Back in my architect days I became really disappointed with one of the common ways people defined architecture. The general view was that there was ‘architecture’ and there was ‘mere building’. Supposedly, architecture had some special quality that ‘mere building’ didn’t. I’m not convinced.
In my eyes, a more useful idea was the view of our artifacts being extensions of man. Or more specifically, artifacts are things that allow us to extend our capabilities. For example, a car lets me travel further than if I had to walk.
In architecture, this presents a more powerful definition:
This view of our artifacts as extensions of man also applies to Ideas Marketing:
An artifact is any device, tool or thing that allows us to presence our big idea and bring it to life.
There are three key points in this definition: Things, Presence and Bring to Life.
An artifact is a thing. In the good old days we might have said it was a physical thing like a knife, a ball or a desk. Today, it can also be digital or virtual. For example, it might be an app, Facebook or a digital image.
[Tweet “Artifacts presence our big idea and bring it to life #ideasmarketing”]
To presence something is to bring it to our conscious awareness.
For example, most of the time we are busy in life and we’re conscious of all the things we have to do. However, if you have a photo of your recent holiday to Bali or your wedding in your wallet or purse then each time you see this photo it reminds you of something that has already happened. It gives it presence in that moment.
We also need to presence or remind ourselves of what we intend for the future. For example, your manifesto can showcase your vision, your bucket list can highlight your future adventures and an inspirational quote on your fridge can remind you of whom you want to become.
The purpose of being present to the past or the future is to stimulate your emotions. Seeing a photo of your loving family in the midst of a harried day at work might just be enough to calm you down and remind you why you do what you do.
[Tweet “The three keys to creating artifacts to bring your big idea to life #ideasmarketing”]
Being aware of something is a good start, and it’s not enough. We also need to take action to create the future we desire. And, this is where we can create a series of artifacts to help our community achieve this.
The two key questions to ask for creating your artifacts are:
For example, you want to exercise more effectively. Here’s a series of artifacts you could use to help with this.
COMMENT: What are the ways that you can create artifacts to presence your big idea or bring it to life?
I was listening to David Marchese interview Mick Jagger for The New York Times Interview…
Michael Henderson's anthropology professor gave his students some unusual advice: "If you find an interesting…
Why is it that we often know exactly what to do... but still don't do…
In The Bourne Identity, Jason Bourne has no idea who he is. He has amnesia, which…
When I sat down to speak with intercultural communication expert Taruni Falconer, I expected to…
Most people think experience gives us answers, but what happens when our experience fails to…