Read On...

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 may 2026

The online education frenzy is dissipating and the sector is normalizing in post-COVID scenario. According to Traxn, that tracks startup funding, global education technology funding rose to US$ 16.7 billion in 2021, while in 2025 venture capital to the sector reduced to less than US$ 3 billion. US has been the main source of this funding and it was mostly directed towards K-12 (US$ 12.3 billion in 2020 out of US$ 15.9 billion total & US$ 9 billion in 2021) with some investments going into pre-K, test prep, higher education, language learning, gamification etc. Writing about 2025 situation, HolonIQ (education consultancy firm), says, 'Venture capital flows reflected a shift from volume to intention. Investors concentrated capital in AI-enabled products, workforce-aligned platforms, and K-12 operations solutions that address cost or operational pressures, staffing challenges, and learning support at scale.' Moreover, the number of startups founded has also reduced substantially, from 10500 (2020) to 645 (2025). Nonprofits such as Khan Academy and other local innovators, instead of for-profit venture-backed firms, are filling the gap in places where there is scarcity of educational infrastructure. Loot Drop, a curated database of 1700+ closed startups, finds the following reasons for this disaster - lack of differentiation among competitors, inability to fix unit economics, high customer acquisision costs, long institutional sales cycles and low retention rates. Loot Drop explains the future scenario - 'The winners will likely be vertical-specific tools that integrate into existing workflows rather than platforms trying to replace entire educational institutions.' Read on...

Rest of World: The global edtech boom is fading as investors look elsewhere
Author: Ananya Bhattacharya

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 may 2026

Rise of the AI-driven content is bringing catastrophic consequences to human-developed content. Human creativity may be at stake in such a scenario, but it will find ways to take the challenge and mitigate the risk and overcome severity of the disaster. Joe Pulizzi, founder of The Tilt and author of books such as 'Content Inc.' & 'Epic Content Marketing', explore ways in which human-created content will stand side-by-side of the synthetic AI-generated content and will continue to stay relevant, if not in scale or quantity but in quality. Mr. Pulizzi says, 'Human content is becoming scarce. Everyone is worried about this, and no one knows quite what to do...human-created content is about to become the minority...Synthetic content can be created faster than human content. It can be personalized. It can be translated. It can be remixed. It can be changed in a second. It can be produced at a scale that human beings cannot match...Humans and companies created content. Google, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok and the rest organized or distributed that content. We got attention. They got data, advertising, and a business model...Every major platform has historically needed our content. They needed creators. They needed publishers. They needed all of us posting, sharing, recording, writing, and reacting.' Describing the changing scenario and recommending ways for human content creators to survive the AI challenge, he says, 'We have a limited window to build something that lives outside the algorithm...in a world where synthetic content is everywhere, another person trusting you becomes the moat...If you are a marketer inside a company, this means identifying the trusted humans in your organization...If you are an independent creator, this means you cannot keep renting all your attention from platforms. Build the direct connection...If you are a writer, speaker, consultant, coach, teacher, or leader, stop waiting until your idea is perfect. Pick the thing you want to be known for and start repeating it...The goal is to become known, trusted, and needed by a specific group of people. Now.' Read on...

The Tilt: How Human Content Can Beat Synthetic
Author: Joe Pulizzi

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 may 2026

Fashion industry is looking for sustainability and seeks circular business models to support environmental concerns. In this regard, 69 major fashion and textile businesses & organizations, headed by nonprofit Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in signed statement urged governments to bring a policy change that would support and boost competitiveness of resale and repair activities in the apparel industry. Ellen MacArthus Foundation launched a 'Fashion ReModel' project in 2024 that works with thirteen brands to increase the percentage of their revenue derived from circular business models over three years. Miranda Beckett of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, says, 'We consistently heard from the very beginning [from brands] that circular business models are currently disincentivized under today's economic system...Your customers are demanding this, they’re shopping in the circular economy anyway, and they've got a sort of expectation on brands and businesses to have these services.' According to ThredUp's 2026 resale report, global second hand market grew 13% in 2025, capturing 10% of global apparel spend. A 2025 report by the Circular Fashion Federation, a French nonprofit, valued the clothing repair market in Europe at 2.7 billion euros in 2024, projected to reach 3.7 billion euros in 2030. The challenges faced by apparel repair & resale market are more than traditional production - Higher labor cost; Inconsistent or insufficient inflows of used goods. The statement suggests - Reduce the value added tax across the European Union and eliminating sales tax in the United States and Canada on resold products and repair services; Reduce labor costs for jobs involved in resale and repair operations by lowering labor taxes (EU) and providing labor tax credits (U.S. & Canada). The statement & accompanied report, also recommends Extended Producer Responsibility policies, which encourage resale and repair by introducing additional costs for primary production. Read on...

ESG Dive: Nearly 70 fashion and textile orgs ask governments to support resale and repair
Author: Lauren Schenkman

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 apr 2026

According to the 2024 Nonprofit Standards Benchmarking Survey, 82% of nonprofits are already leveraging the artificial intelligence (AI) technology in at least one use case. But, rushing to the AI's implementation without sufficient research and determined goals can be costly for nonprofits that are generally struggling for funds. Experts suggest the following best practices for effective AI integrations - (1) Invest in Training and Education: AI complements human workers and this can be explained to nonprofit employees through training and education. (2) Stay Human-Centered: Beth Kanter, Allison Fine and Phillip Deng in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, say, 'Before adopting AI, nonprofits should create a written pledge explaining that AI will be used only in human-centered ways.' Moreover, Amy Sample Ward, CEO of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network, says it's important to clarify that AI 'should not make decisions.' Allison Fine, President of Every.org, says, '...If we use AI badly and we make people feel less connected to other human beings, it will be a tragedy.' (3) Avoid Unfair Risks and Bias: Joe Carcedo, philanthropy leader and consultant, says, 'If AI is to be adopted widely in the nonprofit sector, the problem of AI bias must be addressed, as it is of paramount importance given that nonprofits enjoy a greater level of trust from their constituents than most other sectors - trust that can easily erode if their decisions are premised on skewed or biased data. (4) Prioritize Data Privacy and Security: Use sufficient guardrails to ensure that compliance and security protecions are in place and follow general data protection regulations. (5) Seek the Help of a Tech Partner: About 70% of nonprofit leaders report difficulty in filling staff vacancies with lack of technological skills as one of the main challenge. Tech partner can help overcome this challenge for effective AI use. Read on...

BizTech Magazine: 5 Steps Nonprofits Can Take To Adopt AI Responsibly
Author: J. P. Pressley

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 apr 2026

For B2B companies data and insights with use of marketing technology tools is the key to success. But, huge inflow of data and a number mar-tech tools are not doing sufficient to provide actionalable insights that add to the bottom line. Mike Maynard, Managing Director of Napier, explores the data-to-insight challenges and provide ways to improve use of data and efficient use of marketing tools. He says, 'Despite these lakes of data flowing through the marketing department, we're still not turning it into insight...How often have you seen a report that states a metric improved last month without explaining why?...But without knowing how much each click costs or what happened after the click, it really doesn't tell us which campaign was better.' He shares the following pointers - B2B sales make insight hard to measure (Long sales cycles); High-value prospects are difficult to identify and reach (Account-Based Management or ABM is a partially successful solution); Attribution falls short, and measurement is constrained (Incremental measurement of sales growth can be an important metric); Many B2B teams aren't using data effectively (Form signups are the most valuable data in B2B but are hard to get). Read on...

MarTech: B2B marketers are drowning in data but starving for insight
Author: Mike Maynard

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 apr 2026

Architectural concepts and practice has been continuously evolving and shifting based on various factors such as human needs, aesthetics, style, environment, materials, technology etc. Functionality of modernism and symbolism of postmodernism in achitecture thrived in the past based on the known and suitable conditions. The weather was predictable and materials were available for creative play. But, as the uncertainties of the present are visible and future is unknown, architecture has to imbibe adaptation as the key concept. Sustainability and green architecture are a necessity. Survival is the keyword along with constraints, crisis, resource scarcity and climate volatility. Key ideas to go into the future include - Building in an Age of Scarcity (From traditional materials and synthetic materials to recycled, recyclable, reusable and natural materials); The End of the Myth of Progress (From building faster and more to adaptive need-based and sustainable that fits the current scenario); The City as Climate Apparatus (City is imagined as a climactic instrument with depaving, green roofs and facades, light-colored and permeable materials, rainwater harvesting. Shift from controlling to working with the environment); Performance-Driven Architecture (Shift in architect's role as sole generator to a curator of parameters working with algorithms, simulations, and iterative systems that evolve design based on environmental criteria); Earth Printed and Reimagined (Additive manufacturing and 3D printing with innovative materials that are climate responsive); Designing for Extremes (Architecture for survival that adapts to local climatic threats such as rising sea level at coastal regions, fire-prone and wildfire areas etc); Beyond Sustainability: Toward Regeneration (Creating positive feedback loops socially, ecologically, and spacially to regenerate); Architecture as Continuity (Shift in architect's role from authorship to stewardship. Architecture for sustaining life). Read on...

Parametric Architecture: The Architecture of Survival is Designing for an Age of Collapse
Author: Priyanshi Shah

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 mar 2026

COVID-19 has been disastrous for nonprofits and the sector is still reeling with the shock waves created by it. Human resources are the critical component of nonprofits. Even though the sector employs 10% of the workforce in US, but the nonprofits were left out of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by the Congress during COVID. Jon Pratt, former Executive Director of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, says, 'Work performed in the service of a charitable corporation...was excluded from the definition of 'employment' under the Social Security Act of 1935.' The mandatory old-age assistance and unemployment insurance was finally extended to nonproft employees in 1984. Rusty Stahl, President and CEO of Fund the People, explores the condition of nonprofit workforce, particularly underinvestment from government and philanthropy, and suggests ways to bring changes to make it thrive. He says, 'But our workforce has not been ignored or harmed by lawmakers alone. Nonprofit workers have long suffered from a chronic deficit of investment from within the social sector - from foundations, donors, and nonprofit boards and executives themselves.' According to the research by the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) - Issues of staff recruitment, retention, compensation, and burnout are the top internal challenges facing nonprofits, and have been for at least the last three years; While 93% of grantmakers believe they understand their grantees' challenges, only 53% of nonprofit leaders concur with that assessment. He points out the inadequacy of current funding, and says, 'While there are many wonderful funders and fundraisers in the field, I would argue that most types of grants available today are inadequate because they don't intentionally invest in the grantee's workforce. In fact, most grants actively disincentivize nonprofits from creating high-quality jobs.' He details the inappropriateness of major type of grants available now, such as project restricted support, general operating support, capacity-building support, and capital investment support. He proposes a new kind of funding termed as S.O.S. (Staff Operating Support) grants. Through this concept he suggests the process of intentionally offering incentive and budgets to nonprofits that would assist in elevating workforce development. He explains, 'S.O.S. funding is dedicated exclusively to investing in the grantee's team members and the organizational systems that support that team. Within this zone of restriction, it can be used in a flexible, responsive, and trust-based manner...S.O.S. funding offers a win-win for nonprofits and their funders. It can meet the staffing, flexibility, and budgetary needs of nonprofits, while addressing funders' desire for specificity, visibility, and measurability.' He provides 7 key traits of S.O.S. grant - (1) A focus on systems (2) Responsive to needs of the moment (3) Capital for humans (4) Grants, not fellowships (5) Good boundaries (6) Ability to document value (7) Consent of both grantor and grantee. Read on...

Nonprofit Quarterly S.O.S. - Nonprofits Need Funding for 'Staff Operating Support'
Author: Rusty Stahl

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 mar 2026

Sales become challenging in a down quarter but elite and resilient sales leaders take this as an opportunity to test their abilities and enhance their learning to get unexpected results. Jani Hirvonen, global head of search partnerships at Google, explains that elite leaders take the down moments head on, and these times in sales management strengthens team culture and set the stage for future growth if handled with discipline and a clear playbook. He suggests - (1) RIGOR (Stabilize What You Can Control): New initiatives with discipline; Cleaning up the pipeline; Opportunities are reviewed closely; Sharper focus on rhythm and consistency. (2) INNOVATION (Injecting New Energy): Balance discipline with innovation; Experiment and pilot new approaches; Rethink the market and direct more attention to emerging opportunities; Creatively motivate and incentivize the teams; Get quick wins to build momentum. (3) MINDSET (Reframe The Down Quarter): Tweak the down psychology and reframe adversity as learning opportunity; Restore confidence and morale; Build resilience and foundation for future; Lead by example. Leadership under pressure is what defines the true leader. A tough quarter is an opportunity to build a strong culture and strengthen sales team. Read on...

Fast Company: How elite sales leaders drive growth in down quarters
Author: Jani Hirvonen

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 mar 2026

Engineering design is an essential component of society's advancement and better future. Engineers utilize their expertise and knowledge to provide solutions. But, over the years the available knowledge has expanded enormously and being expert in all aspects is challenging and difficult for engineers and their teams. Design engineers can possess core knowledge in design process tasks such as design specification, ideation and design detail, but successful design implementation requires knowledge beyond it such as sustainability, materials, manufacturing, consumer behavior etc. According to the Concept-Knowledge (C-K) theory, creative design emerges when new concepts are matched with appropriate knowledge. Moreover, advancements in computational technologies has provided paradigm shift from computers as tools to computers as collaborators. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a substantial contributor to this shift. The study, 'A framework of AI collaboration in engineering design (AICED)' [Authors: Chijioke C. Obieke of Queen's University (Belfast, UK); John Bridgeman of University of Liverpool (UK); Ji Han of University of Exeter (UK)], published by University of Cambridge Press in the journal Proceedings of the Design Society (August, 2025), introduces the AICED (AI Collaboration in Engineering Design) framework to bridge the knowledge space expansion gap in engineering design by creating a web tool Pro-Explora, that leverages advanced multi-agent LLM technology and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) among others, to accelerate early-stage design tasks. Authors explain, 'Specifically, we examine large language models (LLMs), particularly multi-agent LLMs...LLMs' ability to mimic human cognitive behaviour is unprecedented, supporting complex activities across various fields...Many AI systems and tools are available but often segregated and not specifically adapted to support engineering design activities. Aggregating these tools to support engineering design practice specifically is explored in this study, highlighting its novelty and contribution...this study proposes an approach that minimises privacy risks when using multi-agent LLMs as collaborators in engineering design.' The theoretical framework for AICED facilitates effective collaboration between designers and AI during engineering design activities, primarily focusing on early-stage design (problem definition, design specification, and concept generation) while also considering later stages. The AICED framework benefits student design engineers, freelancers, and individual practitioners. It lets them quickly expand or enrich their conceptual knowledge of an idea or design problem, facilitating more informed discussions with other professionals. The AICED framework is designed as an adaptable, open framework that can be tailored to meet specific organisational needs. Read on...

Cambridge University Press: A framework of AI collaboration in engineering design (AICED)
Authors: Chijioke C. Obieke, John Bridgeman, Ji Han

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 feb 2026

'Checkout charity', the concept of stores seeking charitable donations at the time of customer's checking out (paying bill for their shopping), is a common practice and has shown some success. Research study by Élodié Manthé from Université Savoie Mont Blanc (France) suggests that this concept can have negative impact as some customers might feel embarassed at this situation. Study from University of Adelaide Business School's academics, 'Doing good but feeling bad: How checkout donation requests might backfire for retailers by eliciting negative emotional and cognitive consumer response' (Authors: Arvid O. I. Hoffmann, David Matthews, Sally Rao Hill, Ying Zou), published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, suggests that customers in this situation often don't feel happy about it and feel pressured, guilty, anxious and pushed into making a decision they did not plan to make. Researchers found that consumers who experienced negative emotions as a result of being asked to donate at the checkout were: less willing to donate, less satisfied with their shopping experience and more critical of the retailer. Authors explain, 'This creates both time pressure (feeling rushed) and social pressure (feeling judged), two factors that can make customers feel bad. As a result, they are less likely to experience a positive emotion of doing a good deed — or what researchers call the 'warm glow' effect.' Authors suggest - Introduce information about the donation request early in the shopping journey using posters or flyers; Design payment screens that allow customers to choose privately; Communicate clearly and transparently about how the money is collected, where it goes and what impact it makes.' Read on...

The Conversation: 'Checkout charity' requests often backfire, leaving shoppers feeling guilty: New study
Authors: Arvid O. I. Hoffmann, David Matthews, Sally Rao Hill, Ying Zou

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 feb 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making inroad into both person and professional aspects of human life. Public relations is a field that faces many challenges as AI era brings automated solutions with creative innovation. Stefan Pollack, President of The Pollack Group, says, 'Public relations in 2026 will demand a new operational mindset: one that pairs the precision of data with the intuition of human judgment. The agencies that win will not be the ones that automate the most tasks, but those that cultivate trust velocity, identify falsehoods, clarify context and mobilize accurate information before narratives calcify. Our currency will be verified belief.' Following are his take on various aspects of technology-driven PR - (1) IMPAT OF AI: Automation of tasks such as entry-level production work, monitoring, drafting and clipping; Human expertise will shift to more strategic role to interpret, apply and guide insights at higher level; Move from reactive PR to predictive communication; Hybrid models will evolve with part consultancy, part creative studio, anchored by data-driven foresight and human storytelling. (2) AI'S SUPPORT AND TRANSFORMATION OF PR: It will transform PR into intelligence discipline; Help continuously scan for shifts in public sentiment, spikes in misinformation and opportunity gaps; PR professionals will evolve from message distributors into message designers, architects of context and meaning. (3) VIDEO AND AUDIO CONTENT: Shift from content to experience; Short-form video sparks awareness, long-form video deepens trust and podcasts sustain dialogue; Easy access to creative tools; Authenticity will become the dominant aesthetic. (4) COMBATTING MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION: PR will evolve into constant verification mode; Brands will build 'truth supply chains'; Integration of communications, legal and data teams to perform reality checks and seek proofs. (5) THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Earn attention through precision and proof; Leaders will become editors-in-chiefs than mere spokespersons; Harness internal voices; Emphasize human element. (6) IN-PERSON EVENTS: Building real human connections will happen more; Events will blend intimacy and impact; Smaller, more curated, high-intent gatherings focused on collaboration and creativity. Read on...

O'Dwyer's PR News: The Biggest Challenge for Public Relations in 2026
Author: Stefan Pollack

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 feb 2026

Usable and functional web design is the key to retain visitors and transform them into engaged customers. Members of the Forbes Technology Council suggest following web design essentials for success - (1) Interaction Design That Enhances User Flow (Franky Joy, Lane Automotive); (2) Transparent Contact And Pricing Overviews (Joe Way, University of California at Los Angeles); (3) Intuitive Navigation For Diverse Users (Mike Alvarez, Glooko Inc); (4) Clear Content And Purposeful Storytelling (Laxmi Vanam, Vanguard); (5) Easy-To-Understand Navigation Language (Raghu Para, Ford Motor Company); (6) Unified Navigation Across Company Platforms (Kevin Korte, Univention); (7) Clear Brand Message Hierarchy (Judit Sharon, OnPage Corporation); (8) A Balance Of Speed, Clarity And Trust (Harikrishnan Muthukrishnan, Florida Blue); (9) Fast-Loading, Readable Pages (Tannu Jiwnani, Microsoft); (10) Loading Progress And Quick Click Feedback (Marc Fischer, Dogtown Media LLC); (11) Consistent Microcopy - Small Functional Text Messages (Dan Haiem, AppMakers USA); (12) Navigation Cues And Progress Indicators (Venkata Thummala, Stanford Health Care); (13) Rhythmic Content Pacing (Vibhor Kapoor, AdRoll); (14) Sufficient White Space Around CTAs (Stoyan Mitov, Dreamix); (15) Alignment With The Customer Journey (April Ho-Nishimura, Infineon Technologies AG); (16) Helpful Micro-Interactions (Tracy Yu, Apple); (17) Frictionless Form Fields (Uttam Kumar, American Eagle Outfitters); (18) A Clear Problem-Solving Statement (Zornitza Stefanova, BSPK); (19) Relevant Responses To Search Bar Queries (Jayashree Arunkumar, Wipro); (20) A Compelling Hook That Grabs Attention and Keep Visitors Engaged (Subasini Periyakaruppan, Biotechnology Innovation Organization). Read on...

Forbes: Smart Web Design Details That Drive Engagement And Sales
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 jan 2026

Federal spending cuts have created challenging financial situation for nonprofits. To continue to deliver their social mandate nonprofits have to find innovative ways to ensure financial resilience. Aaron Seybert, Managing Director of Social Investment Practice at The Kresge Foundation, says, 'We must acknowledge that these are unprecedented times for the nonprofit sector and taking steps to strengthen financial resilience is crucial but not a guarantee of financial stability. The road ahead will undoubtedly remain uncertain, and many nonprofits will continue to face significant obstacles. Yet by uniting as a sector, we can support one another and fortify the essential work we do. Strengthening our financial footing is key to ensuring we continue serving the most vulnerable communities in our country, even in the face of adversity.' He provides following ways nonprofits can work to overcome financial uncertainties - (1) Review your directors and officers (D&O) insurance policy. (2) Diversify banking relationships. (3) Open lines of credit for liquidity. (4) Review cost allocations on current grants. (5) Speak with funders about converting project support to general operating support. (6) Assess different budget scenarios: Planning for uncertainty. Read on...

The Kresge Foundation: Improving financial resilience: How nonprofits can navigate the impact of federal spending cuts
Author: Aaron Seybert

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 jan 2026

In 2025 graphic design saw anti-trend approach where designers experimented with nostalgic and analog approaches, away from the currently hyper-digital, polished, perfection seeking designs. In 2026, shifts are expected in five key areas - print, image production, editorial design, typography, logo design. PRINT - The copy-style raw, low ink look that was visible in later 2025 will continue as a trend. ASSETS - The visual indexing, order and organize style such as collection or collage of assets like photographs or cut outs will continue. LAYOUT - Micrographics, the utilitarian visual language or aesthetically designed technical information, is brought to the fore by designers. They are adopting tight typographic overlays, grids and timestamps as visual devices. TYPOGRAPHY - Letterforms that place expression above function, more wobbly and mismatched, pick and mix approaches will be more visible in 2026. LOGOS - Blotchy style with more variable and fluid forms in logos is expected to continue. Designers that are mentioned and their work represented in the article are - Kevin Hoögger; Merel van den Berg; Maya Valencia; Sydney Maggin; Louis Garella; Charlotte Rohde; Alice Isaac; Andrzej G.; Tala Schlossberg; Jacob Hutch; Jean Pierre Consuegra; Miguel Vides; Hyejin Song; Zak Jensen; Edoardo Benaglia; Luca Devinu; Brandon Wang; Evan Gendell; Angelina Pischikova; Karina Zhukovskaya; Clemens Piontek; Clio Hadjigeorgiou; Eva Rotreklová; Cristian Burgos; Christhian Hurtado; Varada Rege; Jasmina Begović; Harriet Richardson. Read on...

It's Nice That: The graphic trends you'll want to bookmark for 2026
Author: Ellis Tree

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 jan 2026

Customer relationships are essential for a brand's continued success and they can't just be build overnight. A lot of effort is needed to be put consistently and creatively over a period of time to build a space in customer's heart and mind in a highly competitive business environment. Martin Pierson, Chief Creative Officer of Tag, suggests ways to avail the right to a customer relationship through creatively designing meaningful and real attention, and providing seamless experiences. He says, 'Marketers spend a lot of time, effort and money on customer loyalty, connection, value and brand affinity. But the reality is, most people don't wake up wanting a relationship with a brand. They want seamless, friction-free experiences.' He emphasises effective use of creativity in every aspect of customer journey. He says, 'Creativity is the one consistent force that cuts through saturation and bridges the gap between a noisy industry and an overwhelmed audience...Creativity is the red thread that ties together strategy, data, technology and execution. It is the element that gives meaning to a message, story to a product, and humanity to an interaction...brands need to build creative processes that encourage risk, variation and experimentation...If people don't want relationships with brands but want brands that fit easily into their lives, creativity isn't an additional layer at the end of the process, but the mechanism that turns utility into experience, and experience into connection...it helps brands express themselves with tone, distinctive and emotional clarity which are the qualities that make a brand feel human rather than transactional.' Read on...

LBBOnline: Redefining Customer Journeys, Creativity and a Brand's Right to a Relationship
Author: Martin Pierson

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 jan 2026

Radical innovation involves radical uncertainty and the outcomes can be incongruous. Firms have to apply innovation management concepts that can equip leaders and their teams to deliberately and effectively manage incongruous futures. Team of researchers, José Antonio Rosa of Iowa State University (USA), Marcelo F. de la Cruz Jara of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München (Germany) and Jelena Spanjol of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München (Germany), in their theoretical study published in Journal of Product Innovation Management (October 2025), integrate the conviction narrative theory (CNT) and the currently available research literature on radical innovation management and propose a new concept of volitional liminality and other set of practices to successfully maintain and sustain radical innovation management capability. Volitional liminality is defined as 'the capability to operate at the threshold of incongruent futures without prematurely closing options. This ability requires more than cognitive analysis; it relies equally on emotions and social interaction.' Authors explain, 'Our work makes two contributions to the radical innovation management literature. First, it explicitly addresses a firm's ability to concurrently pursue not only different but inherently incompatible futures...By providing an explanation of how firms concomitantly move toward multiple divergent futures, we open a new avenue for innovation management scholars to explore and provide a set of future research priorities...Second, our work helps explain how cognitions and emotions interact to produce greater or lesser opportunities for incongruous futures to be simultaneously enacted by innovation managers...Building on CNT, our work expands extant literature on radical innovation management by acknowledging the role of social processes in the envisioning and enacting of distant and unknown futures that radical innovation involves.' Looking into the future of their research and implications, authors point out, 'We introduce conviction narratives and volitional liminality as mid-level theoretical concepts that problematize scholarly and practitioner understanding of decisions under radical uncertainty. The article sheds light on future-focused knowledge generation processes by applying theories grounded in psychology and management to the domain of radical innovation management...Beyond innovation management, we also contribute to CNT by identifying volitional liminality as a necessary theoretical component and two factors (perspective diversity and factor breadth) that affect the sustainability of volitional liminality in innovation decision-making...Our research provides three important implications for innovation managers seeking to generate future-focused knowledge and make decisions about distant futures. First, we recommend that managers acknowledge that distant-future decisions take place often and involve processes and mental mechanisms that differ substantially...Second, we encourage managers to recognize the participatory character of decisions when distant futures are involved, and that volitional liminality is essential and at the same time hard to sustain...Finally, our conceptual discussion supports the recommendation that significant groups of actors and key stakeholders be engaged in radical innovation management to enhance manageable volitional liminality in innovation teams.' Read on...

