and the tabouleh ( you thought I wouldn't tempt you?), I felt a need for interactive menu with videos and pictures. The menu could be placed on every table with nutritional information, number of pieces, history of the dish etc.
What happens to the waiter? Instead of transporting the dish from the kitchen to the table, he could be the one making the suggestions, assisting in personal tastes, taking care of individual food requirements--every table's personal CRM manager.
Like all things designer, it would be awful if such an idea is implemented in an Udipi hotel, because it would be  irrelevant.

A restaurant that is already doing this. And a fast food eatery that is redefining the cycle time of fast food.

Update : Just when we thought it was far-fetched, technology proves to us that anything is possible. The NYTimes Bits blog talks about lunch as a social networking game.

Learning from Kids

I foresee an education system where we will be learning from children and taking advice from them. It makes me happy and excited, but I hope that my cut-out-for-the-world-self will be able to understand the wet cement that is a child's brain.

The more I look at kids, the more I think its the way to learn. Unless, schools are going in the opposite direction.

Quote of the Week

If there's one thing every single country and religion agrees upon, it is that women should be given a hard time. -- cgawker 

Chetan Bhagat the Trendspotter

Chetan Bhagat's books are classified as mass market. They are priced low, cater to audiences that loves to read a quick masala novel.
But have you noticed his keen sense of observation? If you look at all his books, there are audiences he is addressing to. These audiences are students who want to read something that mirrors their life, their workplace or their marital struggles. In all his books he has such keen observations about cultures and communities, I won't be surprised if the observations become part of curriculum.
That part where he talks about homes in Punjab and Chennai, is bang on. The descriptions of show items and the lack of color and trinkets in a South Indian home is stuff we all are aware of, but rarely observe. He wrote a novel on the BPO fixation when the boom was all over the place. His books on IITs and IIMs target the students and the aspirant crowd really well. Most of all his very ridiculous(If you have a brain, ignore his advice on relationships!) love advice has found a fan following amongst small city lovers who face traditional marriage struggles.
Chetan may have a fixed plot behind his books, but his observations are something all marketers must observe. Whatever his plan may be, he is writing books that can be easily converted to movies. Bollywood certainly has a dearth of original stories, so it works for him. So I may like harping on his average writing, he has done some valuable people watching for his books.

A long Distance Call

After that long walk, she opened her book to find a lone dry leaf. The creaky chair in the veranda was enough to  rest her wobbly legs and eager mind. After the first rains, this was her favourite spot to delve into Proust or Russell. The stories would remind her of fancy times and depression. She alternated between authors and moods.
Sometimes the books relieved her of the echoes in the mansion. And at times they relieved her of long distance calls proclaiming love and longing.

Ellen Degeneres' Audience Dance

I love the fact that Ellen Degeneres makes her audience dance right in the beginning of her show. I have dreamed of having a company where the day includes a dance--possibly in the second half. I can't imagine why the corporate world would shy away from music and dance as a regular routine.
Productivity is a day to day issue and there are many creative arts that open our mind to newer possibilities. A ten minute creative routine--a video, a funny ad, a short film, reading poetry- could be ways to get the stimulus going. In the creative industry, this is essential since most ideas burn out before they reach the table.
Of course, to those who are cynical about their jobs no incentive will work.

Retailers and Bschool Discounts

Why don't clothing companies give discounts during Bschool admission season?

The largest share might be with Allen Solly, but that doesn't stop it from giving a discount based on a student's admit card. It could be Indian or International B-Schools.

In fact, clothing retailers could work around the placement and admission seasons in cities which have more than ten business schools.