WILEY Online Library: Decisions Under Radical Uncertainty: The Role of Volitional Liminality in Radical Innovation
Authors: José Antonio Rosa, Marcelo F. de la Cruz Jara, Jelena Spanjol

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 jan 2026

Over the years the clear distinction between nonprofit and for-profit start-ups has diminished and now both types work in each other's arena. Rise of social entrepreneurship and social enterprises is one of the reasons that blurred the difference between the two. Providing solutions that solve social issues can be considered the aim of both, whether they do it to make money or not. All mission driven entrepreneurs while pursuing their goals reach a stage during their start-up journey where they have to make a decision whether to structure it for profit or go the nonprofit route. Cait Brumme (CEO of MassChallenge) and Brian Trelstad (Faculty Fellow at Harvard Business School and a partner at Bridges Fund Management), provide guidance to entrepreneurs to choose the right structure at the right time for the success of their start-up venture. They explain, 'Despite the vanishing distinction, all mission-driven start-ups will eventually face a stark choice about which legal structure to adopt, and the crucial decision point often arrives before the founders are ready to deal with it. There are, of course, options in the middle-so-called hybrid organizations that use elaborate legal structures (involving, say, a parent and a subsidiary) to combine for-profit and nonprofit entities. But in our experience the best start-ups make an explicit, early choice. The decision is a difficult one made under a high degree of uncertainty and is very hard to reverse...In recent years the options for entrepreneurs have increased in the United States, with legislation allowing "benefit corporations" in many states and the introduction of B-Corp certification, which a for-profit company can use to signal to shareholders that it will try to act in the best interests of society, the environment, and all stakeholders. Venture philanthropists and impact investors emerged to fund social entrepreneurs who sought both financial and social returns—that is, to do well by doing good.' Authors suggest that entrepreneurs should consider 4 factors to avoid issues and make a successful decision to pursue a nonprofit or for-profit direction to their enterprises - FOR PROFIT - Market Readiness (Large, growing, and competitive); Customer Willingness (Profitable to reach and serve at scale); Capital Availability (Ample private capital and business banking services, liquid capital markets for exits; lack of interested donors); Talent & Other Resources (No privileged resources). NONPROFIT - Market Readiness (Small, young, and fragmented); Customer Willingness (Not profitable to reach and serve at scale, require subsidies); Capital Availability (No venture capital but sufficient philanthropic capital to get started, few to no exit options); Talent & Other Resources (Access to privileged intellectual property, professional services, or customers). Read on...

Harvard Business Review: Should Your Start-up Be For-Profit or Nonprofit?
Authors: Cait Brumme, Brian Trelstad

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2025

The shopping experience is being redefined due to the adoption of AI, analytics and integrated signage systems by European retailers. According to Sony Retail Index 2025, there are still three key challenges to full scale digitalization - (1) Lack of Evidence: Retailers struggle to demonstrate measurable benefits from retail tech investments. (2) Skills Shortage: There is insufficient focus on hiring and developing talent to manage and evolve retail technology. (3) Trust Deficit: Stakeholders remain sceptical about AI-driven processes. Moreover, it also recommends some strategic priorities that will lead to full potential of digital transformation - (1) Start Where It Matters: Address pain points like long queues, stock availability, and inventory loss. (2) Test Fast, Scale Fast: Expand successful pilots quickly. (2) Integrate, Don't Replace: Connect new technologies with existing systems. (3) Integrate, Don't Replace: Connect new technologies with existing systems. (4) Position Compliance as Value: Communicate robust privacy protections to customers. Chris Mullins, Head of Product Marketing, Professional Solutions and Displays at Sony Europe, says, 'Retailers don't lack innovation – they lack visible progress. Customers want proof that technology improves their shopping experience today, not promises for tomorrow...' Read on...

Invidis: AI Must Deliver on Its Promise
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2025

The outdoor spaces should be extension of the home and should seamlessly connect the best of both. Landscape designers predict a shift toward more relaxed design in 2026. Nick Fobes, PLA, partner at the landscape architecture firm Hoerr Schaudt, says, 'Homeowners are gravitating toward aesthetics rooted in nature and simplicity. While every design must respond to the architecture and regional context, the common thread is a desire for calm, grounded outdoor spaces that feel deeply connected to the environment. Clients want landscapes that enhance their experience of the outdoors - not compete with it.' Anastasia Casey, founder of The Interior Collective, says, 'Everyone wants outdoor spaces that can serve multiple purposes, from entertaining to quiet retreat, and that also feel like an extension of the home. Overly formal layouts and anything that looks too staged or brand-new is out.' Jamie Lyn Smith, principal designer and owner of Smith Home Studios, says, Think indoor-level comfort and design-forward style brought outside: overstuffed sofas in soft, durable performance fabrics, sculptural accent chairs, and concrete or stone tables that look just as at home in a living room as they do on the patio. The goal is spaces that feel cozy, curated, and livable, blurring the line between inside and out.' Following are the trends for porches and patios in 2026 - Firepits and Fireplaces; Wellness Spaces; Plants That "Earn Their Keep; Outdoor Kitchens; Modern Cottage Garden Appeal; Hardscape with Personality and Functionality; Understated Water Features. Read on...

Veranda: The 7 Biggest Porch and Patio Trends for 2026, According to Designers
Author: Arricca Elin Sansone

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 dec 2025

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now a globally acceptable concept with different regions and nations implementing it according to their socio-economic setup. In the middle-eastern countries, particularly in United Arab Emirates, with fast economic shift from traditional to modern, CSR practices of corporations is attracting the interest of academics and researchers. In one such research study, 'Corporate social responsibility in a non-western context: The case of the United Arab Emirates' (Authors: Osman Antwi-Boateng of United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain; Noura Eisa Saeed Al Harasi of United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain), published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 25 September 2025, explores the institutional and cultural dynamics that drive CSR practices in UAE, a non-western thriving economy, and examines the benefits and challenges associated with it. Moreover, the study tries to find out how CSR functions in a hybrid political economy and rentier contexts, which UAE provides an apt example. Researchers say, 'Rather than just identifying the benefits and challenges, the study also explores how CSR is shaped in environments where state-corporate relations are tightly coupled, and civil society influence is marginal. In doing so, the study enhances the applicability of dominant CSR theories such as stakeholder theory, in the context of the UAE's political economy.' KEY FINDINGS - Social Benefits (Utilizing stakeholder theory and thematic analysis approach): Improved stakeholder dialogue, value creation, and responsiveness to societal need; Economic Benefits: Job creation and enhanced corporate competitiveness; Challenges: Contradictory regulations, dependency culture, lack of embedded frameworks, and poor impact measurement. According to the researchers, 'The findings have several policy implications. First, the findings offer valuable guidance for cooperation among stakeholders in the UAE and other countries regarding embracing and implementing CSR initiatives. Second, the findings offer valuable lessons about CSR, which can guide companies in identifying the best CSR practices and avoiding bad practices to maximize outcomes from CSR initiatives. Third, the findings can guide public awareness campaigns regarding CSR to deepen the practice among companies. Finally, the findings indicate that the political economy of a country plays a vital role in the practice and benefits of CSR as government developmental priorities and regulations drives the CSR agendas of corporations and organizations.' Read on...

Nature: Corporate social responsibility in a non-western context: The case of the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Osman Antwi-Boateng, Noura Eisa Saeed Al Harasi

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 nov 2025

Education initiative founded by The High School of Glasgow (Scotland), START, is a project-based learning programme for final year high school students that harnesses the tools and mindsets of design, entrepreneurship, and storytelling to develop experiential learning about startups and equip students with entrepreneurial skills to build, pitch and create startup ideas. The programme is supported by industry mentors from Scotland's startup ecosystem through a partnership with Scottish EDGE, a startup funding competition. Phil Ford, founder of START, says, 'START is all about inspiring the next generation of business leaders and innovators. It encourages young people to draw on their own experiences and passions to identify real-world problems and to then solve them...A huge part of the confidence instilled in pupils is thanks to exposure to founders via the mentoring aspect of the programme. Architect Danny Campbell, judge on BBC Scotland's Home of the Year, founded HOKO Design in 2019 to make residential architecture simpler, more accessible and better designed for everyday homeowners. He was the mentor to students of John Paul Academy as part of the START programme. He says, 'We often talk about building future talent pipelines - this is how you do it. You open the door earlier. You build relationships that last. You give people a chance...We need a landscape where young people see multiple routes to success - whether that's higher education, apprenticeships, starting their own thing or joining a growing business to get real world experience...Spending time with these pupils gave me fresh perspective, fresh energy and a sense of purpose I didn't realise I was missing.' Read on...

Scottish Construction Now: Architect calls for more entrepreneurs to 'go back to school'
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 nov 2025

Online education took a transformatory shift during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education providers along with students faced many challenges including equipping students with quantitative skills essential for the labor market. Research study, 'Effectiveness of Online Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Evidence from Chinese Universities' (Authors: Shijie Lu of Notre Dame University; Xintong Han of Laval University in Quebec City; Shane Wang of Virginia Tech; Nan Cui of Wuhan University in China), published in Production and Operations Management 01 July 2025 (SSRN.com), analyzed more than 15329 course records from nearly 7867 undergraduate students across nine universities over four semesters (Fall 2018 to Spring 2020) and compared academic outcomes before and during the transition to online learning. Applying principal component analysis, authors identify four key policy measures that capture lockdown stringency: stay-at-home orders, workplace closures, public transportation suspension, and public information campaigns. Prof. Shijie Lu, says, 'Surprisingly, the undergraduates performed better in math after switching to online classes - improving their scores by about eight to 11 points on a 100-point scale...Contrary to the widespread belief that online education is less effective than face-to-face instruction, our findings show that students actually performed better online, at least in quantitative subjects during the pandemic. This challenges the traditional view that in-person learning is always superior and suggests that, under certain conditions, well-structured online environments can enhance learning outcomes... Our results show that online education when done thoughtfully can be more than just a backup plan during emergencies. It can be an effective tool for learning, especially in analytical subjects... These insights can help schools and governments better prepare for future disruptions — whether from pandemics, natural disasters or other emergencies — by understanding how to balance safety and learning effectiveness.' Read on...

Notre Dame News: Study of higher education during COVID-19 shutdowns shows certain subjects can be better taught online
Authors: Shannon Roddel, Shijie Lu

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 15 nov 2025

According to Wikipedia, 'Employer branding describes an employer's reputation as a place to work, and their employee value proposition, as opposed to the more general corporate brand reputation and value proposition to customers.' Brett Minchington, CEO of Employer Brand International and the author of many books such as 'The Business of Employer Branding' and 'Your Employer Brand: Attract, Engage, Retain', defines employer branding as, 'The image of your organization as a 'great place to work' in the mind of current employees and key stakeholders in the external market (active and passive candidates, clients, customers and other key stakeholders). The art and science of employer branding is therefore concerned with the attraction, engagement and retention initiatives targeted at enhancing your company's employer brand.' In a research paper, 'The Employer Brand' (Authors: Simon Barrow; Tim Ambler), published in the Journal of Brand Management in December 1996, define the employer brand as, 'The package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment, and identified with the employing company.' The research was the first attempt to apply the brand management techniques to human resource management. SOME EMPLOYER BRANDING STATISTICS - According to LinkedIn, good employer brand reduces attrition by 28%; Talent acquisition for a good employer brand becomes 1-2 times faster; 59% of employers see employer branding as a key to their hr department strategy; 55% of employers quantify employer branding as a key area of investment; 75% of job seekers consider the employer brand before even applying for a job; 90% candidates would apply for a company that has a well maintained employer brand; 67% employees don't mind working with a lower play for a company with a very well maintained employer brand; 88% millennials believe that being a part of the right company culture is one of the most important aspect of work-life. To get the most out of employer branding requires a well thought out strategy and execution with the goal to attract, engage and retain employees - Develop an excellent company culture and an engaged workforce that would include employeed reward, adequate recognition, employee benefits and perks, strong leadership etc; Invest in identifying and developing the company's mission statement, values and culture with focus on positive impact on surroundings and communities that it opertes in; Conduct internal and external surveys to gauge perception of the brand among jobe seekers and internal employees; A well designed and communicated career page, optimized for mobile users, is an important part of the online employer brnding strategy (94% of the job seekers first check out the job listing on their phone; 50% of job seekers complete their applications on mobile; 47% of top talents find it difficult to browse through the website on their mobile phone); Clear communication of EVP (Employer Value Proposition) that would include explanation about benefits and rewards to employees is a necessity; Include a well explained and clear job description for best match; Providing testimonials and credible experiential statements to boost trust among prospective employees; Provide a streamlined and easy to use application process (60% of job seekers quit in the middle of the application process due to the complexity of the form); Create valuable content for job applicants to enhance talent acquisition; Keep the human element alive in interactions with the prospective candidates. Read on...

Vantage Circle: Employer Branding: What, How and Everything in Between
Authors: Iftekar Ahmed

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 oct 2025

Fresh produce has to be tested for contamination and ensure food safety. But, it has a limited shelf life and fast sample-to-results testing is a necessity to overcome waste and spoilage. Lab-based nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) require transportation to centralized testing labs, are sensitive and expensive, and need expert technicians. Multidisciplinary team of researchers from Purdue University [Jiangshan Wang; Simerdeep Kaur; Ashley Kayabasi; Mohsen Ranjbaran; Ishaan Rath; Ilan Benschikovski; Bibek Raut; Kyungyeon Ra; Nafisa Rafiq; Mohit S. Verma] in their research 'A portable, easy-to-use paper-based biosensor for rapid in-field detection of fecal contamination on fresh produce farms', published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics September 2024 (ScienceDirect.com), explain the development of a portable, paper-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) testing platform for on-farm applications, capable of detecting Bacteroidales as a fecal contamination biomarker. Prof. Mohit Verma says, 'We demonstrated the implementation of FARM-LAMP in the back of a van on a farm. This innovative platform seamlessly integrates key components—fluid handling, precise reaction heating, and automated colorimetric imaging analysis - into a compact, user-friendly device. FARM-LAMP demonstrated high sensitivity, detecting as few as 3 copies of Bacteroidales per square centimeter, a performance comparable to conventional laboratory-based testing methods (e.g., qPCR). Notably, when deployed directly on commercial lettuce farms, our device showed a 100% concordance rate with results from qPCR tests conducted in the lab...This study represents the first successful field demonstration of a portable biosensing technology for fresh produce farming, paving the way for broader adoption of rapid, on-site microbial safety testing.' According to Prof. Verma, 'This research addresses important global issues related to food safety and public health. Microbial contamination, particularly fecal contamination, remains a major public health threat, causing frequent foodborne illness outbreaks linked to fresh produce. These outbreaks not only pose serious health risks to consumers but also result in economic losses for farmers and retailers, as well as significant food waste. Our research offers a practical, scalable solution by enabling rapid, accurate, and cost-effective contamination testing directly at farm sites.' Read on...

Purdue University Research Blog: A field test for fresh produce safety
Author: Mohit Verma

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 oct 2025

The World Economic Forum's 'The State of Social Enterprise 2024' report finds that there are 10 million hybrid social ventures globally, and they generate US$ 2 trillion in revenue and create 200 million jobs. Moreover, women lead 1 of every 2 hybrid social ventures in the world, contrary to their 1 in 5 ratio in traiditonal businesses. According to the research study, 'Gender and social entrepreneurship fundraising: A mission drift perspective' (Authors: Yanhua Bird of Boston University; Junchao (Jason) Li of The State University of New Jersey; Yiying Zhu of Montclair State University; Zhenyu Liao of Northeastern University), published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes May 2025 (ScienceDirect.com), 'Female entrepreneurs are better positioned to alleviate funders' concerns over mission drift (i.e., entrepreneurs prioritizing financial gain at the expense of social missions) as they are perceived as having stronger prosocial motivation. As a result, they will garner more financial support for their early-stage hybrid social ventures relative to their male counterparts.' The research looked at archival data on social entrepreneur projects from crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. But this data only provided the relationship between funding and the gender of the entrepreneur. So researchers conducted an experiment where they presented investors with potential investments to see which ones they would invest in. Prof. Liao says, 'Ultimately, we found women tend to be perceived as having a higher pro-social motivation. Those kinds of higher social motivations will translate it into stronger confidence among those investors that those women entrepreneurs are more likely to commit to those social goals in their social, entrepreneurial projects...Women entrepreneurs have some unique advantages in certain domains. These can be really powerful. (I hope this paper) shines a hopeful light on this.' Read on...

Northeastern Global News: Female entrepreneurs have an advantage when it comes to funding social enterprises, new Northeastern research finds
Author: Erin Kayata

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 oct 2025

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI/Gen AI) is impacting businesses and its application in marketing is transforming. Prof. Mohanbir Sawhney of Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, considers GenAI as a natural fit for marketing as both are centered around human interactions - conversations, content and engagement. He says, 'When you look at the customer experience lifecycle - from insights and segmentation to offer creation, campaign execution, and performance analysis - generative AI enhances productivity and quality at every stage.' Some of the AI applications in industry are - AI-powered wealth advisors in financial services; Use of digital twins in retail leading to 'bot-to-bot commerce'; Image recognition tools to diagnose equipment malfunctions to reduce costly technician visits; Contract lifecycle management tools to streamline proceses; Transcription tools to auto-populate electronic health records to streamline doctor-patient interactions; Drones with image analysis tools can assess soil health, detect pests, and optimize harvesting schedules. Prof. Sawhney emphasized that these AI applications are not standalone solutions but are part of a broader AI ecosystem, that combines traditional machine learning, deep learning and generative AI to deliver optimal results. For startups he advises, 'Instead of investing in an array of specialized tools, startups should choose a platform-based approach - leveraging AI capabilities within robust ecosystems like Salesforce, Adobe, or Microsoft Dynamics.' He also raises concerns about the ethical and security aspects of AI technologies, and cautions, 'The more AI knows about you, the greater the privacy risks. If a digital twin is hacked, it's not just data theft - it's identity theft at an unprecedented level.' Key legal and ethical issues arising in AI age - intellectual property and copyright; perpetuation of biases present in training data; inaccurate or misleading content can have serious consequences in fields such as healthcare and finance. Prof. Sawhney suggests three key aspects to consider for students and early-career professionals in AI - (1) Understand core disciplines like linear algebra, statistics, and computer science; Active use of AI tools will provide hands-on experience and practical knowledge; Critical thinking, inquiry skills and curiosity are more valuable for learning and growth. Read on...

Forbes: The AI Revolution In Business: Insights From Kellogg Professor Sawhney
Author: Taarini Kaur Dang

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 oct 2025

Marketing function of businesses is already seeing evolution with the advent of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI or Gen AI). Customer service and content development saw the early impact, but now, market research is headed for major transformtion. Researchers Jeremy Korst of GBK Collective, Prof. Stefano Puntoni of The Wharton School at the University of Pensylvania and Prof. Olivier Toubia of Columbia Business School at Columbia University, explore the role of GenAI in revolutionizing market research, how organizations can make the best use of the technology, what it can and can't do and the ethical considerations. Researchers say, 'When properly deployed, the technology offers firms unprecedented opportunities to understand and engage with customers, better assess the competitive environment, and extend data-driven decision-making deep into their organizations.' SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS - According to the survey of 170 market research and practitioners and users, researchers found: 45% were already employing gen AI in their current data and insights activities; Another 45% were planning to do so in the future; More than 70% of respondents reported concerns about the possible side effects and challenges of gen AI; More than 70% had concerns about gen AI's potential to create skill gaps and even replace human data and insights professionals; 62% of those currently employing gen AI in their work were using it to synthesize lengthy interview transcripts and other documents; 58% were using it to analyze data; 54% were using it to write reports; More than 80% agreed that it has the potential to significantly enhance personal productivity and efficiency and that integrating it into their work processes is critical for staying competitive; More than 80% believed that it will positively affect their industry overall by improving their jobs and driving significant innovation; 81% of the respondents already use or plan to use gen AI to create synthetic data; Only 31% rated the value of data produced by gen AI as "great"; 30% of respondents said that their company had used gen AI to guide decision-making that previously wouldn't have leveraged external data and insights; 81% of respondents reported using or planning to use gen AI to "listen to the market" and keep their organizations informed about the competitive environment; More than 40% are already experimenting with digital twins; 42% said that they planned to experiment with digital twins in the future; 77% have concerns about the potential for biased results Researchers identified the following four distinct classes of opportunities - (1) Supporting Current Practices: Apply the four core capabilities of gen AI - synthesis, coding (computer programming), human interaction, and writing - to each stage of the market research process; Makes the process faster, cheaper, or easier to scale up. (2) Replacing Current Practices: Leveraging synthetic data (data about people's preferences or behavior that's created by AI and not gathered through surveys or interviews). (3) Filling Existing Gaps in Market Understanding: Obtaining insights and evidence that aren't available in conventional data.(4) Creating New Types of Data and Insights: Creating "digital twins"; Gen AI can conduct insightful interviews of the synthetic respondents it has created. Read on...

Columbia Business School: How Gen AI Is Transforming Market Research
Authors: Jeremy Korst, Stefano Puntoni, Olivier Toubia

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 18 oct 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing shift in interior design and architecture practice. Industry associations and organizations are observing and evaluating all aspects of AI use and providing advisories and directives for effective adoption and adaption of this technology. In June this year, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) passed industry policies on AI use at its Annual Business Meeting emphasizing - 'A formal establishment of AI Usage Policies, an AI Education & Exchange Platform, an AI Ethical Framework (AI's Integration into the Code of Ethics) and incorporating AI into the next AIA 5-Year Strategic Plan.' In July, Houzz released its inaugural report '2025 U.S. Houzz State of AI in Construction & Design' that mentions - Nearly 1/3rd of design businesses use AI tools; Firms using AI regularly report saving more than 3 hours of time per week. But, the U.S. State of AI in Construction and Design report noted that 94% of designers who participated stated they have no training or guidance in AI tools. Maria Marting, founder of Design Appy, voices her concern and cautions, 'How private is what you're doing and those platforms that you're using? It's the idea of what's your creative value, and then what's the privacy policy of the platform. Do those two things align?' But she also says in positive tone, 'When we're looking at AI and how it works for designers, it's really just a super powerhouse for them for the business side of things.' Dawn Haynie, Research Fellow at American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), says, 'Firm principals tend to use AI for streamlining communications, scheduling, and project management. More tech-savvy designers are more likely to use AI for concept development, renderings, and drafting specifications - tasks where efficiency and speed can significantly enhance output.' Rob Bischoff of Gensler says, 'We're also exploring how AI can deepen the storytelling behind our designs by bringing them to life quickly, and in more immersive formats that help convey the full design approach and human-centered experiences.' Robin Anderson, ASID's Director of Education, says, 'The profession should proactively learn from other industries that have already navigated AI's impacts. Often, best practices originate outside the design field.' Read on...

I+S Design: Navigating AI Opportunities, Risks, and Strategies for Interior Design
Author: Valerie Dennis Craven

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 sep 2025

According to UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. In some countries it is a mandatory policy for businesses and in others companies have incorporated it as a voluntary outreach to the communities they operate in. Either way CSR is becoming an integral part of corporate strategy and culture. It not only directly uplifts the communities but it also enhances company's social brand value. Corporates can create CSR programs by including following activities and improve employee engagement - (1) Community And Virtual Volunteering: Reduces company's employee turnover by approximately 50%; Work productivity is increased by approximately 13% by volunteering employees; 93% of employees who volunteer report being satisfied with their current employer. (2) Charitable Giving: Big Give research report finds that 84% of survey respondents said they were more likely to donate if the organization matched the amount. (3) Environmental Practices. (4) Public Area Cleanup. (5) Workplace Policies. (6) Volunteering In Animal Shelters. (7) Mentoring And Tutoring Programs. (8) Repairing Local Ecosystem. (9) Skill-based Micro-volunteering Opportunities. (10) Organize Fundraisers. (11) Volunteering Leave (VTO). (12) Natural Disaster Relief. (13) Cook For The Homeless Community. (14) Blood Donation Drive. (15) Knitting Clubs To Keep People Warm. Read on...

Vantage Circle: 15 Amazing CSR Activities To Boost Employee Engagement
Author: Lopamudra Banik

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 sep 2025

Prof. Linwan Wu of the University of South Carolina researches on advertising psychology and communication technology. More recently his interests are focused on artificial intelligence (AI) in advertising. In his latest research he tries to find out consumer reactions to the integration of AI in advertising and strategic communication. He says, 'Through my research, I have learned that consumers’ stereotypes of machines and robots, positive and negative, significantly influence their reactions to applications such as AI-created ads, AI-driven chatbots, and AI influencers. On one hand, people believe AI is more objective and accurate; on the other hand, they think AI cannot handle emotions and subjective tasks well.' He explains the important trends that people should understand about the interplay between advertising, technology and AI - Role of automation facilitated by AI in the areas of ad creation and ad placement; Use of Generative AI to create a large volume of advertising messages in the digital environment; Use of AI in programmatic advertising to achieve hyper-personalized delivery of messages. AI Global Public Opinion Tracker at USC tracks the shifts in public trust, use, and perceptions of AI. The findings are published as AI Index reports. Three reports have come out till now - Volune 1 in Summer 2024 (This survey explores the awareness, usage, and perception of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, specifically focusing on large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI's ChatGPT within the United States' communication landscape. HIGHLIGHTS - Generational divide in AI knowledge with younger people are more aware of AI; 38% of respondents use AI for work or study; AI tools are perceived to enhance productivity; Significant ethical and privacy concerns exist; 46% believe AI has a positive impact on journalism, while 36% view it negatively; 52% of Americans fear job losses due to AI, while 29% expect job transformation requiring new skills); Volume 2 in Winter 2024 (This is a survey focused on measuring the use and perception of AI tools within the United States. The survey explores various aspects of AI, including its impact on news consumption, social media engagement, and professional tasks related to communication. HIGHLIGHTS - Rising public interest in AI with 57% acquainted with AI tools to various degrees; AI tools are used by 35% of the population for communication content creation; Half of those in communication-related roles and 75% in IT and technical fields report regular use; Concerns about AI displacing jobs have dropped by 10% since June 2024, from over half to 42%; Mixed sentiments over AI's overall impact; Only one-third of the public surveyed is aware of ethical concerns related to AI tools; Mixed impact on journalism; Mis/disinformation fears persist); Wave 3 in August 2025 (This survey deepens earlier findings. The data are gaining consistency, pointing to clear directions for the future of communication, journalism and the use of AI tools in the workplace. HIGHLIGHTS - Nearly half of Americans now say they've heard "a lot" or "a great deal" about AI, up from just over a third last year; AI use for creating communication content jumped from 35% to 42% in eight months, driven by idea generation and summarizing; Half of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT or similar tools for work or study, up from 43% in late 2024; AI tool confidence ranked higher than political parties and media outlets; ChatGPT is the most used AI assistant (83% of AI users); Half see AI's overall impact as positive, but negative views are up (28%, from 22%); 57% believe AI will widen the gap between tech-skilled and non-tech workers; Mis/disinformation concerns persist. 44% think AI will increase mis/disinformation, and only one-third believe it will reduce it). Read on...

University of South Carolina News: Professor explores intersection of AI, advertising and public perception
Author: Brandon Pugh

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 aug 2025

Electronic textiles or simply e-textiles are wearable fabrics that are embedded with electronic components adding specific functionality to them. Some of the common components currently in use are sensors, lights, batteries, microcontrollers etc. E-textiles are finding applications in defence, medical, sports, wellness etc. Advancements in flexible electronic technology is further giving boost to the e-textile industry. Research paper, 'Sensory interactive fibers and textiles' [Authors: Huanhuan Liu of Donghua University (China); Yuyuan Shi of Northumbria University (UK); You Pan of Fudan University (China); Zhaohui Wang of Donghua University (China); Bingjie Wang of Fudan University (China)], published in npj Flexible Electronics on 11 march 2025, reviews the research status of sensory interactive fibers and textiles in recent years, providing a detailed overview of functional fibers capable of achieving sensory interactive functions, categorizes system integration technologies for sensory interactive e-textiles, and summarizes the application scenarios of sensory interactive e-textiles. They are also termed as intelligent textiles and can engage almost all human senses, such as visual, haptic, auditory, or olfactory. Hence, sensory interactive e-textiles are indispensable in human-machine interaction due to their unique dynamic change characteristics, providing a more intelligent and personalized wearing experience. Developing these textiles require collaboration from multidisciplinary fields such as material science, computer science, fashion design, textile design etc. The research review defines the three typical development generations of intelligent e-textiles. Firstly, the sensory interactive e-textiles based on different senses have been summarized better to understand the intelligent interaction between humans and textiles. Then, detailed insights into how flexible electronics have been or can be incorporated into e-textile systems. Meanwhile, considering the characteristics of multidisciplinary cooperation, we propose a new design paradigm based on analyzing the inadequacy of the existing intelligent e-textile design process. Lastly, the development trend and potential problems of sensory interactive e-textiles are highlighted. Thus, this review aims to help scientists and designers collaborate more effectively in developing sensory interactive e-textiles in the context of interdisciplinary work. Authors of the study put forward four outlooks for the future development direction of interactive e-textiles - (1) Focus on user demands and improve the interactive function focus of smart e-textiles. (2) Comprehensively consider the composition technology of interactive e-textiles with different functions to improve their stability, usability, and multifunctional integration. (3) Optimize the performance of intelligent interactive materials and improve the efficiency of the production process to reduce the production cost of interactive e-textiles. (4) Efforts should focus on user's privacy and security while using interactive e-textiles as they have the ability to track, store, and transmit user information. Read on...

Nature: Sensory interactive fibers and textiles
Authors: Huanhuan Liu, Yuyuan Shi, You Pan, Zhaohui Wang, Bingjie Wang

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 aug 2025

As the US government reduces funding and grants to nonprofits there is a transformational shift that the giving and charity sector is facing and organizations have to adapt to this reality. According to The Urban Institute, 90% of nonprofits with over US$ 10 million in annual expenses receive government support (half of their total revenue) while smaller nonprofits with budgets under US$ 100000 rely on government grants with only 13% of their revenue. All will be affected in some ways with the policy change. Alexander Puutio, academic and author, explores the challenging future of giving and philanthropy and brings views of other experts to utilize models that will last in the uncertain world. He says, 'The economic and political volatility is putting Schumpeter's (Joseph Schumpeter) creative destruction on steroids across the entire philanthropic landscape, and one result of the shakeup will be that outdated models are rapidly being discarded in search of more agile, resilient approaches that are emerging in their place. What's rising in the aftermath is a new breed of giving that is leaner, faster, and built on the principles of decentralization, distribution, and data.' Karen Kardos, Head of Philanthropic Advisory at Citi Wealth, says, 'There’s pressure, yes, and that is forcing nonprofits to stay squarely on mission to generate impact...One thing we are seeing is the acceleration of a cultural shift that has been long in the making. The old model was report-based. The new model that is quickly becoming the must-have is iterative, responsive, and grounded in outcomes, not just expenditures.' Lurein Perera, co-founder of GiveCard, who built a direct-to-recipient philanthropy model designed to cut out layers of bureaucracy, says, 'We build and maintain the infrastructure by which nonprofits are giving money directly to people, including those experiencing homelessness, via our debit cards. It's traceable, fast, and goes straight into the hands of those who need it.' Clay Dunn, CEO of VOW for Girls that operates on a model allows 100% of public donations to go directly to the field, something that's only possible through rigorous operational design, says, 'Some of the most effective campaigns we've run have been through small business networks and grassroots ambassadors. People want to give. They just need to feel like what they give matters...The cause is as important as it ever has. But now what matters even more is how you deliver on that cause and how the donors and beneficiaries perceive you in the process. Trust is the new currency without which nonprofits can't operate.' Mr. Puutio suggests the use of decentralized giving models with digital technology as an enabler and data-driven giving with human-centered design as the way forward. He says, 'Digital platforms are enabling new forms of donor engagement, localized disbursement, and transparent impact tracking. It's now possible to decentralize not just funding decisions but the entire value chain, from vetting organizations to measuring outcomes in real time...As data and dashboards become central to philanthropic decision-making, leaders must ensure that people stay at the center of the work...real impact starts with inclusion.' Read on...

Forbes: What's Next In Philanthropy? Decentralized Models And Smarter Giving
Author: Alexander Puutio

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 aug 2025

Chief marketing officers (CMOs) have to adapt and evolve to the changes brought about by the use of artifical intelligence (AI) in content marketing, and stay ahead of the curve for future success. They need to keep the balance between tech and human aspects of content development. Following are 8 trends that CMOs and content mareketers have to understand to ensure successful implementation of content marketing strategies - (1) Use AI To Assist: 'The State of GenAI Chatbots in Marketing' report by Botco.ai finds that 73% of respondents say their companies use Generative AI to help create text, images, videos, or other content types and only 17% of marketers aren't using AI at all; Survey report by Capterra finds that the majority of marketers (88%) believe AI software saves their company time and money; A study published in Nature found that when generative AI software only uses content created by other AI, its responses start to decline in quality. CMO Plan of Action (POA) - Develop AI-human content workflows; Audit existing content; Clearly disclose when and how AI tools are used; Monitor and audit content. (2) Write For Semantic Search: Search now adapts to user behavior and favor semantically rich results; AI-powered search engines now parse through conversational queries. CMO POA - Use schema markup; Redesign landing pages; Implement relevant structured data; Keep a pulse on SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) changes. (3) Create Short-Form Videos: 'Video Marketing Statistics 2025' by WYZOWL finds 93% of marketers say video marketing has given them a good ROI, 96% of video marketers say video has helped them increase brand awareness, 84% of video marketers say video has directly increased sales, while 84% say video has helped keep visitors engaged on their website longer. CMO POA - Develop a repository of short-form clips; Repurpose long-form content; Distribute video via LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. (4) Optimize For Voice And Visual Search Discovery: More customers are seeking products by sharing screenshots or using voice assistants to search for businesses. CMO POA - Add descriptive, keyword-rich alt-text; Don't neglect mobile performance; Include voice-format answers. (5) Create Interactive Experiences: First-party data powers personalization and must be captured in a compliant way; HubSpot study finds that interactive content sees the fourth-highest ROI compared to other marketing initiatives. CMO POA - Add interactive tools; Ensure lead capture forms connect appropriately to CRM; Collaborate across marketing, CX, and analytics. (6) Tap Into Micro-Communities: Savvy brands turn to Reddit; Confidant Zeitgeist finds that vast majority (88%) of Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z U.S. consumers engage with niche groups based on shared values or interests. CMO POA - Identify a few key niche communities; Start by observing user behavior; Share user-generated content (UGC). (7) Go Beyond Google: Generative AI services are gaining traction. CMO POA - Launch content distribution campaigns across; Build relationships with niche content providers; Use performance dashboards. (8) Create A Strategic Budget: Content Marketing Institute, MarketingProfs and The MX Group research study finds that 46% of B2B marketers have increased their marketing budgets in 2025 and 61% spend more on video; ResearchAndMarkets.com reports that AI in marketing is now a US$ 57.99? billion market; SurveyMonkey reports that 56% of marketers say their company is taking an active role in implementing and using AI. CMO POA - Create a framework for how you'll reflect content's ROI; Consider budget allocations for emerging tech; Track and report ROI. Read on...

Search Engine Journal: 8 Emerging Trends CMOs Need To Watch: What's Next In Content Marketing
Author: Chelsea Alves

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 jul 2025

Online education got a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Even though the emergency situation faded and schools opened, but education systems around the world realized the importance of blended and hybrid learning. A Dubai Executive Council survey conducted in 2020 and backed by the UAE government found that parents expect blended or online learning to continue and become permament part of the education system. In a late 2022 study by My Online Schooling and Cambridge International showed that 83% of parents support hybrid learning models with 40% requesting explicit hybrid options for convenience and greater control. Parents perceive both benefits (flexibility; consistent education even during travel, medical and other situations; better accessibility in remote areas and students with special needs) and challenges (less effective with younger children; concerns related to social development and peer interaction; health concerns due to increase in screen time and lack of physical activity) with online education. UAE government policy and regulatory authorities also continue to encourage, support and regulate quality digital learning models. Knowledge and Human Development Authority Dubai (KHDA) oversees school education and ensures digital learning standards and teacher credentials while Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) applies e-learning protocols across institutions at the university and higher education level. According to Technavio, the UAE education market size is forecast to increase by US$ 5.1 billion, at a CAGR of 8.6% between 2024 and 2029. The Mohammad Bin Rashid Smart Learning Programme (founded in 2012) and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (founded in 2002) continue to support and implement digital learning and education. Online education in UAE has now become an integral part of the education system, and regulated platforms, accreditation standards, and parental standards are ensuring that hybrid learning is effective, inclusive, and forward-looking. Read on...

The Times of India: UAE: Why nearly half of Dubai parents think online learning to continue in future, survey insight from 2020
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 jul 2025

Business-to-business (B2B) companies develop products and services for other businesses and organizations and their dynamics and challenges are different from business-to-consumer (B2C) companies. In the supply chain B2B companies are present in all three economic sectors - primary (exclusively B2B) includes companies that extract or produce raw materials; secondary (exclusively B2B) includes companies that manufacture and assemble products; tertiary (mix of both B2B and B2C) includes companies that provide goods and services other customer-facing tertiary companies need to do their jobs. Challenges that B2B companies face - (1) B2B businesses must continually innovate and maintain customer loyalty. (2) B2Bs must build a strong internet presence (should appeal to customers and prospects at the three stages of sales funnel - awareness, investigative and action); (3) B2B companies must manage cash flow and late payments. Brent Walker, cofounder and chief strategy officer of Psympl, says, 'B2B typically relies on its sales function and account management team to establish and strengthen customer-client relationships. Marketing may include advertising in trade journals, having a presence at conventions and trade conferences, digital marketing - an online presence, SEO, email outreach - and other traditional awareness efforts.' B2B companies can boost market share and grow through applying following strategies - (1) Join supply and procurement exchanges. (2) Use keyword-targeted marketing. (3) Try direct marketing campaigns. (4) Use lead-generation websites. Read on...

Business News Daily: What is the Business to Business (B2B) Model?
Authors: Mark Fairlie, Matt D'Angelo, Tejas Vemparala, Adam Uzialko

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 jul 2025

Mushrooming of web design services have made the industry extraordinarily competitive and to stay at the top requires well thought out and planned strategies with innovation and customer centricity as the key. Lead generation is an important component of this planning and execution process. Following are 5 lead generation tactics that help web design business stands out, attract right clients and drives consistent growth - (1) Use Content Marketing to Attract Web Design Clients: Cost-effective as it drives 3 times more leads and costs 62% less than tracitional methods like paid ads; Improved SEO; Builds authority and trust; Long-term engagement; Amplifies other efforts. (2) Use Paid Ads for Immediate Lead Capture: Google Ads claim that it returns a 200% ROI on average; Target long-tail keywords; Use Google and LinkedIn ads; Optimize ad copy and landing pages. (3) Optimize Your Website for Local SEO: Optimize Google Business profile; Incorporate geo-targeted keywords; Collect google reviews; Create location-specific landing pages. (4) Tap into Social Media Lead Generation: Social media platforms are invaluable for building relationships and engaging with potential clients; Use Instagram and LinkedIn to showcase your portfolio; Run targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram; Engage with potential clients. (5) Implement Automated Lead Nurturing Systems: Implement and repeat the cycle (Use CRM Tools -> Segment Leads -> Send Tailored Content -> Re-engage Dormant Leads). Read on...

DesignRush: Top 5 Lead Generation Strategies for Web Design
Author: David Jenkin

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 jun 2025

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are creating challenges for public relations (PR) professionals even though their focus is on storytelling, human relationships and creativity. Those with adaptive skills and embrace change effectively will take on this tech challenge and succeed. Scott Bardell, a PR and marketing expert and founder & CEO of Idea Grove and Trust Signals Marketing, explains how PR professionals can prepare for the road ahead in the PR industry and overcome challenges posed by AI - (1) Embrace collaboration, not competition: AI is going to augment their skills and can handle repetitive tasts. While they should focus on valuable tasks such as building human relationships and creative strategy. (2) Become a storytelling specialist: AI can struggle with emotional and sensitive aspects of storytelling that creative humans can do best. Mix AI generated ideas with emotional storytelling that touches human hearts and minds. (3) Focus on relationship building: AI can scour through data effectively to find connections but to achieve trust and relationship building will require human skills. Hone these human skills to succeed. (4) Master media analysis and strategy: AI tools can analyze media sentiment, track campaign performance and identify trends, but they can't make strategic decisions. Having analytical, interpretative and execution skills will help. (5) Innovate with new formats: AI is providing new formats and platforms such as virtual events, AI-driven influencer partnership, personalized video pitches. Use them with a strategic and creative mindset. (6) Diversify your skills: Learn new skills such as data analysis, SEO, digital advertising etc to broaden horizon. (7) Advocate for ethics and transparency: Stay informed about ethical guidelines and best practices for AI in PR and be a champion for them. Read on...

Entrepreneur: Yes, AI Might Take Your PR Job. Here's What You Can Do About It.
Authors: Scott Baradell, Chelsea Brown

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 jun 2025

Product design is important for product perception and consumption by customers, and influences user experience, enhances functionality and drives customer engagement. 5 key benefits of product design are - (1) Enhances the User Experience (Ensures effortless usability; Enhance visual appeal and engagement; Enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty). Key UX principles to enhance usability and accessibility include: Usability heuristics; Accessibility guidelines; Hick's Law; Fitts's Law; Gestalt's Principles. (2) Establishes Strong Brand Recognition (Conistency; Brand elements; Innovation; Quality). (3) Improves Product Efficiency (Streamlining processes; Reducing materials; Improving durability; Increasing automation). (4) Drives Innovation and Creativity (Integration of new technologies; Exploring new materials and production methods; Prioritizing user-centric design). (5) Reduce Costs (Reducing production costs; Minimizing delivery costs; Reducing support requests; Increasing customer retention). Production design processes for physical products and digital products can be quite different with respect to medium and materials (tangible vs digital), tools and techniques(physical-3D, CNC etc vs virtual-AdobeXD, Figma etc), user considerations (ergonomics, safety etc vs UX, UI etc), development and iteration (longer time cycles and limited iterations vs rapid iterations and frequent updates), distribution and scalability (limited and costly vs quick, cheap and easily expandable). Product design team often includes UX designer, UI designer, prototype designer, design strategist and design manager. Product design process include following key steps - Research (Gathering insights through market analysis and user studies); Ideation (Generating and refining creative ideas through brainstorming); Prototyping (Creating tangible models to outline core functionalities); Testing (Validating design with user feedback to identify issues); Iteration (Refining design based on testing feedback for optimization). Business success can be effectively achieved by leveraging product design and aesthetics - Learn about the target market; Create a unique selling proposition; Optimize packaging; Focus on the details. Once product design is applied it is also important to measure its success through applying metrics - Usability Metrics (Task success and time on task; Error tates; Standardized scores). A/B testing for Design Elements (Controlled comparisons; Behavioral analytics). User Feedback Focused on Design (Surveys and interviews; Direct observations). Design Consistency and Brand Impact (Brand recall; Support and error reduction). Following are six key product design trends in 2025 - (1) AI Integration Is Making Products Smarter and More Intuitive. (2) Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Materials Are Driving Innovation. (3) Modular and Customizable Designs Enhance Longevity. (4) Augmented Reality Is Reshaping User Interactions. (5) Human-Centered and Inclusive Design Prioritizes Accessibility. (6) Smart Wearables Are Becoming Lifestyle Companions. Read on...

DesignRush: Why Effective Product Design Is Important to Business Success: Insights for 2025
Author: Mladen Milosevic

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 may 2025

Seed grants are nominal funds that act as catalyst in the early stages of innovative and entrepreneurial projects and initiatives that seek to bring social transformations. These grants require less procedural and bureaucratic requirements and are easily accessible. In addition to supportive funding these grants can also bring collaborative approach and exploration of alternative ideas for sustainable solutions. Seed grants can have considerable impact on the success of social good initiatives - Empower innovation and community engagement; Springboard for larger funding oppotunities; Amplify social impact. With all the support seed grants can provide in the initial stages, they do have challenges and limitations - Very competitive nature of grant applications as funds are limited; Come with constraints and restrictions in terms for fund use. One of the major role seed grants play is in fostering innovation, creativity, experimentation and collaboration. The future of seed grants is promising as more emphasis is now directed towards social entrepreneurship and impact-driven initiatives. Moreover, funders are also able to realize the importance of early stage funding to encourage innovation and bring out of the box solutions in a collaborative and partnership way. Technology is also streamlining the application process and various platforms are enhancing reach and accessibility by democratizing the funding process. Read on...

fundsforNGOs: The Global Importance of Seed Grants in Social Good
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 may 2025

Digitalization is a continuously evolving process for businesses and keeping pace with it can be overwhelming and challenging. Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in business processes is becoming a norm. Latest AI-based applications in sales forces are streamlining processes, improving customer engagement and and making organizations more agile and data-driven. But there are challenges and all organizations are not able to get the best out of this digitalization. There are three key obstacles that sales leaders encounter but they can be addressed with proven solutions - (1) Knowledge gaps: Tap into the power of external expertise; Learn from those who have recently navigated the journey; Recruit 'boundary spanners.' (2) Perceived complexity and risks: Personalize and coordinate customer engagement for fast impact; Start small and scale over time (3) Intertia: Use catalysts and champion an effort that motivates the sales team and overall organization. Shift towards digitalization requires balanced focus both on technologies and people. Create win-win for customers and the company together with use of technology to enhance relationships and eventually boost growth and profitablity. Sales team requires special attention and investments are needed in change management, training, and support. Have open communication, celebrate success and have a committed leadership to drive change. Read on...

Harvard Business Review: How Your Sales Team Can Catch Up on Digital and AI Tools
Authors: Prabhakant Sinha, Arun Shastri, Sally Lorimer

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 may 2025

Graphic design is a tool that showcases brand strategy through visual elements. It shapes perception, builds trust and drives engagement. Rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping design process, giving new meaning to human creativity and emotional storytelling. 14 Forbes Council members suggest ways for brands to stand out and connect more deeply with audiences in 2025 - (1) Oksana Matviichuk, OM Strategic Forecasting: Embrace Natural And Consistent Brand Aesthetics. (2) Datari Ladejo, Fernhill Digital Consulting: Bring Back Retro Fonts And Color Palettes. (3) Tyler Back, Mitosis: Design With Authenticity And Intention. (4) Bernard May, National Positions: Use Simple, Direct Graphics To Stand Out. (5) Austin Irabor, NETFLY: Play With 'Fake' Hyperrealism And Visual Escapism. (6) Katie Meyer, MoonLab Productions: Highlight The Human Touch With Handcrafted Elements. (7) Goran Paun, ArtVersion: Use Typography To Express Your Brand Voice. (8) Shane Savage, PATHOS: Embrace Raw, Imperfect Aesthetics. (9) Shanna Apitz, Hunt Adkins: Design To Provoke Deep, Powerful Emotion. (10) Christy Saia-Owenby, MOXY Company: Tap Into Culture With Story-Driven Visuals. (11) Boris Dzhingarov, ESBO Ltd: Align Bold Minimalism With SEO Best Practices. (12) Amy Packard Berry, Sparkpr: Combine Collage With AI For Modern Nostalgia. (13) Robert Nikic, Why Unified: Dive Into Color Psychology To Drive Deeper Engagement. (14) Vaibhav Kakkar, Digital Web Solutions: Enhance User Experience With Microinteractions. Read on...

Forbes: How To Stand Out: 14 Ways Brands Can Use Current Graphic Design Trends
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 apr 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies can assist social enterprises to enhance operational efficiency, improve decision-making processes and, expand and amplify their reach and impact. Utilizing vast data and developing valuable insights is now attainable through AI and ML tools. Some of the ways in which AI and ML can be applied in social sector includes - (1) Provides advanced tools for data analysis and decision-making. (2) Streamline operations and processes to optimize resource allocation and improve efficiency. (3) Identify patterns and trends through analyzing large amount of data and make better decisions and predictions. (4) Personalize and customize services to improve engagement and better serve beneficiaries and stakeholders. (5) Improve impact measurement and reporting by providing more accurate and real-time data, thus building close relations and enhance trust with funders and stakeholders. Social enterprises should also understand ethical considerations such as privacy, algorithmic bias, fairness and inclusivity etc while implementing AI and ML technologies for better and balanced outcomes. Read on...

fundsforNGOs: How can AI and machine learning support social enterprises?
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 apr 2025

Retail businesses require an effective workforce management to overcome challenges such as high employee turnover rates, complex scheduling demands, changing compliance requirements etc. Technological advancements and automation has brought about development of HR software for retail that can streamline workforce planning, optimize people management, boost business productivity, improve employee engagement, enhance customer satisfaction and help make strategic decisions based on data-driven insights. Key features of the HR software for retail include - (1) Time-off Management: In additon to excellent attendance tracking capabilities, the software effectively manages employee time-off requests and helps improve work-life balance of employees. A 2024 Grant Thornton retail employee survey revealed that 55% had suffered work burnout a year prior due to worker shortages and mental health issues. While 41% of hourly workers identified 'unrealistic expectations' as the main cause of stress. (2) File Management and Document Signing: HR software can centralize all employee documentation and reduce paperwork such as company handbooks, employee records, contracts, and compliance documents. (3) Recruitment and Onboarding: Software provides an applicant tracking system, job postings, background checks, and pre-built templates to streamline the hiring process and simplifies the onboarding process by automating paperwork, assigning training modules, and tracking progress. (4) Performance Tracking and Employee Engagement Surveys: HR software provides employee survey tools and performance evaluations that can help in reducing turnover rates and improving employee productivity. According to CXG research, in luxury retail sector about 51% of employees are 'quiet quitting' but with predictive analytics, retailers can make data-driven decisions about promotions, career development, and opportunities for improvement, thus reducing quitting. Benefits of implementing HR software in retail include - (1) Reduced Administrative Burden (2) Enhanced Compliance and Manual Errors (3) Improved Employee Satisfaction and Retention. To fulfil specific requirement following consideration should be made while evaluating an HR software solution - (1) Scalability: Adaptable to the business size and capable to scale. (2) Ease of Use: An intuitive solution that employees and managers can easily use without much training. (3) Integrations: Integrates seamlessly with other business solutions such as payroll providers, ERP tools, attendance tracking systems etc. (4) Mobile Accessibility: Accessible to employees anytime and anywhere on mobile devices to manage tasks like time-off requests, schedules etc. Read on...

365 Retail: How HR Software for Retail Can Transform Your Workforce Management
Author: Terry Clark

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 mar 2025

The research study, 'The impact of corporate social responsibility on cybersecurity behavior: The crucial role of organizationally-prescribed perfectionism', by Prof. Byung-Jik Kim of University of Ulsan (South Korea) and Prof. Julak Lee of Chung-Ang University (South Korea), published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (09 feb 2025), examines the mediating effects of psychological safety and job stress, as well as the moderating role of organizationally-prescribed perfectionism. Drawing on theories of social identity, social exchange, and the job demands-resources model, researchers postulate that CSR influences cybersecurity behavior in employees in a positive way, first through psychological safety and then through job stress as a sequential mediator. Authors also look at how organizationally-prescribed perfectionism moderates the connection between CSR and psychological safety. Read on...

Nature: The impact of corporate social responsibility on cybersecurity behavior: The crucial role of organizationally-prescribed perfectionism
Authors: Byung-Jik Kim, Julak Lee

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 mar 2025

Co-branding is a suitable strategy to leverage partner's audience and reach for mutual benefit. But brand dilution is a downside if both partners are not cautious. Forbes Communications Council leaders have the advice to avoid such a situation - (1) Joshua Stratton, Saxum: Strive For A Coalition Mindset. (2) Keith Bendes, Linqia: Engage In Partnerships Only Your Brand Could Do. (3) Clay Tuten, KeyMark Inc.: Communicate What Makes You 'You'. (4) Jamie Elkaleh, Bitget Wallet: Set Clear Values, Messaging And Tone At The Start. (5) Jonas Barck, Mentimeter: Look To Amplify, Not Dilute. (6) Amber Roussel Cavallo, Civic Builders: Ensure Each Side Brings Something Distinct And Complementary. (7) Dora Hrkac, Esyasoft Holding: Make Sure To Nurture Your Own Identity. (8) Prateek Panda, Tonic.ai: Partner With Reputable Brands That Align Well. (9) Patrick Ward, NanoGlobals: Lead With Complementary Strengths. (10) Fahad Qadir, Haleon: Highlight Uniqueness Through Visuals And Messaging. (11) Saakshar Duggal, Artificial Intelligence Law Hub: Think 'Strategic Alignment,' Not 'Assimilation'. (12) Scott Morris, Sprout Social: Define A Clear 'Why' Behind The Opportunity. (13) Melissa Sierra, USIM: Find Partners That Fill A Gap You Have. (14) Tom Wozniak, OPTIZMO Technologies, LLC: Ensure Both Brands Get Equal Billing. Read on...

Forbes: Considering A Co-Branding Opportunity? 14 Tips To Avoid Brand Dilution
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 feb 2025

Online giving and fundraising are an important component of nonprofit functioning in the tech-enhanced environment. Social media is an important tool in online fundraising strategies of nonprofits. The Blackbaud Institute's '2023 Trends in Giving Spotlight' report finds that online giving amounted to an estimated 12% of all nonprofit fundraising in 2023. According to the research study, 'Message Content and Diversity as an Effective Nonprofit Fundraising Strategy on Social Media', by Prof. Abhishek Bhati of Bowling Green State University and Prof. Diarmuid McDonnell of University of West Scotland, published in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (December, 2024), 'When nonprofits use multiple strategies during their online fundraising campaigns, such as thanking donors for their support, telling the public about their missions and conveying how they are helping people, they receive more donations than if they stick to only one kind of post.' Prof. Bhati says, 'Previous research ['The Role of Social Media in Nonprofit Organizations' Fundraising' by academics from University of Burgos (Spain) - Teresa Elvira-Lorilla, Inigo Garcia-Rodriguez, M. Elena Romero-Merino, Marcos Santamaria-Mariscal], including our own, has found that when nonprofits frequently post on social media platforms, they can encourage donations by engaging followers as well as their extended networks. Taking the strategy our study supports - making different kinds of posts - could help nonprofits beyond simply getting more donations. We suspect that it may also reduce donor fatigue.' Read on...

The Conversation: Nonprofits get more donations when they vary their Facebook fundraising messages - New research
Author: Abhishek Bhati

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 feb 2025

The research study, 'Leveraging Big Data Analytics for Understanding Consumer Behavior in Digital Marketing: A Systematic Review', by Prof. Leonidas Theodorakopoulos and Prof. Alexandra Theodoropoulou from Department of Management Science and Technology at University of Patras (Greece), explores the potential of big data to offer deep insights into consumer preferences and behaviors. Extracting insights from huge datasets allow businesses to personalize marketing strategies that result in better customer satisfaction and engagement. Researchers utilized the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology to synthesize existing literature to evaluate the benefits of big data in digital marketing. Researchers say, 'The integration of big data analytics in digital marketing fundamentally enhances organizations' ability to understand and influence consumer behavior. This analysis focuses on metrics such as page visits, time spent on pages, clicks, navigation patterns, and search queries, which allow marketers to tailor strategies effectively to meet consumer needs. This comprehensive data collection facilitates the creation of highly personalized marketing strategies that resonate with individual consumer preferences and behaviors. Moreover, user engagement, defined as the degree of interaction and involvement a user has with a website or digital platform, is a crucial variable. High levels of user engagement indicate that the content and design of a website effectively capture and retain user interest. By measuring metrics such as average time spent on a page, the number of pages visited per session, and click-through rates, marketers can gain valuable insights into user preferences and optimize their digital content accordingly. This detailed understanding of user interaction helps improve user experience and boosts engagement rates.' The practical applications for businesses and marketers from the insights gained by this systematic review are - Enhanced personalization; Optimized user experience; Predictive analytics; Customer journey mapping. Read on...

Wiley Online Library: Leveraging Big Data Analytics for Understanding Consumer Behavior in Digital Marketing: A Systematic Review
Authors: Leonidas Theodorakopoulos, Alexandra Theodoropoulou, Alhamzah Alnoor

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 feb 2025

The 19th International Architecture Exhibition of Venice Architecture Biennale will take place from 10 May to 23 November 2025 in Venice, Italy. This year's theme, 'Titled Intelligens Natural Artificial Collective', will focus on how architecture takes a flexible and active role in adapting to changing times by taking advantage of all kinds of intelligence, natural, artificial and collective. Carlo Ratti, an architect and engineer, and presently the director of the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and also faculty at Politecnico di Milano, is the curator of the Venice Biennale. He says, 'Architecture has always been a response to a hostile climate. From the earliest 'primitive hut', human design has been led by the need for shelter and survival, driven by optimism: our creations have always strived to bridge the gap between a harsh environment and the safe, livable spaces we require. Today, that dynamic approach is being taken to a new level - as climate becomes less forgiving...The year 2024 marked a grim milestone as Earth registered its hottest temperatures on record...For decades, architecture’s response to the climate crisis has been centered on mitigation - designing to reduce our impact on the climate. But that approach is no longer enough. The time has come for architecture to embrace adaptation: rethinking how we design for an altered world...This year's exhibition invites different types of intelligence to work together to rethink the built environment...In the time of adaptation, architecture is at the center and must lead with optimism. In the time of adaptation, architecture needs to draw on all forms of intelligence - natural, artificial, collective. In the time of adaptation, architecture needs to reach out across generations and across disciplines - from the hard sciences to the arts. In the time of adaptation, architecture must rethink authorship and become more inclusive, learning from science. Architecture must become as flexible and dynamic as the world we are now designing for.' According to Ratti, addaptation demands inclusivity and collaboration and Intelligens will serve as a 'dynamic laboratory' that unites experts across various forms of intelligence. Moreover, curating on this scale required a fundamental shift in methodology and an interdisciplinary curatorial team has led the open, bottom-up selection process. The participant pool spans generation and is very inclusive with wide variety of viewpoints, ranging from new graduates to Nobel laureates, Pritzker winners, and senior acedemics and researchers. A more inclusive authorship model is also applied that achnowledges all the diverse voices that influence design. In this age of adaptability Venice Biennale also needs to work with other international organizations to widen horizon and understanding. Read on...

World Architecture Community: Carlo Ratti: 'Architecture Must Rethink Authorship And Become More Inclusive, Learning From Science'
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 jan 2025

There has been an overall rise in internet-based learning in European Union (EU) countries, even though some are lagging behind. According to an annual survey on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in households and by individuals in 2024, 33% of EU internet users reported that they had done an online course or used online learning material in the 3 months prior to the survey. This shows an increase of 3 percentage points (pp) from 30% in 2023. Countries that show the highest share of internat users involved in online learning are - Ireleand (61%), Netherlands (59%) and Finland (53%). While countries with least share are - Romania (10%), Cyprus (11%) and Bulgaria (17%). Read on...

European Union - Eurostat: More internet users turn to online learning in 2024
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 jan 2025

Startups and entrepreneurial ventures often work on shoestring budgets during their formative years and have to bootstrap on various expenses. Advertising can be one of them. Following are some cost-effective ways to implement advertising strategies and make the best out of limited resources - (1) How You Can Use Social Media Marketing To Keep Costs Down: Basic social media is free and can create word-of-mouth for posts that are designed and done well. They may even go viral based on creativity. (2) Self-Service Platforms To Keep Costs Down: Self-service platforms, facilitated with AI, can be the future of advertising that can streamline advertising alongwith cost effectiveness. Podcasts have become a popular advertising tool with Statista projecting them to reach 110 listeners by 2029. AudioGO is one such platform that provides budget services for startups. (3) Influencer Collaborations Remain Win-Win Scenarios: Influencer collaborations provide access to curated audience. With nano- and micro-influencers it is budget friendly and easy to scale. (4) Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Remains An Ad Stalwart: Drawing traffic to website by creating authoritative, optimized, owned content is effective, efficient and low cost. Content can be optimized with tools such as Surfer SEO or MarketMuse. Now SEO includes GEO (generative engine optimization), which accounts for Google's AI Overviews and similar tools. (5) Content Marketing Remains A Potent Ad Opportunity: Developing sharable content like blogs, videos, and eBooks are effective ways to create brand value and it works well alongwith SEO to expand branch reach at minimal cost. Read on...

Forbes: 5 Cost-Effective Advertising Strategies For Startups
Author: John Hall

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 jan 2025

Healthcare furniture and design is an important component of patient care and treatment delivery. Scientific and technological advancements in the field focus on safety, functionality and aesthetics, that benefit both patients and health professionals. Hospital furniture sector is predicted to grow from US$ 8.2 billion in 2022, to US$ 16.1 billion by 2030, led by innovative solutions. Following are five innovation trends - (1) Technology Built-in: IoT (Internet of Things) provides digital connectivity and incorporates sensors to keep track of patient condition and enhances patient safety. Smart beds can monitor patient's weight, body temperature, heartbeat and include blood, oxygen and pressure sensors. (2) Taking the Load Off: Changes in population demographics are also facilitating innovation in furniture and equipment design. The growing number of bariatric patients necessitates an increase in the working loads that products can handle. (3) Patient-Centric Design: Patient needs are the main focus with creating an environment that facilitates patient comfort and healing process. Soft colors, curved edges and aesthetics that are evocative of home is becoming increasingly common. Research indicates that patients in rooms with natural views recover 8.5% faster and require less pain medication. (4) Optimizing Space: Innovative furniture solutions such as modular seating systems, movable partitions etc ensure effective use of space alongwith patient comfort and safety. Integrated storage solutions in examination rooms help streamline workflow and declutter treatment areas. (5) Infection Control: The integration of infection control features in hospital furniture can help to elevate cleanliness and safety levels. Materials that inhibit the growth of microorganisms and surfaces that are simple to clean are now used. Tristan Hulbert, Group IT & Systems Director at Innova Care Concepts, says, 'One of the most obvious changes to hospital furniture is aesthetics. Evidence has shown that providing the right healing environment can help reduce patient stress levels...When developing new furniture and equipment for healthcare environments, a good product design team will consider the dimensions of the areas where products will be used...Infection control is a top priority these days. With hospital departments focusing on the prevention and control of infection-related diseases.' Read on...

MedicalExpo e-Magazine: Innovation in Healthcare Furniture: Enhancing Patient Outcomes
Author: Daniel Allen

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2024

Entrepreneurial spirit provides the ability to think that everything is possible and it can be achieved by giving the best. Entrepreneurial spirit is created over a period of time by consistently striving to work on continuous improvement with clearly thinking about innovation and making things better and working hard to achieve the goals, both in work and life. There are specific and recognizable traits and characteristics that people, organizations, communities and regions with entrepreneurial spirits show. Working together of these key characteristics help drive success - Passion and Confidence; Inquisitive and Curious; Open to Ideas; Optimistic and Positive; Take Calculated Risk and Being Risk Positive; Decisive and Effective Decision Making; Understand, Embrace and Overcome Failure and Recover Quickly from Setback; Adapt to New Situations; Work on Ideas with Sincere and Unflinching Capability; Life-Long and Continuous Approach to Learning, Constantly Evolve and Adapt to Change; Leadership Approach and Exemplary Behavior; Go Getting Mindset; Performance Oriented and Growth Focused; Innovative, Seeking Change and Challenging Status Quo; Teamworking; Proactive in Problem Recognition and Finding Solutions; Long-Term Focus with Short-Term Actionable Accomplishments; Full of Determination; Self Motivated and Freedom Oriented; Extensive Planning; Visionary with Realistic Approach. Read on...

ilmeps/read: The Entrepreneurial Spirit - Traits and Characteristics
Author: Mohammad Anas Wahaj

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 dec 2024

Original content vs generative artificial intelligence (AI) produced content is a debate that is consistently brewing. There are some who believe in the disruption through AI while there are some who prefer old style human generated content, and there are those that intend to strike a balance between AI and human skills. There has already been an information overload on the internet and AI rush is only exacerbating it. According to the report 'Generative AI Market' by MarketsandMarkets, generative AI is set to reach a staggering US$ 136.7 billion market size by 2030. Another report 'The State of GenAI Chatbots in Marketing' by Botco.ai points out that 58% of marketers have adopted generative AI for text creation. Sean Shea, founder and CEO of ViB, a company that generates quality leads for B2B companies globally, considers indiscriminate use of AI in B2B content creation as a major problem and provides the following reasons - (1) AI lacks new insight (2) Search engines apply penalties (3) Limitations and errors are common. This content can have negative impact on the brand and business leading to loss of brand trust, customer issues with a product or service and legal repercussions. Companies have to stay ahead and find ways to deliver original and valuable content. They can get this done by applying following strategies - (1) Publish new research/data (2) Compile thought leader opinions (3) Become a key source for industry news (4) Invent and innovate. The challenge for B2B marketers is to stand out and get attention within the huge sea of content. They should make sure, with or without AI, that there content is valuable, meaningful, aligns with the brand and constributes to the industry in a positive way. Read on...

Forbes: Why Originality Is The New Golden Rule In B2B Content Marketing
Author: Sean Shea

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 nov 2024

Public relations (PR) is a dynamic sector with continuously evolving landscape. Thinking beyond the basics, what is relevant now may become obsolete in future. Rise of artifical intelligence (AI) and automation has already started shifting the competitive advantage. Fake news and misinformation has become a nuisance and continues to hurt the PR ecosystem. Moreover, the ever challenging rising costs have made the task of PR founders difficult. To look into the coming 2025, there is always silver lining and brightness for those who keep their focus and adaptively strategizee with modern and forward looking mindset. Here are the views of PR founders aiming for success in the coming year - (1) Caroline MacDonald, founder and CEO at PR firm OggaDoon PR and Digital Media: 'As you strategise your planning, media engagement and press worthy stories for the coming year, keep these factors in mind - (i) Content is king, but don't forget your brand values. (ii) Embrace Artificial Intelligence...Enhancing productivity and creativity while fostering innovation, AI will unlock possibilities for growth and efficiency. (iii) Gen-Alpha are beginning to enter the conversation...Values like plant-based products, eco-friendliness, and sustainability resonate not just with them but also strongly influence Generation Z. (iv) Bluesky (social media platform) is poised to remain an influential player in the social media landscape.' (2) Rachel Royall, founder and MD at comms firm Blue Lozenge: 'Public relations like many sectors is in for a stormy 2025. As an agency founder I think there are four major factors that will disrupt our industry - (i) The golden thread that cuts through the obvious disruptors of AI, digital and social media channel shift is truth. (ii) Human connection in our work and with our teams will be increasingly important. (iii) Optimistically I think PR professionals who can find and promote joy will go far next year. (iv) Integration across disciplines will be vital for agency growth and impact. (3) Olugbeminiyi Idowu, founder and MD at PR firm Talking Drum: 'Increased emphasis on owned media as a channel...Advancements in digital analytics and content management tools will further enhance the appeal of owned media by enabling organizations to measure impact, refine messaging, and target audiences with greater precision...I also foresee synthetic PR redefining how brands engage audiences and manage their reputations. By leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence and synthetic data, PR professionals will be able to simulate audience reactions, test crisis scenarios and personalize campaigns with unprecedented precision...Predictive modelling powered by synthetic data will also help brands stay ahead of emerging trends, navigate reputational risks, and refine their strategies in real-time.' (4) Nick Baines, CEO and co-founder at PR firm Nara Communications: 'Aside from just saying 'AI will be big' ad nauseam, a trend I see that could be significant is the increasingly blurred lines between 'earned' and 'paid' media...There are more and more examples of sponsored placements that seem journalistic and meritocratic but have actually just been bought by companies who want to be seen in the press...I'm especially worried about this as it applies to mediums such as podcasts and individual newsletters...I predict 2025 will see a cozier media, when we in fact need more antagonism and challenging of interviewees. This is a problem - journalism is designed to ruffle feathers not just amplify corporate messaging.' (5) Lynsey Barry, CEO and co-founder at PR firm Five not 10: 'There's going to be more onus on clients and agencies doing a better job of linking PR with business outcomes...As budgets start to pick up in 2025...creative alone won't be enough to get PR the traction it needs and deserves in board rooms...it's going to be an interesting year for recruitment and retention.' (6) Nikki Collins, founder at Earnies: 'It's quite interesting to consider what will be the biggest disruptors in office culture and in turn employee happiness in 2025. Return-to-office has kicked back up a gear...I'd love to see the 'classic' mobile phone call become 2025's biggest disruptor.' (7) Jazz Gandhi, founder at comms firm Duet London: 'B2B and B2C will merge more becoming B2B2C...Insurance companies will need to see a more direct link to embedded sustainability practices...Larger companies will work with smaller outfits with lean overheads...A breed of versatile, talented 'big agency' experts will join as partners to greater a more fluid approach to delivering good comms.' (8) Courtney Glymph, founder and MD at PR firm, YourStoryPR: 'The PR landscape in 2025 will be shaped by shifts in how we build relationships and craft narratives across fragmented channels...As newsrooms shrink and AI content floods digital channels, there's clear appetite for researched, context-rich stories...The disruption lies in the changing nature of influence...Measurement is evolving too. Rather than vanity metrics, we'll track how stories move through professional communities and influence business decisions...Success will come from understanding how communities consume and share information, building campaigns that resonate while ensuring strong digital positioning for AI-driven discovery.' (9) Lydia Oakes, co-founder and COO of PR firm, Bluestripe Group: 'Of course AI will be having an impact in PR like any other industry, but it is just a tool...In fact the human relationship will always be one of the most important in the PR industry’s toolbox...In 2025 the use of AI will continue to grow but it will not replace industry expertise, great relationships and excellent storytelling.' Read on...

PRmoment: What's next for PR in 2025? Founders make their predictions
Author: Elizabeth Howlett

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 nov 2024

Social enterprises bring innovative solutions to social good issues through business-like methodologies. According to the report published in April 2024 by Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in collaboration with Bertelsmann Foundation for World Economic Forum, 'The State of Social Enterprise: A Review of Global Data 2013-2023' [Contributors to the report: François Bonnici (Director, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship & Head of Foundations, World Economic Forum, Switzerland); Veerle Klijn (Policy Lead, Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, Schwab Foundation, Netherlands); Daniel Nowack (Head, Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, Schwab Foundation, Switzerland); Tiffany Bennett (Research Manager, Euclid Network, Netherlands); Dan Gregory (Associate Director, Social Enterprise UK, United Kingdom)], provides a comprehensive synthesis of the global state of social enterprise, using data from more than 80 countries gathered between 2013 and 2023. It aims to inform policy-makers and business leaders about the underestimated contribution of social enterprise towards global GDP, employment and the Sustainable Development Goals. In the foreword of the report, Hilde Schwab (Chairperson and Co-Founder, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship) and Brigitte Mohn (Member of the Executive Board, Bertelsmann Stiftung), say, 'As social enterprises gain momentum worldwide, the need for reliable data increases. Since 2013, a range of actors have been gathering data in more than 80 countries. Their insights reveal that social enterprises are a significant economic force driving positive outcomes worldwide...The report highlights the power of such data and calls on governments, international organizations and the social enterprise ecosystem to invest in and coordinate for a strong data infrastructure at a global level...Social enterprises are not merely catalysts of change; they embody a fundamental shift in how businesses can tackle societal problems on a global scale. At the same time, they prioritize benefits for employees, communities and the planet alongside financial returns. They are at the forefront of the transition towards a fair, sustainable and equitable economy - the stakeholder economy.' HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT: The global data indicates that there are approximately 10 million social enterprises across the world, which means they comprise more than 3% of all businesses; Social enterprise accounts for around 2% of global GDP and 3% of all businesses; They generate around US$ 2 trillion in revenue each year; They create nearly 200 million jobs; They bridge the gender gap, with one in two social enterprises worldwide led by women, compared to one in five for conventional enterprises; They deliver against all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those focused on health and education, climate and jobs, thereby reducing poverty and inequality; According to Statista.com, Social enterprise is larger than the US$ 1.79 trillion apparel industry and almost twice the size of the US$ 1.01 trillion advertising industry; The study reveals gaps and challenges in social enterprise data. These challenges include the availability and quality of data, the comparability of the available data and the difficulty with quantifying social and environmental value creation; Barriers faced by social enterprises include - limited access to finance, lack of public awareness and recognition, lack of government support, inadequate legal and/or fiscal framework, limited access to procurement processes. The report concludes, 'Robust data on social enterprise is critical to inform policy-makers on the design of policies and the most effective allocation of resources.' Read on...

World Economic Forum: The State of Social Enterprise: A Review of Global Data 2013-2023
Authors: François Bonnici, Veerle Klijn, Daniel Nowack, Tiffany Bennett, Dan Gregory

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 nov 2024

The perfect fit customized garment has only been achievable through bespoke tailoring but the cost is high and unaffordable to many. Now this might change as the textile industry is undergoing tranformation, thanks to the invention of active fibers and innovative knitting processes. Researchers and designers at MIT Self-Assembly Lab in association with Ministry of Supply has developed a 4D Knit Dress that combines several technologies to create personalized fit and style. Heat-activated yarns, computerized knitting, and robotic activation around each garment generates the sculpted fit. Prof. Skylar Tibbits of the Department of Architecture and founder of the Self-Assembly Lab at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), says, 'Everyone's body is different. Even if you wear the same size as another person, you're not actually the same...The 4D Knit Dress is the opposite of fast fashion...From a global standpoint, you don’t have tons of excess inventory because the dress is customized to your size.' Sasha MicKinlay, a recent graduate of MIT Department of Architecture is a textile designer and researcher at the Self-Assembly Lab, and helped produce the active yarns, created the concept design, developed the knitting technique, and programmed the lab's industrial knitting machine. She says, 'The styling is important, Most people focus on the size, but I think styling is what sets clothes apart. We're all evolving as people, and I think our style evolves as well. After fit, people focus on personal expression...I hope this research project helps people rethink or reevaluate their relationship with clothes. Right now when people purchase a piece of clothing it has only one ‘look.’ But, how exciting would it be to purchase one garment and reinvent it to change and evolve as you change or as the seasons or styles change...' Danny Griffin, another mamber of the team is a student of architecture who had experience in robotics in construction and translated the heat activation process into a programmable robotic procedure that would precisely control its application, says, 'When we apply heat, the fibers shorten, causing the textile to bunch up in a specific zone, effectively tightening the shape as if we're tailoring the garment, There was a lot of trial and error to figure out how to orient the robot and the heat gun...' Gihan Amarasiriwardena, co-founder and president of Ministry of Supply, says, 'Efficiently producing garments is a big challenge in the fashion industry. A lot of times you'll be guessing what a season's style is. Sometimes the style doesn't do well, or some sizes don’t sell out. They may get discounted very heavily or eventually they end up going to a landfill...If the demand is there, this is something we can create quicklyunlike the usual design and manufacturing process, which can take years.' Read on...

MIT News: Is this the future of fashion?
Authors: Maria Iacobo, Olivia Mintz

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 oct 2024

Artifical Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the solutions for social issues such as poverty, healthcare, education and environment. Nonprofit accelerator Fast Forward, under its AI for Humanity initiative, is supporting startups to develop AI-based solutions for global issues. Kevin Barenblat, co-founder of Fast Forward, says, 'Apart from early tech nonprofits like Wikipedia, Khan Academy or Mozilla, it didn't feel like there were enough examples of people who were using tech to make the world better. So our vision for the AI for Humanity initiative is to support entrepreneurs who are building and using AI to make the world better.' Startups in the Fast Forward accelerator include those that are empowering scientists in low-income countries to cure neglected diseases, reducing backlogs in Indian courts to ensure fair and speedy trials, bridging the global digital divide by bringing online learning offline, addressing early childhood education disparities in India, and providing free, virtual mental health interventions to people who need them. AI's use also bring about ethical considerations. Mr. Barenblat says, 'We often see in the for-profit world that people build these cool tools and then they try to figure out what problem they solve. But in the nonprofit space, the entrepreneurs are typically fixated on the problem - be it education, health inequity, or the climate problem - and they're slotting in AI to make their solution better. Because they're using AI for a specific use case, they can set guardrails that are appropriate for the way that they're using the AI.' He mentions challenges that nonprofit tech startups face, 'Tech startup challenges include things like getting product-market fit right, competing for resources and funding, and usually they focus on marginalized customers who are not easy to reach. So I think AI helps, but at the end of the day, they're still trying to help humans.' Read on...

Triple Pundit: How a Tech Accelerator is Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Good
Author: Abha Malpani Naismith

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 15 oct 2024

A well designed and creative website can provide small businesses extended audience reach and branding capability. As they have limited allocated funds for big business like web strategy, small business have to be innovative and intelligent in their website design approach. Here are a few best practices that they can apply in this regard - (1) Choose a reader-friendly simple font that aligns with the overall look and feel of the brand. (2) Consider a limited color scheme that gels with the brand's colors. A study from Loyola University in Maryland found color increases brand recognition by 80%. (3) Use high-quality product images to attract customer attention. (4) Optimize the website for mobile as there are more than 7.1 billion mobile users across the world. Moreover, 50% of these users are more likely to use a mobile site instead of downloading an app. (5) Making call to action (CTA) stand out prompts user to buy and fecilitates website conversion. (6) Using more white/blank/empty spaces gives users visual breaks to process information and not get overwhelmed by it. (7) Keep the site navigation simple and easy for unhindered user flow. (8) Establish a visual hierarchy with optimized placement of images and text. (9) Include testimonials as 92% of consumers read online testimonials and reviews when buying a product, according to BigCommerce. (10) Create custom user experience (UX) with personalized features such as behavior-based product recommendations, targeted offers and geo-targeting. According to Accenture, nearly 60% of consumers want real-time offers and promos. (11) Design with accessibility in mind. (12) Run A/B tests involving target customers as research-backed information is needed for continuous improvement. Read on...

Forbes: Small Business Website Design Best Practices & Examples
Authors: Monique Danao, Kelly Main

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 sep 2024

According to Goodera website (goodera.com), Skill-Based Volunteering (SBV) involves assisting and helping nonprofits in specific work areas through professional skills, knowledge and expertise. Leila Saad, CEO of Common Impact, says, 'SBV involves a little more effort than traditional volunteering. Employees use their professional skills in areas such as technology, HR, and finance to support a nonprofit that has an internal need. In particular, companies that have (artificial intelligence) expertise are interested in giving that resource back to nonprofits. According to Stanford Social Innovation Review article 'The Promise of Skills-Based Volunteering' (Authors: Christine Letts; Danielle Holly), 'Employers sometimes cast a wary eye on SBV, though, because it is complex to implement, it requires a longer-term commitment, and the results of the engagement can be harder to measure. Traditional community engagement programs such as grantmaking and volunteerism - by contrast - more readily align with a company's short-term quarterly outputs. And because the goals of these types of projects are narrower, the results can be easier to measure.' Tammy Perkins, chief people officer at ProService Hawaii, says, 'Making volunteering part of our workplace culture boosts employee morale, fosters teamwork, improves our community, and strengthens company culture. We think of volunteering less as a way for employees to polish their skills and more as a way for us to use our collective expertise to support these vital community services.' Meg Garlinghouse, vice president of social impact at LinkedIn, sees benefits for the company's workers and says, 'Employees are gaining and refining skills like empathy, teamwork, communication, problem solving, creativity, presentation skills, and more. According to a six-year study that the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship conducted of a professional services firm found a 36% reduction in attrition for employees who participated in SBV, compared with those who did not. A 2024 Deloitte survey found that 91% of professionals indicated volunteer opportunities can have a positive impact on their overall work experience and connection to their employer. According to the SHRM's 2024 Employee Benefits Survey, more than 1/4 (28%) of 4529 respondents said that their organization provided the benefit of time off for volunteering. Ms. Perkins says, 'Ultimately, a purpose-driven workforce leads to better performance and a stronger, more unified organizational culture, and the nonprofit organizations who benefit are often under-resourced, especially in the area of HR.' Read on...

SHRM: Skills-Based Volunteering Uses Employee Talents to Benefit Nonprofits
Author: Kathy Gurchiek

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 sep 2024

One of the major transitions in product designing was industrialization. It shifted the focus from idea of craftsmanship to a more rigid production and manufacturing framework that lead to higher volumes of product in less time and lower costs through industrial design. But another inflection point that is now happening in product design is sustainability. Organizations are adopting sustainable design practices due to many reasons such as focus on net-zero emmissions, customer sentiments related to environmental impact, capture ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investments, overcome resource scarcity etc. Sustainable design functions on the complex relationships between the goals of a product, its manufacturability, and its performance in the field. The focus in this case is not solely on cost, quality, and time, but on the need to understand the impact the products and manufacturing have on the environment. Comprehensive digital solutions can assist to incorporate sustainability from the early stages of conceptual design. For successful implementation of sustainability in the design process requires a balance with the traditional business drivers of cost, time, and quality. Integrating sustainability into conceptual design, supplier sourcing, detailed design, validation, and design improvement is the key to a successfully sustainable product design. For businesses to move into the future with sustainable design requires, in addition to developing a mindset to think about sustainability as early as possible in design, but also providing the structure, data and tools to achieve success within a more complex web of requirements and benefits. Read on...

Smart Industry: Sustainability: The next step in industrial design's evolution
Author: Eryn Devola

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 17 sep 2024

Ecommerce is a necessity for global businesses. Studies show that there will be 2.71 billion online shoppers in 2024. Global ecommerce has its own challenges and strategic requirements that need to be addressed by businesses to succeed in diverse markets. According to estimates B2B ecommerce will reach US$ 36 trillion by 2026 and B2C ecommerce will reach US$ 5.5 trillion by 2027. Global ecommerce reached US$ 4.8 trillion in 2023 and by 2027, about 23% of total retail sales will happen online. SOME TOP GLOBAL ECOMMERCE STATISTICS - Latin American countries (LATAM) will continue to adopt ecommerce in coming years and will see a 22% growth between 2023 and 2026 - accumulating more than $700 billion in total combined online retail sales; Philippines' ecommerce market is the fastest-growing in the world, with a 24.1% growth in sales in 2023; Almost half of US shoppers plan to spend more online in 2024; As of January 2024, the average conversion rate across ecommerce sites was 1.88%, a 0.14% increase from the previous year; The global B2C ecommerce is expected to reach US$ 9 trillion by 2032; Social commerce is poised to grow at a CAGR of 30% from 2023 to 2030; 89% of retailers foresee an increase in revenue between 1% and 9% for 2024; 47% of leaders indicated ecommerce profitability is a primary driver of operating margin increases in 2024; 97% of companies globally reconfigured their supply chains in 2023; Shipping rates saw a 193% rate increase since October 2023; 46% of retail respondents expect AI to enhance end-to-end supply chain visibility; Foreign direct investment in North America has grown by 134% since 2020. GLOBAL ECOMMERCE TRENDS TO WATCH - Global inflation pressures (57% of consumers are worried about inflation); More consumers will shop on their smartphones (Some forecasts mobile commerce to reach US$ 558 billion in 2024, accounting for 7.6% of total retail sales and global mobile commerce market was worth US$ 2.2 trillion in 2023); A new mix of marketing channels (Social commerce, live shopping/livestreaming commerce, connected TV advertising); A slowly stabilizing supply chain; Faster deliveries for everyone, no matter where the customer is; Online returns are growing with ecommerce; Improving workforce management with AI (41% of retailers aim to improve workforce management using AI in 2024); Growing sales in China (market s estimated to be worth US$ 1.43 trillion in 2024), APAC (estimated market size of US $4.2 trillion in 2024) and India (market size will reach US$ 111 billion by 2024). Read on...

Shopify: Global Ecommerce Statistics: Trends to Guide Your Store in 2025
Author: Michael Keenan

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 aug 2024

One of the most critical challenge that nonprofits face is effective and efficient allocation of their limited funds towards their various activities. According to the research study, 'Allocation of Nonprofit Funds Among Program, Fundraising, and Administration' (Authors: Telesilla O. Kotsi of The Ohio State University; Arian Aflaki of University of Pittsburgh; Goker Aydin of Johns Hopkins University; Alfonso J. Pedraza-Martinez of University of Notre Dame), published in Manufacturing & Service Operations Management (2023), 'U.S. nonprofits declare three types of expenses in their IRS 990 forms: program spending to meet beneficiaries' needs; fundraising spending to raise donations; and administration spending to build and maintain capacity. Charity watchdogs, however, expect nonprofits to prioritize program spending over other categories. We study when such expectations may lead to the 'starvation cycle' or underspending on administration and fundraising.' Researchers have developed a mathematical model that can guide nonprofits to prioritize and optimize spending for present and future success. Capacity, that consists of organization's resources such as infrastructure, equipment, staff etc, is crucial and is related to the administrative costs. Researchers found that striking a right balance on allocating funds for program costs depends on the nonprofit's existing capacity. Early stage nonprofits need to spend more on adminstrative costs to build solid foundation and long-term resilience. When some capacity is build then emphasis should shift to fundraising. Researchers explain, 'That approach allows them to gather the funding necessary to maximize their existing capabilities. Importantly, the share of spending for administration or fundraising should align with the organization's anticipated future needs.' Big established donors are now classifying percentage of their grants to adminstrative costs and recognize the need for better managed organization for long-term success. Nonprofit rating organizations are also broadening their criteria to look at an organization's overall well-being and impact, and not just on their minimizing spending on administration and fundraising. Read on...

The Conversation: Nonprofits can become more resilient by spending more on fundraising and admin - new research
Authors: Telesilla Kotsi, Alfonso J. Pedraza Martinez

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 aug 2024

Changes in cultural environment, consumer's needs and wants, and advancements in technologies, all play a role in the evolving field of graphic design. Fads and trends are short-term blips in the graphic design industry. But the things that last define the future. Max Ottignon, co-founder of Ragged Edge, says, 'We spend our whole time trying to figure out how to avoid such 'trends'...trends have a beginning and an end. Something that feels 'on trend' will probably feel 'off trend' in the near future. And as brand people, we're trying to build something that lasts...following trends means that you're making stuff that looks like everything else. But with branding, the primary objectiveness is distinctiveness.' More graphic design experts share their views on the future of the industry below - AI CAN'T BE IGNORED AS IT SHORTENS THE DESIGN PROCESS: Simon Case, founding partner of Chromatic Brands, says, 'We've been using AI for a while now. We started to use it just for production, basically for resizing ads....There are now platforms where you can put in one image and just type in all the different versions, sizes, and file types you need...Next, we started using it for visualisation.' THE NEED TO BE DIFFERENT: Mr. Ottignon, says, 'We live in an age of convergence. Designing for algorithms, not people, means that everything is starting to look the same...those who can create work that looks, sounds and behaves differently are becoming rarer and ever more valuable.' Mr. Case adds, 'without the strategic and creative ability to generate new thinking, designers won't get far in the future. Design has to become more about ideas and less about 'decorating'.' THE RISE OF AUTHENTICITY: Tebo Mpanza, co-founder and client director at Unfound, says, 'At Unfound, we spend a lot of time trying to uncover the clients' unique territory and the space they occupy...We want to encourage our clients and the brands we're working with to pursue difference - to challenge the norm, to challenge what's already been, and to push and go further...we're going to continue to see a rise in authentic storytelling...It's all about experience now.' PERSONALIZATION AND EXPERIENCE: Mr. Mpanza says, 'Personalisation is becoming huge now. It's hugely driven by AI and machine learning, which is increasingly sophisticated...I think the future of branding and design lies in authentic storytelling, personalisation, brands just becoming real and tangible, and creating memorable experiences.' SMALLER TEAMS: Barrington Reeves, founder and creative director at Too Gallus, says, 'In general, everyone has become much more professional in what we do...Access to learning is so much higher...we're seeing designers who are much more capable. That's why smaller agencies can deliver the same quality of work for global brands as much bigger agencies...That traditional agency model, that big-adland approach, is quite transactional...we really become part of the team, really integrated into the company culture of the people we work with.' Mr. Case goes even further, envisioning a world of 'single-person, full-service agencies', all leveraging AI for tasks ranging from copywriting to 3D modelling. He adds, 'We want our partners to see us as just an extension of their own team.' IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: Mr. Reeves says, 'If you don't understand how to articulate a brand on social media, then you're sunk. That's almost the first place any new company rebrand is going to go out in practice.' Mr. Mpanza says, 'Our creatives are in the culture. They can bring their collective expression and experience to help us deliver world-beating creativity across disciplines for our clients.' MORE DIVERSE FUTURE: Mr. Reeves believes that even though 'cultural fluency' is requisite to the success of any brand, but is often sorely lacking, and points to a lack of diversity in the creative industries as a major contributing factor. But he is noticing a change now and says, 'I do think in the last couple of years, we've seen things starting to move, and you can instantly tell the creative work that has come from that. It's more vibrant, it's more natural to whatever culture that's being talked about. So I am optimistic that we're closing the gap.' Read on...

Creative Boom: What's next for graphic design, according to industry insiders?
Author: Tom May

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 aug 2024

Branding provides businesses and organizations to build value and trust in hearts and minds of consumers regarding their products and services. But with constantly changing consumer sentiments and behaviors branding exercise needs to continuously evolve and keep tab on statistics and trends to build effective strategies. Following are select statistics and trends for today and future - Top Branding Statistics: 81% of consumers need to trust a brand to consider buying ('In Brands We Trust?', Edelman, 2019); 77% of consumers prefer shopping with brands they follow on social media (The 2023 Sprout Social Index Report', Sprout Social, 2023); 65% of consumers say a brand's CEO and employees influence their decision to buy ('From Me to We: The Rise of the Purpose-led Brand', 14th Accenture Strategy Global Consumer Pulse Research, 2018; 55% of brand first impressions are visual. General Branding Statistics: Tech is the world's largest industry in terms of brand value ('GLOBAL 500 2024', BrandDirectory.com, 2024); 60% of consumers have taken an action - either positive or negative - based on a brand's actions ('Battle of the Wallets: The Changing Landscape of Consumer Activism', Weber Shandwick, 2018); Two-thirds of consumers think it's annoying when brands make fun of their competitors (The 2023 Sprout Social Index Report', Sprout Social, 2023). Branding Design Statistics: 55% of brand first impressions are visual ('What Makes a Good First Impression', US Chamber of Commerce, 2018); Color increases brand recognition by up to 80% ('Why Color Matters', Colorcom, 2005); Consumers are 81% more likely to recall a brand's color than remember its name ('What is the importance of color in brand recognition?', Reboot, 2019); 40% of Fortune 500 companies use the color blue in their logo ('60+ Logo Stats and Facts - New Fortune 500 List Research', Website Planet, 2024). Employer Branding Statistics: 86% of job seekers read company reviews before applying for a job ('The ROI of Employer Branding', Glassdoor, 2020); 80% of job seekers won't apply to a one-star-rated company ('CareerArc Employer Branding Study', CareerArc, 2017); 64% of shoppers have stopped buying from brands with poor employer reputations ('CareerArc Employer Branding Study', CareerArc, 2017); On average, companies with strong employer branding receive 50% more applicants ('The Ultimate List of Employer Brand Statistics', Linkedin); Strong employer branding can increase retention by as much as 28% ('Linkedin Employer Brand Playbook', Linedin). Branding Marketing Statistics: It is estimated that there are more than 10000 branding & positioning agencies worldwide ('The Most In-Demand Digital Industries and the Top Locations for Creatives', Sortlist, 2021); 94% of marketers believe that personalized marketing has a positive effect on brand-building ('Need-to-Know Marketing Statistics for 2019', Salesforce); 70% of brand marketers list building brand awareness as their top goal for social media (The 2023 Sprout Social Index Report', Sprout Social, 2023); 64% of consumers have tagged a branded hashtag on social media ('The State of User-Generated Content', TINT, 2020); Brands spend 46% of their mobile ad budget on branding objectives ('How Much Should You Budget For Marketing In 2023?', Webstrategies); Brand consistency can increase revenue by 10-20% ('Brand consistency - the competitive advantage and how to achieve it', marq, 2021). Read on...

Exploding Topics: 33 New Branding Statistics and Trends for 2024
Author: Josh Howarth

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 aug 2024

The research study, 'How Companies Restrain Means-Ends Decoupling: A Comparative Case Study of CSR Implementation' (Authors: Andromachi Athanasopoulou of Queen Mary University of London; Emilio Marti of Erasmus University.; David Risi of Bern University of Applied Sciences; Eva Schlindwein of Bern University of Applied Sciences), published in Journal of Management Studies, utlizes the concept of means-ends decoupling to examine why companies continue to be major contributors to environmental and social problems despite committing increasingly to corporate social responsibility (CSR). Means-ends decoupling occurs when there is a gap between implementation and achievement ['From Smoke and Mirrors to Walking the Talk: Decoupling in the Contemporary World' by Patricia Bromley of University of Utah and Walter W. Powell of Stanford University; 'Means versus Ends in Opaque Institutional Fields: Trading Off Compliance and Achievement in Sustainability Standard Adoption' by Frank Wijen of Erasmus University]. The research study shows that experimentation is critical for impactful CSR, which has implications for both companies that implement CSR and companies that externally monitor these CSR activities, such as sustainable investors and ESG rating agencies. Authors analyzed CSR activities of four companies and found that two realized their intended CSR goals as a result of experimentation approach while the other two did not. Authors explain, 'In a CSR context, experimentation means that companies produced knowledge about the local effects of their CSR practices and used this knowledge to adapt their CSR practices on an ongoing basis. By establishing a close link between the production of CSR knowledge and the adaptation of CSR practices, these companies were able to achieve their intended CSR goals...By contrast, in the companies that failed to realize the intended CSR goals, consistency - not experimentation - was central to their CSR implementation. In these companies, the emphasis was on standardizing CSR initiatives based on perceived best-practices among senior managers. There was no feedback loop.' How Companies Can Foster Experimentation in Their CSR Implementation - (1) Companies should mobilize broadly for CSR. (2) Companies should instill confidence in the business case for CSR among their employees. How Sustainable Investors and ESG Rating Agencies Can Monitor Experimentation - (1) They should monitor who is involved in the production of CSR knowledge. (2) They should monitor and examine who is involved in the adaptation of CSR practices. Even though experimentation brings in more challenges but authors suggest that this approach strongly outweigh its potential drawbacks. Read on...

Harvard Business Review: Creating a Corporate Social Responsibility Program with Real Impact
Authors: Andromachi Athanasopoulou, Emilio Marti, David Risi, Eva Schlindwein

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 jul 2024

Online privacy, online advertising, user data analytics and online regulatory policies are issues that continue to be debated regarding internet and online users. Big technology companies, consumer organizations, government regulators and various industry lobbies continue to push their conflicting agendas to influence the internet and its future. Convergence of interests that keep the internet free from manipulation by any particular group or groups is a challenging task. The paramount concern of all parties should ba a focus on keeping the internet safe, free, open and friendly, while at the same time bringing economic benefits to all. The socio-economic balance on the internet with consideration of the needs of all concerned groups should remain paramount while deciding the future. Recent backing out by Google from deprecating cookies from Chrome again brought the influence of big tech, user data privacy and online advertising issues on the forefront. Patrick Roman Gut, senior vice president and head of new business at Adstra, explains these issues and suggests options for the post-cookie internet. He says, '...there will eventually come a day when the Chrome browser no longer supports third-party cookies. Other major browsers like Safari and Firefox already default to cookies off, so no matter when Google finally makes the change, it's clear that the world has entered a post-cookie era. Another way to think about this is as a multi-identifier era, where brands must use multiple tools and tactics to find and understand their customers across online environments.' As advertising landscape continues to be more omnichannel and entrenched in multi-ID world, brands must be prepared to effectively handle the paradigm shift. Mr. Gut says - Advertising still largely relies on cookies, but the open market is a multi-ID space; Effective targeting requires a combination of methodologies (deterministic, probabilistic or contextual); Crosswalk solutions provide effective data management in a multi-ID landscape (Crosswalk solution involves mapping anonymous digital identifiers to personally identifiable information to unify online and offline data for a comprehensive view of customer behaviors); AI enables additional insights and predictions for extended reach and future success. Read on...

DIGIDAY: How advertisers are moving from cookies to a multi-ID landscape
Author: Patrick Roman Gut

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 jul 2024

Generative AI (artifical intelligence) has potential to transform education practices and will bring new challenges to the traditional pedagogy in many fields of learning. Architecture and design education is no exception. The already fast changing world of architecture with climate change, environmental issues, natural disasters, shifting human needs and requirements etc and speedy technological innovations and advancements like AI, makes adapting to the present and predicting the future a humongous task for all those in the field - academics, researchers, educators, professionals, students, policy makes etc. Teaching an architect is a responsible task. Eric J. Cesal, Design Educator and Author, explains how the AI will impact architecture and design education and profession, and what practices in the design teaching and learning process would no longer be needed in the future. He says, 'The conversation about what and how to teach is already contentious, and it must necessarily evolve with technology...However, there's another, easier conversation to have: what not to teach...in my own teaching and conversations with colleagues, there seems to be a consensus among design faculty that certain things should no longer be taught in architecture school. These anachronisms remain fixtures in most schools due to institutional and cultural inertia...AI will change that calculus. It gives us new arguments for purging some of the more ossified practices of design culture.' He further specifies following three things that are inherent to the educational process that AI will assist in getting rid of - (1) Masochism: All-nighters, self-neglect, exhaustion etc are problems that are part of architecture and design schools. Educators want to curb them and it seems difficult to bring a culture change. Ideas need to be executed, they are tested, proven and demonstrated through drawings and models. This requires efforst and hard work with strict deadlines. Mr. Cesal says, 'This may seem reasonable—at least to anyone who's been to architecture school - as long as you ignore the downstream effects. As you stay up for several nights in a row to test and prove that one brilliant idea, your creative faculties steadily decline, compromising what might have been that second or third brilliant idea...Research consistently shows that a well-rested brain is better able to generate novel ideas, solve complex problems, and think critically...As AI rapidly takes over the rote, mechanical aspects of design, humans must focus their efforts on only those things that a human can do...So tell your students to leave the studio at a reasonable hour and go home. Insist on it. Insist that they do their designs, do their best, and then go home, or go out.' (2) Fetishization of the Image: Mass media brought an image-based culture in the architecture profession. Mr. Cesal says, 'This shift can be attributed to the way mass media fragmented different types of professional success: commercial success (making money), professional success (being esteemed by one’s peers), and cultural success (being esteemed by the wider culture)...these three types of success typically follow a sequential path. However, architecture has an alternative route, which I’ll call Path B. This route subverts the conventional sequence...Through Path B, an architect can achieve cultural success by earning the esteem of their peers, even if they have limited commercial success or built projects. With sufficient professional and cultural success, one can then achieve commercial succes...some architects can win the Pritzker Prize...with a very shallow portfolio of built works, principally on the strength of their publications and theoretical work...The existence of Path B in architecture enables and encourages a fetishization of image-making...The rise of AI in architecture fundamentally challenges the viability of pursuing Path B. With AI-powered tools capable of generating stunning, novel renderings based on text prompts, the mere production of impressive architectural images no longer signifies the same level of creativity and innovation that it once did. As a result, achieving early acclaim primarily through image-making will become increasingly difficult...As image-production becomes easier, the true test of an architect’s creativity and skill will likely shift toward her or his ability to navigate the complex realities of bringing designs to life, and to navigate the changing realities of practice...AI has made making images of our ideas simpler. Let's adapt to this change by ending our collective fetishization of image-making and focusing instead on the higher-order problems of the future.' (3) Design School as Rite of Passage: The old English model of education in American universities focused on broad range of subjects and students were not particularly trained in particular field. Medicine and law became first specializations in mid-18th century. Archiecture became an educational specialization about a century later. Mr. Cesal says, 'It wasn't really until the late 19th century that American institutions, influenced by German models, began to adopt the graduate and research models we know today, along with the concept of electives and majors. In contrast to the old English model, it was designed to train individuals for a lifetime of continuous work in a specific field, beginning at the age of 18...Going through a major program does more than just teach you the technical skills necessary to execute a specific type of work: it inducts you into a tribe. You undergo shared experiences that then bond you with others in your eventual profession. However, with the rapid advancements in AI, this model may no longer be suitable for the future. As AI accelerates the pace of technological change, it becomes increasingly challenging to predict the skills and capacities that will be necessary for professional work in the coming decades. The idea of fully training someone for a profession by their early 20s, with the expectation that this education will suffice for a lifetime, seems anachronistic in a world where entire professions may become obsolete within a matter of years. To adapt to this new reality, we must restructure learning to be a continuous, lifelong process rather than a one-time experience...This new paradigm could take many forms, such as having professionals return to school for a semester every few years...The key is to recognize that the current specialization model, which was developed in an era when America still ran on steam power, may no longer be adequate for a future characterized by rapid technological change. In the field of architecture, this means re-evaluating the notion of design school as a singular rite of passage. In the future, design school won't be something you went through. It will be a process that lasts a lifetime.' Read on...

ArchDaily: How AI Can Help Us End Design Education Anachronisms
Author: Eric J. Cesal

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 13 jul 2024

cOAlition S, launched on 04 September 2018 by a group of national research funding organisations, with the support of the European Commission and the European Research Council (ERC), is an initiative to make full and immediate Open Access to research publications a reality. On its website (coalition-s.org), cOAlition S signals the commitment to implement the necessary measures to fulfil its main principle - 'With effect from 2021, all scholarly publications on the results from research funded by public or private grants provided by national, regional and international research councils and funding bodies, must be published in Open Access Journals, on Open Access Platforms, or made immediately available through Open Access Repositories without embargo.' cOAlition S is build around Plan S that is a set of principles that ensure open and immediate access to funded research publications. It was born from the cooperation between the Heads of the participating Research Funding Organisations, Marc Schiltz, the President of Science Europe, and Robert-Jan Smits, previously the Open Access Envoy of the European Commission. It also drew on significant input from the Scientific Council of the ERC. cOAlition S presented a proposal 'Towards Responsible Publishing (TRP)', that includes a vision for a community-based scholarly communication system fit for open science in the 21st century, where scholars can rapidly and transparently share the full range of their research outputs and participate in new quality control mechanisms and evaluation standard. According to the proposal, the main challenges that a future scholarly communication system should address include that - The dominant publishing models are highly inequitable; The sharing of research outputs is needlessly delayed; The full potential of peer review is not realised; The coupling of editorial gatekeeping with academic career incentives is damaging science. To address these challenges, cOAlition S proposed a set of five guiding principles - (1) Authors are responsible for the dissemination of their findings, (2) All scholarly outputs are shared immediately and openly. (3) Quality control processes are community-based and open, to ensure trustworthiness of research findings. (4) All scholarly outputs are eligible for consideration in research assessment. (5) Stakeholders commit to support the sustainability and diversity of the scholarled publishing ecosystem. The report, 'Towards Responsible Publishing': Findings from a global stakeholder consultation, presents the findings of a global multi-stakeholder consultation conducted between November 2023 and May 2024 by Research Consulting Limited (UK) and Leiden University's Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) (Netherlands) on behalf of cOAlition S. Johan Rooryck, Executive Director of cOAlition S and Bodo Stern, Chief of Strategic Initiatives, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Chair of the TRP Steering Group at cOAlition S, in the foreword of the report write, 'Research funders have the responsibility to make sure that their funding is used in ways that improve the scholarly publishing landscape for the benefit of the research community and society. The 'Towards Responsible Publishing' proposal is therefore a logical next step for cOAlition S funders to help make the publishing system fit for the 21st century. It builds on Plan S and goes further in proposing a way to disseminate research that is not only more open, but also more trusted, equitable, efficient, and sustainable...This report presents the findings of that consultation: it shows an insightful picture of researchers' attitudes towards innovative research practices, such as open access publishing, preprint posting, open peer review and the incentives needed to embrace these behaviours.' For the report, authors collected 11145 responses from researchers via a global survey, reached 440 respondents through an initial feedback survey, engaged 72 participants via focus groups, and attracted a total of 10 organisational feedback letters from low- and middle-income countries that were underrepresented in the data. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT - When deciding how to reach their target audiences, researchers continue to rely on the current journals ecosystem; When deciding what to read, researchers once again prioritise the reputation of a journal; The consultation revealed support among researchers for some of the practices encouraged in the TRP proposal, such as preprint posting and the open sharing of peer review reports; Across the most represented disciplines in our data (medical and health sciences, life sciences, social sciences, engineering and arts and humanities), views regarding preprint posting are broadly aligned; Views are slightly more positive for respondents who have posted a preprint in the last three years; The highest resistance to the publication of open peer review reports was in the field of Law (39%), followed by Arts and Humanities (36%). In this context, consultation participants highlighted that existing recognition and reward mechanisms are inadequate for incentivising adoption of these practices, which will highly affect their uptake by researchers; The consultation found that, on balance, researchers would support the integration of practices like preprint posting (48% would support the practice vs 27% who would be opposed) and open peer review (47% would support the practice vs 29% who would be opposed) into journal publication workflows; Lack of clear implementation guidance emerged as a significant concern during the consultation; The need for a gradual, collaborative implementation approach involving pilots and engagement with existing initiatives was emphasised; Without broader engagement, cOAlition S' efforts risk being viewed by low- and middle-income countries as an imposition by wealthier nations; Shifting more publication responsibilities to individual authors could disproportionately overburden under-resourced researchers with limited institutional support services; Consultation participants highlighted the perceived importance of peer review and dedicated editorial roles in scholarly communication; Consultation participants saw a significant increase in preprint posting as potentially risking the proliferation of poor-quality, unvetted research outputs that may flood the public domain unchecked; The problem of subpar research making it through the peer review and publication process, while undesirable, already exists to some extent in the current system; The complexity of the proposed system may make it challenging for nonexperts like journalists, policymakers and the public to navigate the research landscape effectively. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS - Based on the findings from this global multi-stakeholder consultation, we conclude that there is support for some of the principles and practices encouraged in the TRP proposal. This highlights opportunities for cOAlition S to make progress in their desired direction of travel, building on select parts of the proposal; cOAlition S is well-placed to pursue the preprint posting and open licensing activities in the near term; In the medium-term, cOAlition S could focus on encouraging and promoting open peer review across the publishing landscape, including both preprints and journal articles; Realising the full vision of the TRP proposal will require longer-term efforts and cooperation with other stakeholders to update recognition and reward mechanisms at a global scale and ransition funding and infrastructures to support a globally inclusive, scholar-led publishing ecosystem. Read on...

Zenodo: 'Towards Responsible Publishing': Findings from a global stakeholder consultation
Authors: Andrea Chiarelli, Ellie Cox, Rob Johnson, Ludo Waltman, Wolfgang Kaltenbrunner, André Brasil, Andrea Reyes Elizondo, Stephen Pinfield

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 jun 2024

Jenifer Morgan, global editions editor at Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR), says, 'Social innovation isn't just a Western phenomenon.' Nicholas Jackson, Editor-in-Chief of SSIR, explains and cites expamples to put forward a point that local inovation at one place can become a change agent at other places with similar issues and challenges. He tells about SSIR's international partnerships and collaborations for spread of knowledge and social research. He says, 'I encourage you to read widely and to look for solutions and inspiration everywhere, even in unlikely places.' He cites SSIR article 'Who Knows Agroforestry Best?' (Authors: Evelyn R. Nimmo; André E. B. Lacerda; Leandro Bonfim; Joel Bothello), that provides example of Brazilian nonprofit organization CEDErva (Center for the Development and Education of Traditional Erva-Mate Systems) that promotes traditional practices for tending to - and harvesting - the land, as the conventional approaches to sustainable agriculture were not working. Learning from this, other countries such as Bolivia, Laos, Nicaragua, the Democratic Republic of the Congo etc, that are rapidly losing tree cover, can adopt and adapt the CEDErva approahcs to find solutions to their own challenges. Other social innovation examples include - A New Zealand social enterprize 'Take2' is offering job training during periods of incarceration and other paths to job security as a form of rehabilitation; A global team in Czech Republic has brought about a new life for old brick and other building materials, which are being turned into 'green concrete' and used in the development of sustainable architecture. Read on...

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Social Innovation Isn't Just a Western Phenomenon
Author: Nicholas Jackson

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 jun 2024

Prof. Fadel M. Megahed of Farmer School Information Systems and Analytics (ISA) at Miami University (USA), is the lead author of two papers on artificial intelligence (AI), 'Introducing ChatSQC: Enhancing Statistical Quality Control with Augmented AI' (aug 2023, arxiv.org) (Authors: Fadel M. Megahed of Miami University; Ying-Ju Chen of University of Dayton; Inez Zwetsloot of University of Amsterdam; Sven Knoth of Helmut Schmidt University; Douglas C. Montgomery of Arizona State University; L. Allison Jones-Farmer of Miami University) and 'How generative AI models such as ChatGPT can be (mis)used in SPC practice, education, and research? An exploratory study' (jun 2023, tandfonline.com) (Authors: Fadel M. Megahed of Miami University; Ying-Ju Chen of University of Dayton; Joshua A. Ferris of Miami University; Sven Knoth of Helmut Schmidt University; L. Allison Jones-Farmer of Miami University). He has brought AI into his classroom teaching for business analytics students. He says, 'There was a lot of research that talked about how AI could be used in education, that AI can play many roles in the classroom...As an ISA student, learning to use AI is an emerging skill that would benefit your career. That being said, you should be aware of the limits of such tools: (a) the use of AI tools may not be useful in all applications, so use them with caution; (b) prompt engineering matters, so you will need to craft a good prompt to get higher quality answers; (c) the answers you get may be wrong, e.g., ChatGPT is often confident but wrong; and (d) if you use such a tool in an assignment/exam, you will need to provide your prompt and the AI's answer (which may require tweaking to work correctly).' Regarding the ChatISA tool, Prof. Megahed says, 'I wanted to provide a free tool for students to be more inclusive, a tool where the students' prompts and responses are not used for model training. And I wanted to incorporate state-of-the-art recommendations about context setting and prompt engineering to enhance the outputs our students would get from the same request...Students in my class have mentioned that depending on the instructor, when they have the option to use these AI tools, they use it also for other classes.' Read on...

Miami University FSB News: FSB professor creates AI chatbot to assist business analytics students
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 may 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making inroads into many fields and so it is in architecture and related areas like interior design, urban planning, landscape etc. As it is in early stages of adoption there is excetement, experimentation, uncertainty and concerns. A recent survey of 1200 architectural profesionals throws light on what the industry really thinks about AI and asked how it impacts design processes and workflows, and human resources in the industry. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY - (1) The Use of AI Is Being Propelled by Experimentation and Self-Driven Learning: 60% of the respondents are using AI without formal training; Integration issues, lack of testing time, and insufficient training resources are challenges faced in adopting AI tools for architectural projects; More than 2/3rd of respondents already use AI or intend to do so soon. (2) The Highest Satisfaction With AI Is When It's Used During the Early Design Stages: More than 67% of respondents feel so; Only about 30% deemed AI renderings suitable for design development and beyond due to concerns regarding precision and control. (3) AI Technology Will Soon Become Standard in Architectural Design but Needs to Evolve: 52% expressed concerns about AI's potential to disrupt job security within the architectural visualization field; 74% agreed that there should be ethical guidelines governing AI's use. Read on...

ArchDaily: What 1,200+ Architects and Designers Really Think About AI in Architecture
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 may 2024

As social media continues to grow, businesses need effective strategies to target users. According to 'The 2023 Sprout Social Index', 53% of consumers say their social media usage has been higher over the last two years than the previous two years. Business-to-business marketing on social media requires specific tactics and strategies as the sales and decision-making cycles of B2B products and services are long and have different client dynamics, engagement and relationships. Following are 5 B2B social strategy fundamentals - (1) Align goals to the business and have clarity of purpose: Create brand awareness; Build a loyal community through targeted educational content; Build credibility and trust by consistent valuable engagement; Integrate social media strategy with overall business plan. (2) Adopt a customer-centric B2B social strategy: Understand the businesses and individuals you intend to engage with; Customize commnication to the target audience; Use social data and respond effectively. The 2023 Index revealed that 51% of consumers think the most memorable action a brand takes on social media is simply responding. (3) Prioritize authenticity: Engage with authentic and human-centric content; Focus on two-way conversations; Initiate regular audience polls and surveys for feedback; Utilize listening tools to understand conversations on industry topics and engage with thought leadership; Showcase real experiences with customers. (4) Leverage employee advocacy: Today's customers rely on their peers to tell them who they should buy from, with 84% of people trusting friends and family recommendations; Employees are the best B2B influencers of the brand; Benefits of well-organized employee advocacy program includes expanded social reach, approved content mitigates risk to brand perception, improvement in employee engagemnt and drives more leads. (5) Use analytics to inform your B2B social media marketing: Sprout's 2023 State of Social Media report shows that 7 in 10 leaders agree that social is currently underutilized within their organization. And 97% of business leaders believe that the use of social data to understand market trends will increase over the next years; use analytics to optimize and advance B2B content marketing strategy; Use social data for market understanding and research; Using social media intelligence helps understand audiences that leads to customize strategies for specific channels at specific platforms and at specific stage. Read on...

Sprout Social: How to build a customer-centric B2B social media strategy
Author: Kiran Shahid

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 may 2024

According to the annual 2023 European Union survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals, 30% of EU internet users aged 16 to 74 reported that they had done an online course or used online learning material in the three months prior to the survey. In 2022 the participation in online education was 28%. The top 5 EU countries that have the highest share of internet users doing an online course or using online learning material - Netherlands (54%); Finland (53%); Sweden (48%); Spain (47%); Estonia (45%). The bottom 5 with least online education popularity include - Romania (10%); Cyprus (16%); Bulgaria (17%); Greece (17%); Poland (18%). Increase in online learning - Netherlands (+12 percentage points); Sweden (+7 pp); Malta (+5 pp); Estonia (+5 pp); Croatia (+5 pp). Decrease in online learning - Greece (-12 pp); Cyprus (-5 pp); Austria (-2 pp); Slovenia (-2 pp). Read on...

European Union - Eurostat: Increase in online education in the EU in 2023
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 apr 2024

According to the report, 'Grounded in Tradition, Looking to the Future: Understanding Next-Generation Philanthropy in the Middle East', conducted by the Pearl Initiative, the Zovighian Partnership, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and based on a survey of 80 emerging and established philanthropists based in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Levant, and Egypt, points out the inclination of younger philanthropists towards individual-driven giving and a shift away from traditional family foundations. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT - Nearly 60% of respondents believe direct funding is the most effective strategy; Over 45% are embracing non-traditional methods like impact investing, microlending, and donor-advised funds; Female philanthropists are more likely to invest in initiatives supporting women and girls, potentially leading to a rise in efforts promoting female economic inclusion; 65% of respondents believe in the positive impact of philanthropy in the Middle East over the next five years. Badr Jafar, Founder of the Pearl Initiative and CEO of Crescent Enterprises, says, 'Data and research are crucial for enhancing philanthropic impact. This is especially true as the next generation transforms the practice by demanding more hands-on involvement and prioritizing accountability.' Lynn Zovighian, Founder of the Zovighian Partnership, says, 'Delivering this first-time research was crucial for our philanthropic community,' Read on...

Daily News Egypt: Next-generation philanthropy in MENA: Shift towards individualized giving
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 apr 2024

In the technology-enhanced world, information and news consumption has become more fluid and dynamic. The audience and consumers are no more captive. Opinions and views are established and shared at lightening speed on multiple devices and platforms. Reaching out to the world has barriers removed. Everyone has the power to speak out and get heard. The generation that grew up in this environment knows how to handle the fast paced world of information and communication. Public relations as an industry has been hugely impacted. Deepa Nagraj, Global Head of Communications & Sparkle Innovation Ecosystem at Mphasis, explains how the PR industry has changed in the digital era and how it can adapt to stay effective. According to Statista research analysis, 'Reading news on social is fast becoming the norm for younger generations, and this form of news consumption will likely increase further regardless of whether consumers fully trust their chosen network or not.' Ms. Nagraj provides the following changes that are happening around the PR industry - Workers Are Dispersed And Remote; News Is Digested In New Ways; Attention Spans Are Minimal; Anybody Can Be A Spokesperson; Everyone Is Watching; Noise Is A Constant. She has following suggestions for the PR professionals - Listen to what is happening around on various platforms and channels; Cut through the chase and formulate an appropriate, meaningful and engaging response; Be clear and direct in your communication and share it quickly; Communication should be directed towards a human being and should include all the elements so that it can reach the heart and mind of the consumer and should be open-ended and interactive. Read on...

Forbes: Future Proofing Public Relations In The Age Of Digital Media
Author: Deepa Nagraj

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 apr 2024

Interior design and fashion trends are seeing a convergence. Experts say that these trends are more closely linked to each other then anticipated and there is a trend cycle that works between fashion and interior. Interior designer Marie Flanigan says, 'Fashion often informs interiors by inspiring the choice of silhouettes, color palettes, and materials. Sometimes fashion trends take a few seasons to trickle down to interiors, but always forecast the direction of interior design.' Brady Tolbert, interior designer and Creative Director at Bobby Berk, says, 'Fashion has always been where color trends start, and then they trickle down into multiple other industries.' Designers Kailee Blalock and Taylor Troia of House of Hive explain the similarities of the two industries, 'In our view, the trend cycle bridges interior design and fashion because these two mediums aren't all that different. They both revolve around evoking emotions and creating a particular ambiance. Nowadays, if someone identifies with a particular fashion style, it can easily translate into their interior design preferences.' Social media is also playing an important role in bringing this intermingling of trends especially through personality-led and influencer-led styles. David Samuel Ko, founder of Maison Co, says, 'Fashion is a form of self-expression, and so is interior design. Just as you would tell a story with a new outfit, you can do the same with your home and now more than ever, designers and companies are starting to realize that as they are making pieces that feel very fashion-forward, or creating a space inspired by a runway trend.' Following are 6 interior trends that began in fashion - (1) Quiet Luxury: Interior designer Kathy Kuo says, 'The quiet luxury trend is one of my favorite fashion-to-interiors crossovers as of late because it really speaks to the importance of quality materials and timeless design...Quiet luxury may be billed as a trend, but I think of it as a more enduring lifestyle choice.' Mr. Tolbert says, '...It's all about restraint in color palette and materials, and it focuses on the use of high-quality and luxe materials in dramatic ways rather than having a lot going on in the room.' (2) Layering Patterns and Textiles: Christine Carney, Director of Design at Blackberry Farm Design, says, '...Layering patterns and textures such as florals and stripes with chunky wovens is another example that gives bohemian, effortless vibes.' Ms. Flanigan also observes layering in interior design as a key interior trend for 2024, adding that it can be an effective way to add depth to a room. (3) The Coquette Aesthetic: This style is all about ultra-feminine pieces with a retro feel. Mr. Ko says, 'One trend that was insanely popular during the holidays was this "coquette" and the bow trend.' (4) Eclectic Grandpa: This trend links to to vintage home decor, rich colors, and a general welcoming of an eclectic style and goes hand in hand with the popularity of shopping vintage furniture trends, creating homes that feel full of character. (5) Coastal Grandmother: This interior design style embraces a coastal color palette to create spaces that feel light and airy. (6) Unexpected Red Theory: This trend is based on the idea that adding red in small amounts to any spaces without our homes (or outfits) enhances their visual appeal. Interior designer Natalia Miyar says, 'Red lends itself beautifully to smaller spaces. It creates such an intense and dramatic feel that elevates a small room that can often feel forgotten...' Read on...

Homes & Gardens: 6 interior design trends are also key fashion trends for 2024 - here's what designers say on the shared trend cycle
Author: Emily Moorman

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 mar 2024

A team of researchers that include Prof. Seoyoun Kim of Department of Sociology at Texas State University, Prof. Cal Halvorsen of School of Social Work at Boston College and Prof. Koichiro Shiba of School of Public Health at Boston University, are working on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded project 'Volunteering, polygenic risk, and cardiovascular biomarkers in multiple ancestry' to examine whether frequent and sustained volunteering affects changes in cardiovascular biomarkers, while also accounting for genetic risk factors. As more than 50% of adults over the age of 50 in the U.S. report at least one cardiovascular risk, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity and chronic inflammation, the study would potentially provide new ways to manage risk in vulnerable populations. Even though there has been evidence of benficial impact of volunteering on the cardiovascular health of volunteers but it is not evident that frequent and sustained volunteering has a comparable effect across various population subgroups. Moreover, genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease biomarkers has never been studied in the context of volunteering. This study will provide understanding of the pathways by which genetic, social and behavioral factors affect cardiovascular health in older adults. Read on...

Texas State University Newsroom: NIH-funded study investigates cardiovascular benefits of volunteering
Author: Jayme Blaschke

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 mar 2024

According to GlobalData 2023 Q4 Consumer Survey, firms are held accountable by public on their stand on social issues such as human and animal welfare, fair trade, health etc and those that fail to consider and act on it risk losing sales. Survey finds that 31% of Middle East & African consumers and 29% of Asian consumers admitted that they find it essential for products to be ethical or support social causes. Global conflicts and geopolitical issues also influence consumer perception and impact businesses. Meenakshi Haran, lead consumer analyst at GlobalData, says, 'Consumers are increasingly making decisions based on responsibility towards ethical and social issues, driving the need for companies and brands to continually set measures to create and develop genuinely responsible products and services.' Isha Varma, Middle East business development manager at GlobalData, says, 'The Middle East, given its high spending ability, and Asia, with its 'surging' population represent huge growth opportunities for brands - however those that operate in these markets need to send a clear and transparent message about their commitment to ethical and social responsibility to mitigate any loss of reputation and revenues.' Read on...

ESM - European Supermarket Magazine: Brands Ignoring Ethical Consumerism Face Sales Risk, Says GlobalData
Author: Steve Wynne-Jones

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 mar 2024

Design of new part, component, or assembly requires consideration of fit, form and function and also innovation and aesthetic. Design reuse is an important aspect where existing designs are utilized. Computer aided design (CAD) and product data management (PDM) enabled use of existing similar designs available within the engineering organization, while engineering design search engines enabled finding them in broader internet ecosystem. Moreover, software driven engineering design optimization tools that proved optimal and efficient designs. One such tool was Topology Optimization in which the algorithm reduced the maerial in a design object. These processed and tools evolved into Generative Design that utilizes AI technologies like Deep Generative Models (DGMs) a form of Machine Learning and Neuro-Symbolic AI. The algorithms now create innovative designs with many options and possibilities that satisfy specified fit, form, and functional requirements including manufacturability. AI-Driven Generative Design develops, optimizes, and assesses design possibilities, and reduces repetitive tasks, multiple calculations, optimal design search etc for designers and helps them focus on problem-solving and innovation. Traditional design process includes ideation and conceptualization, creation, redefining and ehhancing the design, validating and building. This process is linear and even the use of CAD and CAE tools are not sufficient and require high level of expertise. AI-driven generative design improves on this process and significantly shortens the product design lifecycle. Generative design enables the designer to set performance and prioritize parameters and the algorithm generates a menu of alternatives to consider. In terms of the product development lifecycle, generative design is a combination of AI, CAD, simulation and test (CAE), and topology optimization, all working in conjunction, Additive manufacturing (AM) is an area where generative design is having an impact. In this process 3D printing is utilized to provide ouput parts that meets very specific functional requirements. The each phase of AM lifecycle process can be driven and enhanced by AI technology. Read on...

ARC Advisory Group: Understanding the Role of AI in Generative Engineering Design
Author: Dick Slansky

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 feb 2024

Nonprofits with their resource crunch have to make sure efficiency remains the key in all aspects of their work. Nonprofit finance teams have to fulfil their reporting duties under tight budget and time. Technology can come to their rescue when the right and cost effective solution is implemented. Grant Gevers, Senior Consultant for Nonprofits at Sage UKI Ltd., shares insights at Third Sector Summit from Sage's 'Fast Close. Faster Insights' report, and explains how cloud-based automation is reshaping financial operations. There are benefits to shortening month-end close cycle - Quicker preparation and dissemination of key financial reports; Improved managerial decision making; Eliminate bottlenecks and highlight inefficiencies leading to enhanced finance operational efficiency. According to the research by Sage, the average nonprofit takes around seven working days to close its books while nonprofits who are using automation are closing on average 1.5 days earlier than those who are not automating key processes, such as journal entry, bank reconciliation, or reviewing transactions. Three benficial steps of automation to finance teams - (1) Reduce the complexity of chart of accounts. (2) Complete reporting without exporting to Excel. (3) Month-end tools and collaboration. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SAGE REPORT: Automating the financial close helps save 24 days a year; 40% of respondents say that the time saved is used to analyse data and find insights and trends and also to invest in training and development; 82% of finance leaders said that they are saving on headcount costs through using automation. Read on...

Third Sector: How automation is helping nonprofit finance teams make a bigger impact
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 feb 2024

Clear and specific sales goals and objectives are important for success of retail businesss and assists to measure sales performance, sales team member accountability, visualize targets and motivate the team. Sales goals include - Annual goals (Specify overall sales revenue target for a year); Quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily goals (More achievable short-term goals to accomplish and stay motivated); Individual goals (Provide sense of ownership and accountability to individual team members); Team goals (Boosts employee engagement and assesses team capabilities. Encourages teamwork and competitive spirit); Activity goals (Actions team members should take to achieve targets such as virtual customer interaction initiation, post-purchase email campaigns, customer engagement on social media etc); Stretch goals (Goals that go beyond initial goals and taking more challenges. Need incentives and rewards to motivate team); Waterfall goals (Allows to build upon goals over time incrementally and gradually. Ensures quality and avoids team burnout); Sequence goals (Prioritize goals according to value). Before setting sales goals it is important to have historial sales data, systems needed to achieve goals, consumer and market trends, sales promotions and events throughout the year etc. Then following strategies can be applied - Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) sales goals; Analyze sales cycle; Identify a coolective goal; Use data to set goals; Calculae break-even point; Avoid confusing sales goals and objectives with metrics. Following are 11 real-life sales goals objectives - Increase your monthly, quarterly, or annual sales revenue; Increase average order value (AOV); Increase customer lifetime value (CLTV); Decrease customer churn; Reduce customer acquisition costs (CAC); Reduce sales cycle time; Boost conversion rate; Increase lead generation; Improve gross profit margins; Increase sales per channel (and test new channels); Reduce abandoned cart rate. Once the goals are set, teams should work hard to achieve them - Communicate with sales associates; Offer mentorship and suppor; Provide the highest of level of customer service possible; Ensure your staff are knowledgeable about the products you sell; Use gamification and rewards to motivate sales staff ; Leverage consumer psychology and behavior; Regularly track and analyze sales goals; Put your SMART sales goals into action. Read on...

Shopify: 11 Retail Sales Goals Examples & How to Achieve Them (2024)
Author: Alexis Damen

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 feb 2024

As the internet and websites expand, so does their environmental impact. According to Web Neutral Project website (webneutralproject.com) - Internet accounts for about 10% of global electricity consumption; Internet produces about 2% of global CO2 emissions annually (equivalent to aviation industry); Average web page produces 1.76 grams CO2 per page view; Data centers alone consume an estimated 200 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy. To tackle internet and website pollution it is essential to design sustainable web solutions and reduce web bloat. Gerry McGovern, founder and CEO of Customer Carewords, interviews Vitaly Friedman (web design expert and co-founder of Smashing Magazine) on the issue of this environment waste and sustainable web design. Mr. Friedman says, 'Sometimes if you see developers or designers thinking about accessibility, thinking about design from the perspective of usability, inclusive design, cleanliness, weight, then you have exceptional results, but that is in itself exceptional and rare. Most of the time we just look at the tools in front of us and we build and we design using the tools without thinking about sustainability, often not thinking about performance and sometimes, and this is still quite common, not even thinking about accessibility. So, we just produce visual output and we put it on a server someplace and that kind of works.' Mr. Friedman suggests the need for more conversations around web's environmental impact and sustainable web design, and rethink digital design to work towards sustanability. Read on...

CMSWire: Sustainable Website Design for a Better Environment
Author: Gerry McGovern

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 feb 2024

Healthcare sector challenges such as workforce shortages, financial pressures, health disparities, environmental challenges etc are forcing healthcare organizations to find innovative ways to deliver health services effectively and sustain their operations. Following are the healthcare trends for 2024 - (1) AI-powered workflow automation and optimization: Generative AI in healthcare will boost automation. Bain & Company survey showed that healthcare leaders see the biggest short-term opportunities of generative AI in reducing administrative burden on staff and enhancing operational efficiencies. Applications would include automated documentation and summarization of patient visits - enabling physicians to focus on higher-value tasks. (2) Virtual collaboration addressing staff and expertise shortages: In addition to mitigating staff and expert shortages, virtual collaboration trend will improve access to care in remote and rural areas. Examples include radiology operations command centers, virtual collaboration in ultrasound, Tele-intensive (or tele-ICU) programs, mentoring and guiding by experts etc. (3) Integrated diagnostics supporting multi-disciplinary collaboration: Bringing diagnostic data together that is collected from various sources such as imaging to digital pathology and genomics, will help physicians to deliver precise diagnosis and customize treatment to patients. Moreover, integrated diagnostics will enable different healthcare specialists to exchange patient data more easily, helping them work together more efficiently and effectively. (4) Improved interoperability for better monitoring and care coordination: Healthcare leaders in the Philips Future Health Index 2023 report identified interoperability as one of the top four success factors for providing new ways of delivering care that integrate in-person and virtual care across settings. Healthcare technology providers would require an open ecosystem approach. New interoperability capabilities can bring together disparate medical devices and systems into one interface to create a comprehensive overview of a patient's condition. Visual patient avatar is a recent innovation in this regard. (5) Early risk detection and intervention based on predictive analytics: The Philips Future Health Index 2023 report showed how 39% of healthcare leaders plan to invest in AI to predict outcomes, up from 30% in 2021. Predictive analytics, by deriving operational and clinical insights from real-time and historical data can help healthcare providers improve efficiencies and act preemptively. Predictive analytics is utilized to forecast and manage patient flow, manage medical equipment hardware parts maintenance or replacement, early detection of patient health risks based on vital signs and other patient data, keep a caring eye on patients at home, through remote monitoring etc. (6) Using technology to tackle health disparities: There is need for more equitable and sustainable healthcare. Partnerships aimed at advancing health equity will be key to leveraging technology innovations. (7) Smart technology that helps establish - and maintain - healthy routines: Wearable, customizable technologies such as smart-watches, sophiticated smart health devices etc with continue to help individuals pursue healthier behaviors and lifestyles. Smart technolgoies can assist to maintain better oral health, to monitor children's growth and development etc. (8) Addressing healthcare IT's environmental impact: Even though research indicates that the resource savings unlocked by IT outweigh the increase in footprint caused by the deployment of that technology, but to continue realizing these savings, the healthcare industry needs to focus on building sustainable digital infrastructure, including carbon-free cloud solutions, using circular hardware, and developing sustainable software. (9) Green procurement transforming the healthcare supply landscape: The adoption of sustainable procurement criteria will be necessary strategies for health systems and governments hoping to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss while safeguarding human health and advancing health equity. (10) Teaming up to reduce healthcare's impact on the planet: Healthcare systems will actively adopt strategies to reduce their environmental footprint. There will be increasing trend towards the adoption of 'natural capital accounting' to support better decision-making around resource use management, and more companies committing to science-based targets for nature. Read on...

PHILIPS News: 10 healthcare technology trends for 2024
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 jan 2024

According to Wikipedia, 'Generative artificial intelligence (generative AI, GAI, or GenAI) is artificial intelligence capable of generating text, images, or other media, using generative models. Generative AI models learn the patterns and structure of their input training data and then generate new data that has similar characteristics.' Positive aspects of generative AI systems include accelerative creativity, egalitarian tech for general public etc, while negative aspects include political propaganda through biased data, human resource displacement challenges etc. Commenting on transformative power of generative AI, Rich Palmer of Launchpad Venture Group, says, 'It's the new electricity.' Jonathan Griffiths, director of Babson College's Weissman Foundry, says, 'Much like a cell phone, AI is going to change how we interact with our computers and with each other in meaningful ways - and, if you don't have an understanding of what generative AI can do and what its limitations are, you're going to be left in the dust.' Joshua Herzig-Marx, a coach for early stage founders, says, 'At this point, if you have a startup and you don’t have a generative AI strategy, your board will be really unhappy with you, because that’s what everybody expects—in the same way that, if you didn't have a social strategy 15 years ago, it was a bad thing.' Prof. Ruth Gilleran and Prof. Clare Gillan of Babson College have designed a compulsory course for all undergraduates, 'Digital Technologies for Entrepreneurs'. Prof. Gillan says, 'We live in a time of tremendous disruption, and the pace of change has only accelerated. I want (students) to land on the right side of that continuous change.' Experts from Babson College provide insights and guidance on generative AI to entrepreneurs - (1) It will enable non-engineers to innovate in new ways: Prof. Gillaran says, 'It further democratizes the entrepreneurial process.' Prof. Thomas Davenport says, 'From an entrepreneurship standpoint, it lowers the barriers for tech expertise to design new products. It's a good thing for entrepreneurs.' (2) It should only be used in certain instances: Mr. Herzig-Marx says, 'Judgment is the big challenge (with generative AI), which is always one of the hardest things for any businessperson. There's no reason to think that whatever pops out of ChatGPT or a text-to-image service is going to be something you would actually want to use.' (3) Knowledge and content management will be transformed: Prof. Davenport says, 'Generative AI will rejuvenate the job of a knowledge manager...I think there are a lot of advantages to doing it for educating your frontline people and customer service applications.' (4) It will generate instant feedback, allowing entrepreneurs to assess viability quickly: Mr. Griffiths says, 'I could see (entrepreneurs) working with generative AI to solve the problems that they may not necessarily have the skills to solve right now.' Prof. Erik Noyes, who teaches Entrepreneurial Opportunities in AI, says, 'Generative AI enables the rapid prototyping of entrepreneurial ideas: literally a visualization and expression of an entrepreneurial idea that you can show to a target customer. You can get feedback on whether you're on a compelling path and creating value, or whether your idea is a dud.' (5) Beware of bias: Prof. Davit Khachatryan, who specializes in machine learning and data science, says, 'Generative AI is merely a means to an end, not an end in itself...Taking the results of generative AI at face value is like the blind following the blind. Today's entrepreneur, or any user of generative AI, needs to have an above-average understanding of how these tools work—and I think that’s where we analytics and data-science educators have a crucial role to play.' Prof. Noyes says, 'If the existing data is biased, there’s a strong likelihood that what’s generated can also be biased. You have to look at anything you’re doing in generative AI through the critical lens of 'How could this just be re-expressing bias?'' (6) Regulatory concerns could constrain creativity: Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has urged international regulation of generative AI. Mr. Palmer says, 'When the front-runner (OpenAI) pushes for regulation, it opens up a question of whether anyone else can swim in the wake or not, and if anybody else can catch up again.' (7) Humans still matter: Prof. Khachatryan says, 'Overly relying on the seeming 'magic' that is provided by generative AI is not going to work. To have your leg up, you still need to put your creative hat on and keep it on at all times...it currently has no mechanism in place to evaluate the quality, meaningfulness, or effectiveness of these responses. I don’t think that one should get overexcited about how human-like the responses are because human-like, at the end of the day, doesn’t translate necessarily into meaningful.' Read on...

Babson Magazine: The Age of AI: Seven Things Entrepreneurs Need to Know
Author: Kara Baskin

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 11 jan 2024

According to the research 'Reidentification Risk in Panel Data: Protecting for k-Anonymity' (Authors: Sachin Gupta of Cornell University; Shaobo Li of University of Kansas; Matthew J. Schneider of Drexel University; Yan Yu of University of Cincinnati), published on 07 oct 2022 in Information Systems Research, nearly all market research panel participants are at risk of becoming de-anonymized. The commitment of a market research company towards privacy of panelists cannot be totally practiced as there are ways around it. Prof. Sachin Gupta says, 'When organizations release or share data, they are complying with privacy regulations, which means that they’re suppressing or anonymizing personally identifiable information. And they think that they have now protected the privacy of the individuals that they’re sharing the data about. But that, in fact, may not be true, because data can always be linked with other data.' Earlier research (2006) 'How To Break Anonymity of the Netflix Prize Dataset' (Authors: Arvind Narayanan of Princeton University; Vitaly Shmatikov of Cornell University) showcases the similar risk. Researchers developed a de-anonymization algorithm, Scoreboard-RH, that was able to identify up to 99% of Netflix subscribers by using anonymized information from a 2006 competition, aimed at improving its recommendation service, coupled with publicly available info on Internet Movie Database. Both of these researchs rely on 'quasi-identifiers' or QIDs, which are attributes that are common in both an anonymized dataset and a publicly available dataset, which can be used to link them. The conventional measure of disclosure risk, termed unicity, is the proportion of individuals with unique QIDs in a given dataset; k-anonymity is a popular data privacy model aimed to protect against disclosure risk by reducing the degree of uniqueness of QIDs. Prof. Gupta suggests that even though privacy laws are getting tougher but market researchers will continue to collect and store data, and the challenge of privacy remains. He says, 'The nature of the problem will probably reduce and change, but I don't think it's going away. Read on...

Cornell Chronicle: Protecting identities of panelists in market research
Author: Tom Fleischman

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2023

Entrepreneurship is an important component of thriving economy and entrepreneurial spirit is needed for growth and success of individuals, companies, organizations and nations. It assists to overcome challenges and helps to stay competitive in a tough environment. Entrepreneurial spirit brings in ability to seek innovation, bring positive change, develop new ideas, enhance creativity, enable intelligent and efficient problem solving, overcome status quo, and achieve success to not only individuals but also brings transformation to the organizations they work for and communities they live in. Entrepreneurial spirit is essential for all - entrepreneurs, professionals, workers, students and anyone who is willing to work hard and achieve their goals. Entrepreneurial spirit enables individuals to seek out new ideas and solutions, get things done proactively, makes them fearless in their approach, helps them continuously strive for growth and make things better. Those with entrepreneurial spirit are curious, ask questions and have conviction to proceed towards their goals. They look to achieve the extraordinary. Entrepreneurial spirit provides ability to find opportunities scattered all around, being positive and ignore obstacles and negativity. What one chooses to do is the key as doing makes all the difference and entrepreneurship is all about planning, partnering and persisting until what one seeks out is achieved. Individual entrepreneur often acts as a pioneer in initially sparking the entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurial spirit links entrepreneurs, businesses, innovation, network, regional development. Read on...

ilmeps/read: The Entrepreneurial Spirit - A Brief Introduction
Author: Mohammad Anas Wahaj

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 dec 2023

Social entrepreneurs leverage technology and innovation to solve societal issues and are often for-profit ventures. Bill Drayton founded Ashoka in 1980 and is considered as the 'father of social entrepreneurship'. Social entrepreneurship ecosystem is growing through socially responsible investing, conscious sonsumerism, corporate social responsibility (CSR), environment concerns, responsible governance etc. Following is the list of 10 most successful social entrepreneurs - (1) Bill Drayton, founder and CEO of Ashoka, is a pioneer of social entrepreneurship and also serves as chair of the board for Get America Working! and Youth Venture. (2) Rachel Brathen, yoga teacher, author of 'Yoga Girl' and founder of yoga studio called Island Yoga Aruba in Caribbean and oneOeight.tv, provides health, yoga and meditation services and is one of the top social media influencers in fitness. (3) Shiza Shahid, co-founder and promoter of Malala Fund, manages operations and efforts of Mala Yousafzai that focus on gender equality, women empowerment and girl education. (4) Blake Mycoskie is the founder of TOMS Shoes that donates one pair of shoes for every one sold by their organization and raises awareness on issues like global poverty and health. TOMS has donated 100 million pairs of shoes as of 2020. (5) Scott Harrison founded Charity: Water in 2006 that works on providing clean water to people in developing nations and funds projects like building wells and sanitation facilities. He is the author of the book 'Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World.' (6) Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen Bank in 1983 and popularized the concepts of microfinance and microcredit. He was awarded Nobel Prize in 2006. Grameen Bank provides funding to villagers to bring them out of poverty and as of May 2022, 90% of its about nine million borrowers are women. (7) Jeffrey Hollender is a consultant, speaker, activist for CSR and author of several books including 'How to Make the World a Better Place'. He is co-founder and CEO of Hollender Sustainable Brands and former CEO and co-founder of Seventh Generation, a popular business for natural products. (8) Xavier Helgesen, Christopher 'Kreece' Fuchs, and Jeff Kurtzman are co-founders of Better World Books , an online bookstore that funds global literacy. (9) Marc Koska introduced a non-reusable, inexpensive syringe that can be used in underfunded clinics. He founded SafePoint Trust in 2006, which delivered four billion safe injections in 40 countries via his auto-disable syringes. (10) Sanjit 'Bunker' Roy founded Barefoot College in 1972, that is a solar-powered college for the poor. Read on...

Investopedia: The 10 Most Successful Social Entrepreneurs
Authors: Shoshanna Delventhal, David Kindness, Jiwon Ma

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 dec 2023

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platforms are integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to understand customer sentiment and behavior, make product recommendations, enrich data, train employees and also auto-generating targeted campaigns. According to the September 2023 Gartner survey of 1400 executive leaders, there's been a threefold increase in organizations piloting generative AI in the past year and about 47% of organizations are using AI to help them with sales, marketing and customer service, with marketing operations at the top. Frances Karamouzis of Gartner says, 'Organizations are not just talking about generative AI, they’re investing time, money and resources to move it forward and drive business outcomes.' Marketing leaders should focus on the following areas to fully exploit the potential of AI - (1) To understand customer sentiment and behavior by analyzing customer interactions and communications regarding products and services. (2) To train marketing professionals as AI systems can closely monitor employee performance and recommend best practices in real time. (3) AI can enhance and elevate product and services recommentations to customer by closely analyzing their interactions with sales and service personnels and their purchasing behavior. (4) AI tools are capable to enrich and update prospect databases with accurate information in real-time improving efficiency in sales and marketing efforts. (5) AI can auto-develop more targeted campaigns with more personalization. In future, generative AI will evolve into artificial general intelligence (AGI) that would provide a fully-functional assistant that would think like a human. To be fully aware of what AI can currently accomplish and enhance CRM systems, marketers should ensure database accuracy and completeness, formulate an AI policy, and stay close to software vendors to fully understand current and future AI technologies and their value to business. Read on...

MARTECH: 5 ways CRMs are leveraging AI to automate marketing today
Author: Gene Marks

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 nov 2023

In the post-pandemic world, workers in many industries often felt the desire and need to get out of their homes and work from office. But according to the Figma's latest 'State of the Designer' report, 95% of designers are fully or partially working from home and 69% of digital product designers have greater job satisfaction now than they did pre-pandemic. Figma surveyed 470 designers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region over a three-year period for the report. The report points out, 'Despite many businesses laying off designers in 2022, particularly in high-growth sectors like tech, designers in 2023 are still positive about the job market...Product designers are no longer confined to the sidelines. Instead, they have stepped into pivotal roles within businesses.' Even though there are concerns regarding remote work might lead to isolation effect, but according to the report, 82% of individual design contributors are the most positive about their current roles. Moreover, only 38% felt more distant from their co-workers. The report also finds out thet 53% are using group meetings to design together more often. Read on...

It's Nice That: Remote working seems to be making product designers more job-satisfied, says Figma report
Author: Liz Gorny

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 11 nov 2023

There is a continuous debate regarding AI (Artifical Intelligence) and its impact on jobs that humans perform. Neil Patel, author and co-founder of Neil Patel Digital, provides insights on how AI will influence marketing human resources and what marketers should do to make themselves irreplaceable. According to a survey of 1000 digital marketers conducted by NeilPatel.com in the US, 56.7% of 229 freelancers think that AI will replace human marketers in the near future while 56.1% of 394 in-house digital marketers and 54.1% of 377 running a digital marketing agency think the same. This significantly shows that AI is perceived as a threat to marketing jobs. Other findings from the survey show - 44% feel that AI will have a positive impact on their career; 30% feel there will be a negative impact; almost 30% predict no impact on their career; 20% felt AI's biggest advantage is that it saves money on staffing and tool costs. Overall survey shows that digital marketers have mixed feelings of concern and optimism regarding AI. Mr. Patel suggests to make AI as an assistant and not consider it as a threat, and to do that marketers have to learn AI tools and master them for workflow efficiency. He recommends the use of AI to become a better marketer - analyze vast data quickly and accurately and provide valuable insights into consumer behavior and market trends; develop more effective marketing strategies and campaigns tailored to the needs and interests of specific audiences; create content that resonates with consumers; speed up content creation; workflow automation. AI has the potenetial to replace repetitive tasks, enhance and speed up decision making and routine customer service. But what will make human marketers irreplaceable is their ability to make judgement, be creative and power of empathy. Mr. Patel says, 'Skilled marketers have the ability to create compelling, human-centric content, analyze data to identify trends and insights, and develop effective strategies for promoting brands and products across various digital channels...AI can't develop customized solutions that meet their unique needs. AI may have the insights, but human expertise can materialize actionable steps to achieve them.' Read on...

NeilPatel.com: Will AI Replace Marketing Jobs?
Author: Neil Patel

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 oct 2023

Online education has become an integral part of education delivery around the world. COVID-19 pandemic further boosted the expansion of remote learning. Online learning provides higher education students flexibility to study and work due to its convenience and accessiblity. To find out student preferences in online learning models and what aspects of remote education does students value most, McKinsey surveyed 7000 students across 17 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The research covers eight dimensions of the online learning experience encompassing 24 attributes. This provides a broad view of student expectations with online higher education. DIMENSIONS AND ATTRIBUTES - SEAMLESS JOURNEY -> (1) Clear Road Map (Online program structure; Readiness assesment and leveling; Online course preview) (2) Easy Digital Experience (Mobile user experience; Omnichannel; Digital Access Offline). ENGAGING PEDAGOGY -> (3) Balanced Learning Formats (Asynchronous classes; Synchronous classes; Peear-to-peer learning in online setting; Multiple multimedia resources (4) Captivating Delivery (Up-to-date content and faculty relevance; Digital-content attractiveness; Short and dynamic content; Visual content as film) (5) Practical Learning (Skills certification and portfolio building; Virtual reality and simulation; Apprenticeships and internships (6) Adaptive Learning (Intelligent personalized platform). A CARING NETWORK -> (7) Timely Support (Academic success; Coaching; Nonacademic support; Career support; IT support) (8) Strong Community (Institution- or student-led networking). HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RESEARCH - All students surveyed did online classes during pandemic and 65% of them agree to continue aspects of their virtual learning experiences; Students value flexiblity and convenience of online learning and out of 11 learning features that should remain virtual the top 3 mentioned by them are - recording classes and making them available to watch later, easy access to online study materials, and flexibility that enables students to work and study; Top 3 reasons cited by students who do not intend to enroll in online education programs include fear of distraction, lack of discipline, and lack of motivation; In 80% of the countries surveyed, students said the top reason they prefer face-to-face education is that getting help from instructors is easier through in-person rather than online learning; Students' satisfaction with their online learning experiences varies significantly across countries; Three core tenets of successful online education (The basics such as timely content, course structure, and faculty relevance still matters; Expensive features such as virtual reality (VR), simulations, and sophisticated visual content are not necessarily valued; Student age and program type do not significantly influence the perception of online learning experiences' quality); The three steps that help higher education institutions successfully transform their online education programs to boost student satisfaction and engagement (Listen to students, set transformation goals, and evaluate the broader online learning landscape; Combine core attributes of an online program with differentiating elements; Design an action plan and governance structure for implementation and adoption); There are six criteria for higher education institutions to consider when redesigning the online student experience (Scale; Customization; Talent; Speed to market; Regulation; Investment). Read on...

McKinsey: What do higher education students want from online learning?
Authors: Felipe Child, Marcus Frank, Jonathan Law, Jimmy Sarakatsannis, Brenda Affeldt, Mariana Lef

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 oct 2023

Robert Rose, content marketing expert and author of the recent book 'Content Marketing Strategy: Harness the Power of Your Brand's Voice', explains an innovative model of content marketing strategy in the same line as the traditional 4P's model of the marketing mix. This model includes three core pillars of content marketing strategy - Communication, Experiences and Operations. These core pillars are interconnected and overlap, and provide five specific activities for the marketing practitioners to perform. Here are the core pillars and the associated activities - (1) Coordinated Communication: As content is communication, businesses require coordinated efforts to utliize content to acquire, keep, and grow customers and other audiences. The content and the comunication need to be consistent and relevant to diverse set of people. The first core category of activities in the communication pillar is Purpose. This is content-as-a-capability. The Purpose activity intends to develop and manage a clear set of core responsibilities and processes that build and continually assess the allocation of resources, skill sets, and clear charters that a content marketing team will need in order to become a differentiated business capability. The second activity category in the Communication Pillar: The Model, or content-as-coordinated-communications. Successful content marketing strategy would require a well-defined and well-understood governance/operating model. (2) A Portfolio Of Experiences: Experiences are the designed containers of content being created for audiences. Businesses need a strategic approach to how the content it creates will be utilized to power designed platforms such as emails, websites, resource centers, print magazines, PDF files, events, blogs, or even social media channels. Similar to the media company, businesses should think 'content first' and then how to create all the different kinds of containers to deliver that content. These should be managed as portfolio of experiences that exploit valuable content for audiences. Each container should have strategic purpose, goals, and objectives. The two activity categories within this pillar are Audience and Value. Audience is content-as-product. Value is content-as-insight. Meeting all of the designed objectives of a portfolio of experiences delivers the value of the content marketing strategy. (3) Strategic Operations: This pillar is the glue that holds Coordinated Communications and Experiences together. To achieve consistency in replicating success and become a core business strategy, content marketing must have a clearly articulated and replicable process that can flex and accommodate new ideas as they emerge. The activity in this pillar is the Frame, or content-as-standard. Getting content marketing operations right frees creative people to do creative things that enable the business strategy, and empowers the marketing teams to achieve this at scale. A repeatable set of processes must be put in place that are governed by standards, guidelines, playbooks, and technology. The third pillar includes the people, processes, and technology that help create a repeatable, consistent process to connect the coordinated content creators (Pillar 1) with the experiences powered by the content they are creating (Pillar 2). Read on...

Search Engine Land: The Three Pillars Of Content Marketing Strategy
Author: Robert Rose

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 oct 2023

The digital continues to displace print media but print has not totally lost its relvance. Flipping through well designed pages and content in magazines still brings joy to many. Particularly for graphic designers, print magazine can provide inspiration that is tangible and immersive, and gives a different visual way from digital and an alternative design perspective. Here are select design magazines that can provide value to graphic designers - (1) Eye Magazine: Founded by Rick Poynor in 1990, in addition to showcasing design, it tells the stories behind them, giving designers a comprehensive look at the 'why' and 'how' of standout design work. (2) Communication Arts: Founded by Richard Coyne and Robert Blanchard in 1959, in addition to its meticulously curated content, the magazine itself is a testament to the power of good design, with every page exuding creative brilliance. (3) Idea: Founded by Okumura Yukimasa in 1953 in Tokyo (Japan), is a unique printed product in which the design is a play on colors, layouts and paper types. The magazine examines different creative scenes from local and international designs. (4) Creative Review: Launced in 1981 as a supplement to Marketing Week, is now a stand-alone magazine and considered as the top most magazine of the advertising industry. It is always up-to-date with the latest trends and provides critical insights, making it essential reading for forward-thinking designers. (5) Slanted: Started in 2004, the book-like magazine showcases select graphic design portfolios and discusses major events in the international design and culture scenes. It is known for its innovative and visually striking layouts, typography, and artwork, and its international perspective is invaluable for graphic designers seeking to gain insights into different design trends and cultural influences. (6) TYPEONE: Founded in 2020, it focuses on the evolving interaction between typography and graphic design. It provides designers with new developments in typography that includes news, stories, concepts and new work and presents everything in beautifully physical form. (7) Wallpaper*: Founded in London in 1996 by Canadian journalist Tyler Brülé and Austrian journalist Alexander Geringer, the magazine now covers design, interiors and lifestyle. It's interdisciplinary approach pushes designers to think outside the confines of traditional graphic design, encouraging cross-pollination of ideas. Read on...

Creativce Boom: Print's not dead: the best magazines for graphic design inspiration
Author: Tom May

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 sep 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the digital advertising space. Those involved in ad-ops are still trying to optimize AI applications and their use for maximum leverage. Eric Mayhew, co-founder, president, and chief product officer at Fluency, a leading innovator of digital advertising management and automation solutions, suggests that for maximum benefits AI should be combined with automation and need to be harmonized with human supervision. He says, 'Today's advertisers face a variety of challenges to growth. Escalating execution complexity, increasing margin erosion and mounting time constraints at all levels consistently rank among the top concerns for ad-ops leaders. Conventional operational approaches, manual campaign implementation and increased talent investment often only compound the problem...automation creates a vast improvement in the productivity and overall engagement of existing ad-ops and strategist teams.' Substantial part of digital advertising is repetitive and delegating tasks to automation gives more time for strategic aspects of marketing and advertising and have the potential to significantly enhance service levels, thus elevating the customer experience and overall satisfaction. On combining AI with automation, Mr. Mayhew says, 'When managed appropriately, AI is in many ways a perfect complement to automation. While automation drives execution efficiency by addressing the processes, settings and nonhuman-to-human interactions, AI can streamline and accelerate more cognitive work, transforming potentially cold messages into compelling interactions.' He also cautions ad-ops leaders regarding compliance and data-usage rights while executing Ai and automation processes. He mentions about emergence of rule systems for self-auditing of AI usage and alleviation of concerns about compliance through RPA4A (Robotic Process Automation for Advertising). Mr. Mayhew suggests, 'To succeed with automation, ad-ops teams must consider brand compliance, the need for advanced experimentation and customization, consistent business data hygiene, organizational inertia and a willingness to embrace new technologies and approaches. The journey toward unlocking the potential of AI in digital advertising requires seamlessly blending AI and automation under the guidance of human insight. Recognizing the nuanced interplay between these technologies, and addressing potential challenges, pave the way for an era of streamlined operations, heightened creativity and unmatched scalability.' Read on...

AdAge: HOW TO UNITE AI AND AUTOMATION TO UNLOCK ADVERTISING SUCCESS AT SCALE
Author: Eric Mayhew

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 sep 2023

Landscape architecture can be a fruitful career option for those that have interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and have design and creative abiities. Kona Gray, the president of the American Society of Landscape Architects and a principal at EDSA Incorporated, says, 'A lot of people take our work for granted. But everything around the buildings and between the buildings is designed by landscape architects. There's a landscape you occupy every day. Landscape architects are responsible for the stewardship and design of those spaces. A building occupies a certain space. But the landscape occupies far more.' Roxi Thoren, department head and professor of landscape architecture at Penn State College of Arts and Architecture, says, 'At The Pennsylvania State University, nearly 60 first-year students joined the major this fall...undergraduate programs are generally four to five years...at Penn State, internships aren't required but a study abroad program is. One popular destination to study cutting-edge sustainability work is Bonn, Germany. It's really amazing work with urban renewal, renovation of industrial sites, urban flooding resilience and green roofs...Landscape architecture students might tackle real-world environmental challenges such as designing for fire- or drought-prone areas, or for extreme heat. They also consider design with psychology in mind, such as creating a park where women feel safe after dark or where parents feel comfortable bringing their children.' Haley Blakeman, the associate director at The Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge), says, 'The program has about 130 undergraduate and 20 graduate students. BLA students are either direct admit or can transfer from another program. Travel has been a cornerstone of the LSU program since the 1960's. Upperclassmen are expected to attend a weeklong field trip...Coursework includes classes on design and history of design, and a technology series that focuses in part on materials and landforms. The undergraduate program takes five years and students take a semester-long paid internship during their fourth year. We find it incredibly helpful when they come back to school because they have a new skill set once they return. They understand the context of their academic work...another benefit of internships is job offers they get...I do a lot of work in coastal adaptation...Well-designed spaces bring people together. For students, the major is all about problem solving, learning how to talk to community members, and using the design skills they're trained with to come up with solutions.' U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently designated landscape architecture a STEM degree program and international students with F-1 visas whose degrees are on the STEM-designated list may be able to extend their stays in the U.S. According to the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board, there are 100 landscape architecture programs offered at 74 universities around the U.S., including 47 undergraduate and 53 graduate programs. According to 2022 data by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for landscape architects is about US$ 73000 per year. Read on...

US News & World Report: Consider a Major in Landscape Architecture
Author: Jennifer Seter Wagner

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 sep 2023

According to the survey by Xealth, conducted between May and June 2023, 90.5% of College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) members have adopted digital health strategies, despite 47.6% citing financial pressures and 19.1% staff resource constraints as barriers to adoption. Mike McSherry, CEO and co-founder of Xealth, says, 'In an industry that is notoriously slow to change, digital health has been relatively fast at reaching a tipping point...It is gratifying to see widespread C-level support and health systems beginning to tie bottom-line growth and reduced readmissions to digital health...' HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY - 81% of respondents have integrated digital health applications into their EHR workflows; 81% define digital health as downloadable apps and programs with a connected device, 71.4% as patient education, pdfs and videos (not clinical references), while 66.7% define it as remote patient monitoring device data integration; 76.2% respondents stated their health systems have experienced increased patient engagement due to increased digital health adoption and 47.6% of respondents noted clinician ease of use due to this increase; Top motivators in health systems expanding digital health include more payor or employer funded programs (80%), patient demand (71.4%), improved interoperability and ease of integration (66.7%). Read on...

Healthcare Innovation: Survey Finds Majority of Healthcare Organizations Adopting Digital Health
Author: Brenda Silva

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 09 sep 2023

Social enterprises aim to overcome socio-economic issues, but face myriad challenges themselves due to lack of resources and limited funding. In recent times many social enterprises got started around the world but as the sustainability issues remain their failure rate is also high. The recent research, 'Social Enterprise Performance in South Africa: The Role of Strategic Planning and Networking Capability' (Authors: Willie Tafadzwa Chinyamurindi of University of Fort Hare, Motshedisi Mathibe of University of Fort Hare, Progress Hove-Sibanda of Nelson Mandela University), published in Taylor & Francis Online on 15 May 2023, finds that for social enterprises to enhance their performance, network capability and strategic planning are key. Addressing these challenges can help their owners and managers respond to the challenges such enterprises face. At the core of this is addressing the challenge of funding and sustainability. This research provides new insights into the management for performance of social enterprises, especially in a developing country context. The research included 147 social enterprises in Eastern Cape province of South Africa, one of the poorest regions. Social enterprises were divided into three groups - (1) Focus on poverty alleviation through empowerment projects. (2) Focus on improving livelihoods of communities through agricultural support mechanisms. (3) Focus on assisting communities to respond to health challenges such as HIV/AIDS, the COVID-19 pandemic and tuberculosis. The survey questions focused on asking about how each social enterprise made strategic decisions; the relationship between the social enterprise and its networks; and the enterprise’s continued value creation amid challenges. A model was developed to see how these three issues related to performance. The results showed that three important capabilities were needed to enhance social enterprise performance - (1) The need for strategic planning that involves clearly defining the direction in short and long term, what are goals and tactics, and how to achieve them. (2) The need was for strong networks. Building networks involves continued interaction between the social enterprise and its stakeholders. Networking capabilities allow the social enterprise to remain relevant to other important role players in the community. (3) The need for the social enterprise to keep a focus on its main business, the social aspect mandate of value co-creation. Resarchers recommend - Be proactive in improving their internal processes and structures; Channel financial and non-financial resources such as tangible assets and intangible assets to support strategic planning, networking capabilities and value co-creation; Need clear channels for sharing essential information with stakeholders, including communities, towards achieving the social goal of the enterprise. Read on...

The Conversation: Businesses that address social or environmental problems often struggle to survive: 3 things that can help them
Authors: Willie Tafadzwa Chinyamurindi, Motshedisi Mathibe, Progress Hove-Sibanda

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 aug 2023

Public relations (PR) for B2B companies need to evolve to be effective in the changing and shifting business scenario. The usual traditional ways such as set public releases, reporter engagements, minor product upgrade pitches etc don't suffice and PR has to move beyond. Parry Headrick, founder of Crackle PR, is advocating the new ways of handling B2B PR at grander scale through enhancing communication programs by bringing a shift from tactical incremantalism to strategic, sustainable brand building. The following are the ways he suggests to achieve it - (1) Media: Building Credibility Through a Feel-Good Narrative - Focus on how the company and the provided solutions are addressing societal challenges to make a positive impact. This creates an attractive halo effect that make business prospects like to associate themselves with the brand. (2) Podcasts: Increasing Thought Leadership and Visibility for Execs via Emerging Channels - Tradional tradeshows and speaking engagements do provide visibility but expanding the reach through podcast shows brings on new opportunities and increase influence. (3) LinkedIn: An Untapped Channel for PR - Professional networks like Linkedin can effectively expand and enhance business engagement of B2B PR. Sharing valuable content consistently and engaging with audience through comments, likes and other tools will widen the PR reach. Read on...

PRNEWS: The New Rules of B2B Public Relations
Author: Parry Headrick

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 aug 2023

The survey of more than 1000 nonprofit CEOs and 100+ funders on the state of US volunteer engagement by Do Good Institute (School of Public Policy, University of Maryland) and partially funded by the Initiative for Strategic Volunteer Engagement, found that even though volunteers are the lifeline for nonprofits and more so during and after the pandemic as they struggle with increased demand, limited resources and reduced staffing, but those volunteers are now harder to engage. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY - 64.4% of nonprofits reported an increase in demand for their organizational services in 2022; 51.1% expanded their delivery of services, and 48.5% boosted staff workloads to help meet demand; 28.7% of nonprofits are operating with less funding and paid staff than they had before the pandemic; 46.8% of CEOs say that recruiting sufficient volunteers is a big problem for their organizations; Many nonprofits reported they were retaining very few volunteers, and their volunteers were doing less; Nonprofits seem more convinced of the benefits of volunteer engagement (Volunteers allow the organization to provide more detailed attention to the people served ballooned from 37% in 2019 to 65.6% in 2022. Volunteers increase the organization’s return on resource investments increased from 43%to 68.4% over the same time); There is a gap between funders and nonprofits on both the value and challenges surrounding strategic volunteerism (72.2% of nonprofit leaders and only 25.2% of funders felt that volunteers improve the quality of services or programs. 65.6% of nonprofit leaders and ony 29.3% of funders report volunteers provide more detailed attention to people served). Nathan Dietz, researcher at the Do Good Institute and School of Public Policy at UMD, says, 'This gap in funding and staffing makes volunteers even more important for many mission-driven organizations. Nonprofits will likely face staff burnout or service delivery issues if this continues...' Prof. Robert Grimm, director of Do Good Institute, says, 'While nonprofits are putting more effort behind engaging volunteers today, they are experiencing the triple whammy of greater demand for their services, fewer volunteers and few funders with a track record of supporting volunteering, These troubling trends must be reversed.' Jeffrey Glebocki and Betsy McFarland, co-directors of the Initiative for Strategic Volunteer Engagement, say, 'This research will be used to spark a national conversation for greater philanthropic investment in strategic volunteer engagement - and to equip more nonprofits to embrace strategic volunteer engagement for greater impact.' Read on...

Maryland Today (UMD): New Research Reveals Nonprofit Volunteers More Valued Than Ever, But Scarce
Author: Kaitlin Ahmad

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 aug 2023

There is visible shift in interior design world as fads and micro-trends are giving way to more lasting and sincere design choices influenced by economic and environmental concerns. Heather Goerzen, the design director of Havenly says, '...we're collectively wising up a bit, and learning to listen to what we really love, versus what just everyone else is buying at that moment. Between economic uncertainties as well as environmental concerns about waste, we're craving investment pieces with soul and story that feel like they have staying style - and won't be on next year's 'out' lists. Leading us back to tradition, with a twist.' Here are five trends for 2023 that designers and experts suggest - (1) BOLD HUES: Ms Goerzen says, '...people are seeking more comfort and coziness at home in the form of painted nooks, moody wallpaper, warm wood tones, and rich, colorful upholstery.' Kara Smith, founder of KES Studios, finds a trend of full rooma painted in strong tones like oxblood and emerald green etc as a way to create depth and mood. (2) STATEMENT STONE: Experts predic a rise in unconventional stones like basalt, taverine, soapstone and more, bringing the outside inside with a particular attraction. Lisa Berman and Melissa Rohani, co-founders of Studio Gutow, say, 'People are leaning toward statement marbles with dramatic veining and unique color patterns. This trend allows for a stunning focal point that captures attention and adds a sense of timeless natural luxury.' (3) ORGANIC CURVES: Angular and straight lines are giving way to curve and soft lines in the furniture and home elements. It would include serpentine sofas, curvaceous accent chairs, and all other forms of furniture, plus an infusion of architectural arches: windows, doors, and hallways. Ms. Berman and Ms. Rohani say, 'This trend brings a sense of serenity and fluidity to interiors, allowing spaces to breathe and feel harmonious.' (4) INNER SANCTUARY: With stress seeping in human livces and people seeking calm at home, interior design is accomodating it into the strategy. Ms. Smith says, 'I've seen rooms fully devoted to meditation, reading, and general relaxation.' Jenni Lauri, the principal and founder of Lauri Design Studio, is observing a rise in warm harmonizing colors and mixes of rich, soft fabrics. Marc Ange, the founder of Studio Ange, points out the changes created by pandemic in human behavior and people seeking peace, happiness and a sense of home and family is adding to this trend. (5) GRANNY CHIC: Ms. Goerzen says, 'Traditional design is staging a slow but mighty comeback in the form of ornate woodwork and moulding, vintage-inspired artwork, romantic silhouettes, saturated colors, and pattern play... the focus is once again on warmth, hospitality, and comfort-like a chic, updated take on your grandmother's sitting room.' Read on...

Harper's BAZAAR: The 5 Best Interior Design Trends to Shop in 2023
Author: Tatjana Freund

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 jul 2023

Self-care or wellness is an important topic for years and to have self-care policies in organizations for their employees is becoming a necessary consideration. COVID-19 also exacerbated the issue for businesses and organizations. Joseph F. Duffy, author of the book 'Being a Supervisor 1.0.', SVP of Recruitment at the nonprofit leadership search firm of Dennis C. Miller (DCM) and former president of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson (New Jersey, USA), says that in the post-pandemic scenario the organizational leaders face the challenge of 'great resignation' phenomenon that includes increased instances of employee stress and burnout, and self-care is an important thing needed. According to Mr. Duffy, 'Too often this topic has been referred to Human Resource Departments with the intent of addressing employee self-care needs by modifying employee benefits packages, offering programs/activities such as diet, smoking cessation, exercise classes, stress management etc.' Mr. Duffy suggests a more systematic approach to promoting emplyees' self-care needs and having a proper mechanism to create, maintain, manage and measure it - (1) Include self-care in every employee's job description, up to, and including the CEO. (2) Include it in every employee's annual performance review. (3) Have it as a standing agenda item for supervision meetings. (4) Have it as a standing agenda item for team meetings. (5) Develop a formal written policy and procedure on self-care, definition, statement of importance, expectations, and resources. (6) Consider having this policy and procedure require every employee to have a written self-care plan. (7) Include this self-care policy and self-care education in the new employee orientation program. (8) Include self-care in ongoing employee training offerings. (9) Include self-care opportunities in your employee benefits offerings e.g. exercise, yoga, meditation, mind-fulness classes, nutrition couseliing, smoking cessation, EAP (Employee Assistance Program) etc. Read on...

The NonProfit Times: 9 Steps Toward Staff 'Self-Care' Policies
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 jul 2023

Nonprofit sector's human resources departments had been facing challenges, specifically in recrruiting and retaining talent, in the COVID'19 years and after. Nonprofit HR's Annual Talent Management Priorities Survey 2023 provides insights into the concerns of social sector organizations related to human resource management. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SURVEY FOR 2023 - 80% organizations are prioritizing talent acquisition; Top 3 recruitment priorities (66% are attracting/hiring diverse talent; 44% are strengthening employer brand to attract better talent; 50% increasing recruiting budgets); 93% are prioritizing culture and employee engagement; 73% are prioritizing performance management; 79% are prioritizing learning and development; Top 3 learning and revelopment or training efforts (Leadership - 67%; Supervisory Skills - 66%; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - 73%); 66% are prioritizing total rewards (compensation and benefits); 61% are not prioritizing talent analytics/metrics; 70% are not prioritizing talent-focused technology; 65% have a formal talent management strategy/plan that will guide its work in 2023; Top 3 elements included in formal talent management strategy/plan (Talent acquisition like branding, recruitment, hiring, onboarding - 84%; Retention planning like culture management, employee engagement, feedback management - 84%; Learning and development like staff development, leadership development, mentoring, shadowing - 82%). Read on...

Nonprofit HR: 2023 NONPROFIT TALENT MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES SURVEY RESULTS
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 jul 2023

According to the recent research study, 'Influencer marketing and the growth of affiliates: The effects of language features on engagement behavior' (Authors: Parker J. Woodroof of University of Alabama at Birmigham; Holly A. Syrdal of Texas State University; William C. McDowell of Texas State University; Susan Myers of the University of Central Arkansas; Sandipan Sen of Southeast Missouri State University), published in the Journal of Business Research (August 2023), traditionally major brands have embraced affiliate marketing programs, but the factors influencing engagement with influencer-generated content have remained largely unexplored. To bridge this gap, the research team applied the Elaboration Likelihood Model to investigate how the linguistic features of influencers' affiliate marketing posts influence consumer behaviors. Wikipedia defines Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuation, proposed by Richard E. Petty and John Cacioppo in 1980, as a dual process theory describing the change of attitudes. The model aims to explain different ways of processing stimuli, why they are used, and their outcomes on attitude change. ELM intended to provide a general 'framework for organizing, categorizing, and understanding the basic processes underlying the effectiveness of persuasive communications.' Authors of the current study text used text mining and natural language processing techniques and analyzed a vast data set of influencers' affiliate marketing posts from Instagram. The study revealed that specific linguistic styles within these posts can enhance or diminish engagement with the content. Prof. Parker J. Woodroof of University of Alabama at Birmigham, the lead author of the study, says, 'Affiliate influencer marketing is a good example of a social media marketing strategy that is evolving before our eyes in real time...now we see that the industry is maturing and dealing with new concerns around artificial intelligence, bots and fake followers, and brands are still trying to figure out how to utilize influencer marketing in order to drive value...Affiliate influencers offer companies a lower-risk strategy to partner with influencers utilizing a commission-based pay formula rather than an upfront investment, For smaller brands especially, utilizing affiliates may be the winning strategy moving forward.' Micro-influencers could establish trust with their followers and offer authentic brand recommendations, making them an integral part of brand strategies. The study represents a significant contribution to the field as it is the first to examine the impact of language cues on consumer engagement with influencer-generated affiliate marketing content. Moreover, the research helps to understand the dynamics of influencer affiliate marketing and its potential impact on marketing strategies. Read on...

UAB News: New research reveals how influencers' words impact engagement in affiliate marketing on social media
Author: Adam Pope

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 jul 2023

Educators can inculcate creativity, and develop problem-solving and critical thinking among kids by introducing them to engineering and design at an early stage. This will also help them develop interest in learning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subjects. Following hands-on mini projects that involve engineering design processes can bring desired influence needed in kids to think and approach problems and provide design solutions - (1) Understand the Engineering Design Process (Define the Problem -> Identify Constraints in the Solution -> Brainstorm Multiple Solutions -> Select the Most Promising Solution -> Develop Prototype -> Test and Evaluate the Prototype -> Iterate to Improve -> Communicate the Solution) (2) Do the Marshmallow Challenge (3) Enroll Kids in Engineering Camp (4) Design and Build a Paper Airplane Launcher (5) Create a Homemade Lava Lamp Using Household Items (6) Build a Simple Machine Using Lego Bricks (7) Create a Marble Run Using Cardboard Tubes and Other Materials (8) Popsicle stick Catapult (9) Build a Mini Solar-Powered Car Using a Small Motor and Solar Panel (10) Create a Homemade Musical Instrument Using Recycled Materials (11) Build a Wind-Powered Car 12. Create a Water Filtration System Using a Plastic Bottle and Sand (13) Design and Build a Maze Using Cardboard and Other Materials (14) Build a Simple Electric Circuit Using a Battery and Wires (15) Design and Build a Mini Greenhouse Using Recycled Materials (16) Create a Balloon-Powered Car Using Straws and a Balloon (17) Make a Snack Pulley System (18) Design and Build a Glider Using Balsa Wood and Tissue Paper (19) Create a Simple Motorized Boat Using a Small Motor and Propeller (20) Build a Simple Hovercraft Using a Balloon and a CD (21) Design and Build a Simple Robot Hand Using Straws and a String. Read on...

Teaching Expertise: 21 Engineering Design Process Activities To Engage Critical Thinkers
Author: Mike Dave Ayeni

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 jun 2023

Startups with first-time founders work in tight budgets and may not give required importance to design as they focus to get product to market faster. On the contrary, Nicolas Susco (Designer, Entrepreneur & Investor, and founder of ElipseAgency), suggests that design need to be prioritized from the early stages of the startup and provides following reasons - (1) Design Plays a Significant Role in User Experience: Good design can brings new customers and signals to customers and investors that company cares about its products or brand. (2) Design can Hide Flaws and Buy Time: Even at pre-product stage a good designed initial prototype can have positive impact on clients and investors and keep them engaged with the startups as it keeps on working on the product. (3) Design Helps Communicate Value: Visual communication attracts attention and is more effective. A well designed website and creative video can convey company's values, make them appear refined and unique, and create emotional responses in the viewer. (4) Design is the Foundation of Any Brand: Fine details in design are the key aspect of the brand image. Every step adds to the impact that brand has on customers and investors. Read on...

Fast Company: The powerful synergy of design and entrepreneurship
Author: Nicolas Susco

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 may 2023

Collaborations between philanthropic community (nonprofits, NGOs, social enterprises etc) and science & technology leaders and organizations can help solve some pressing problems that world is facing like hunger, poverty, disceases, climate change etc. Here are four ways this collaboration is trying to bring necessary change - (1) Fighting 'Legacy' Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Example - Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI) recently partnered with Calibr, a division of Scripps Research, to study and potentially commercialize a compound that may improve upon current TB treatments. (2) Recruiting Gamers to Advance Medicine: Example - Scientists at Dotmatics, an R&D software development firm that partners with research universities like MIT and the University of Oxford, worked with gaming companies to develop an online video game that recruited thousands of willing 'citizen scientists' to analyze cellular-level changes in patients with COVID-19 and other diseases of the immune system. This took just days instead of weeks and provided reams of data that will be used to make softwares work even faster in future. (3) Growing Sustainable Food Solutions: Example - Good Food Institute (GFI) in partnership with alternative protein developers like Fishtown Seafood and UPSIDE Foods and many others, is working to commercialize and scale cultivated or plant-based meat products and as a result reduce global greenhouse emissions related to agricultural activities and meat production. (4) Electrifying Transportation in Latin America: Example - The Green Climate Fund, a major funder of low-carbon solutions, is partnering with local governments and other stakeholders across Latin America in a large-scale effort to speed the region's transition to EVs (Electric Vehicles). Read on...

Forbes: 4 Ways Technology And Philanthropy Are Supporting Innovation
Author: Serenity Gibbons

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 may 2023

Businesses have to find innovative ways to enhance customer engagement and involve them in their marketing initiatives. 13 experts from Rolling Stone Culture Council share ideas to guide marketing leaders to drive successful customer engagement - (1) Amanda Reiman of Personal Plants: Match the approach to the customer. (2) Candice Georgiadis of Digital Agency Inc: Give the best possible customer experience. (3) Joshua Adragna of Eyerate: Promote user-generated content (UGC). (4) Adam Ayers of Number 5: Leverage scarcity as consumers seek uniqueness and want to stand out. (5) Christian Anderson (Trust'N) of Lost Boy Entertainment LLC: Do story shoutouts during giveaways. (6) Adam Rumanek of Aux Mode Inc: Offer giveaways and ask audience questions. (7) Theo Sastre-Garau of NFTevening: Create a sense of urgency and exclusivity around campaigns. (8) Jacob Mathison of Mathison Projects Inc: Leverage community-source content and utilize open innovation and design thinking. (9) Cynthia Johnson of Bell + Ivy: Host a contest. (10) Jennifer Sodini of Hidden Hand Media: Gamify your marketing. (11) Igor Beuker of Igor Beuker: Move beyond social media, own your fans and IP, and have opt-in email database. (12) Susan Johnston of New Media Film Festival: Go back to grassroots marketing. (13) Ben Spell of GOOD RANCHERS: Do tease campaigns before they're live. Read on...

Rolling Stone: 13 Strategies to Drive Customer Participation in Marketing Initiatives
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 may 2023

Textile industry has become highly globalized, contributes significantly to the global economy and provides employment to millions. The emergence of 'fast fashion' concept has further increased the production level, nearly doubling in the last 15 year period. The present textile industry system works in a linear way - raw material obtained from non-renewable sources, processed and clothes are produced in mechanised factories in large quantities, consumed for a short period and then disposed of in landfil or incinerated. This linear system is negatively impacting humans and environment - Excess of US$ 500 billion of value is lost every year due to clothing underutilisation and the lack of recycling; Total greenhouse gas emissions from textiles production, at 1.2 billion tonnes annually; When washed, some garments release plastic microfibres, of which around half a million tonnes every year contribute to ocean pollution. The project report, 'A NEW TEXTILES ECONOMY: REDESIGNING FASHION'S FUTURE' [Core Project Team: Andrew Morlet, Rob Opsomer, Dr. Sven Herrmann (Lead Author), Laura Balmond, Camille Gillet, Lukas Fuchs], published in 2017, outlines a vision for a system that works, delivering long-term benefits - a new textiles economy based on the principles of a circular economy. It offers a direction of travel on which the industry can agree and focus its efforts. In a new textiles economy, clothes, textiles, and fibres are kept at their highest value during use and re-enter the economy afterwards, never ending up as waste. Circular economy is a systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE REPORT - Globally, the US$ 1.3 trillion clothing industry employs more than 300 million people along the value chain. Clothing - the focus of this report – represents more than 60% of the total textiles used and is expected to remain the largest application; The current clothing system is extremely wasteful and polluting. The recent Pulse of the fashion industry report estimated that the overall benefit to the world economy could be about EUR 160 billion (US$ 192 billion) in 2030 if the fashion industry were to address the environmental and societal fallout of the current status quo; Clothing is massively underutilised. Worldwide, clothing utilisation has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago. Globally, customers miss out on US$ 460 billion of value each year by throwing away clothes that they could continue to wear; Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing, representing a loss of more than US$ 100 billion worth of materials each year; Today's linear system uses large amounts of resources and has negative impacts on the environment and people. The textiles industry relies mostly on non-renewable resources - 98 million tonnes in total per year - including oil to produce synthetic fibres, fertilisers to grow cotton, and chemicals to produce, dye, and finish fibres and textiles. Textiles production (including cotton farming) also uses around 93 billion cubic metres of water annually; Should growth continue as expected, total clothing sales would reach 160 million tonnes in 2050 - more than three times today's amount; If the industry continues on its current path, by 2050, it could use more than 26% of the carbon budget associated with a 2°C pathway; The Pulse of the fashion industry report projects that, by 2030, fashion brands would see a decline in earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins of more than three percentage points, if they were to continue business as usual. This would translate into a profit reduction of approximately EUR 45 billion (USD 52 billion) for the industry; Ambitions For A New Textiles Economy - (1) Phase out substances of concern and microfibre release (Align industry efforts and coordinate innovation to create safe material cycles; Drastically reduce plastic microfibre release). (2) Transform the way clothes are designed, sold, and used to break free from their increasingly disposable nature (Scale up short-term clothing rental; Make durability more attractive; Increase clothing utilisation further through brand commitments and policy). (3) Radically improve recycling by transforming clothing design, collection, and reprocessing (Align clothing design and recycling processes; Pursue technological innovation to improve the economics and quality of recycling; Stimulate demand for recycled materials; Implement clothing collection at scale); Make effective use of resources and move to renewable inputs. Read on...

Ellen Macarthur Foundation: A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion's future
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 apr 2023

ChatGPT and Generative AI has already started making inroads in media and advertising industry. At present Generative AI has taken over low-risk functions like mockups and copyrighting but doubts still remain regarding strategically important channels like search ad spending etc. According to Morning Consult, just 30% of US adults have heard or read anything about ChatGPT, and only 10% regard its output as 'very trustworthy.' Moreover, 52% of consumers believe that generative AI will stick around. As Generative AI becomes more trustworthy it is capable to disrupt media and advertising, like for example, the need for intermediate agencies would diminish as platforms could use Generative AI technology to create business ads themselves. Moreover, as the technology can summarize reporting and synthesize press releases, the relatshionship between publishers and search engines has the potential to end. Generative AI could also reshape the economics of search advertising with its definitive responses to search queries. Generative AI could provide raw material, eliminate the need for advertiser A/B tests, help new brands increase output, and keep those in the industry abreast of all the notable developments. But a lot is needed for full scale adoption of Generative AI and its reaching a disruptive stage in the media and advertising industry. Read on...

Business Insider: ChatGPT and Generative AI in Media and Advertising: With Use Cases Set, the Battle for Hearts and Minds Begins
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 apr 2023

Websites are a window to organizations and provide them opportunity to showcase their products and services to their potential customers. Even though different organizations and businesses have different goals and their website design and development projects are unique, but there are some basic and foundational steps that are required successfully implement and complete them. Rahul Varshneya, co-founder of Arkeneo and author of technology articles in reputed magazines, suggests 5 critical steps that are needed to accomplish effective website design and development and provides views on what mistakes that are to be avoided during this process - (1) Define your website's goals: Build a creative brief outlining the website's goals and ask questions related to website's objective, target users, benefits to users etc. Build distinct customer personas, conduct market research and competitor analysis. (2) Plan your website design strategy: Strategic planning with realistic timelines is neccessary for long-term project success. Three promary elements in this are programming language and technology stacks, sitemap and wireframes, content strategy planning. (3) Design and develop the new website: There should be continuity in existing brand elements and new website design. For easy customer recognition incorporate color scheme, fonts, design and company logo. After visual design, coding is the next process. During this development phase from-end and back-end coding will happen to make the website functional. (4) Test your website: Testing and development should happen concurrently. End-to-end website testing includes functionality, user experience (UX), interface, compatibility, performance and website security testing. Some of the primary testing categories include functional testing, usability testing, compatibility testing. (5) Launch and maintain your new website: Strike a balance between form and function. Websites are dynamic and need to be continually updated with content and functionality. Avoid the following design mistakes - poor communication with web developers, making SEO an afterthought, being too generic, not closing the deal, setting and forgetting and not setting up and using analytics. Read on...

Business.com: 5-Step Web Design Process to Create Winning Websites
Author: Rahul Varshneya

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 mar 2023

As the world is becoming more divided and tussle-oriented, the usual development strategies with a top-down approach driven by international trade and investments are losing their effectiveness. Prof. Andrew Sheng of University of Hong Kong and Prof. Xiao Geng of The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen, explain that in such a scenario a systemic bottom-up approach can yield progress. According to them, 'Poverty, inequality, climate change and environmental degradation are complex systemic challenges. Yet prevailing policy approaches focus on devising separate solutions to specific problems, or even specific facets of problems, with little to no regard for how their solutions - and the underlying problems - interact...Only by recognising the interconnected nature of our social, ecological and economic systems, and addressing problems holistically, can we optimise their functioning and ensure human and planetary well-being.' They quote environmental scientist Donella Meadows's definition of a system as 'an interconnected set of elements that is coherently organised in a way that achieves something.' Prof. Sheng and Prof. Geng further elaborate, 'Multilateral action - implemented by nation-states - tends to be even less efficient...What is needed instead are bottom-up strategies underpinned by community-based and non-profit social enterprises.' According to Peter Drucker, successful non-profits, 'dedicated to "doing good"', but also 'realise that good intentions are no substitute for organisation and leadership, for accountability, performance and results.' Authors suggest harnessing the power of already-existing tools and resources. They explain, 'Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are far better equipped than their large counterparts to deploy the mission-driven management social enterprises require. MSMEs - 90% of all businesses globally - account for 70-80% of total employment...Yet, MSMEs do not have access to formal capital markets, let alone the holistic policy and institutional framework - including supporting infrastructure and a consistent legal environment - that would enable them to act as effective social enterprises...technology has enabled the creation of a 'global knowledge commons', through which social enterprises can access the knowhow - and, through trusted accreditation, the financing - they need.' Read on...

IPS Journal: A social-enterprise development model
Authors: Andrew Sheng, Xiao Geng

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 mar 2023

In the B2B sales management, leadership has to ensure that the team works efficiently and effectively. B2B sales is different from B2C as the deal size is larger and sales cycles are longer. B2B sales teams have engagement dynamics with their stakeholders at multiple levels and need to manage internal and external teams for deal success. Oscar Chavez, founder of Growthly Group, provides four B2B sales management strategies to be implemented to help improve B2B sales team's performance - (1) Set Clear, Measurable Goals: The goals should be specific, time-bound, challenging and achievable. This provides sense of direction and purpose and helps to focus efforts and stay motivated throughout the sales process. (2) Provide Training and Development Opportunities: To enhance team's performance provide formal training programs like workshops and classes, and also informal training opportunities like coaching and mentoring. (3) Use Data to Measure and Track Performance: This includes tools like sales metrics, customer feedback and surveys. Helps identify team's areas of excellence and shortcomings. Metrics include the number of deals closed, the average deal size, the close rate, the number of meetings attended within a month and the follow-up rate. Customer feedback is also essential. (4) Remain Flexible and Foster a Strong Company Culture: Create a positive and supportive work environment and foster a culture of teamwork, collaboration and open communication. Have a system of incentives and bonuses for reaching targets and achieving goals. This helps sales team to stay motivated and improve performance. Regularly monitor, evaluate and adjust these strategies to ensure team's best performance. Read on...

Forbes: 4 Strategies To Improve Your B2B Sales Team's Performance
Author: Oscar Chavez

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 09 mar 2023

In the world of graphic design, computers and softwares are essential tools and it is hard to imagine a creative work without them. But a hand-drawn design work by Prof. Nick Mendoza of the Oklahoma State University (OSU, USA) was selected in the 365: AIGA Year in Design competition in December. The 365: AIGA Year in Design competition, started in 1924, serves as a platform for designers, design teams and their clients to share design solutions for business and organizational challenges. Prof. Mendoza's work 'OSU Design Lecture 2021' was a poster that was created to promote visiting designer Mike Daines' guest lecture and included elements of his designs and a visual journey to the event. Prof. Mendoza says, 'As a design educator, I am humbled to know that my work is shown next to big time design studios with big time budgets; I created my design with paper, scissors and a marker.' Prof. Ting Wang-Hedges of OSU says, 'Having your work awarded from AIGA, especially winning the 365: AIGA Year in Design competition, means your work competes with other design works from renowned designers and studios.' Competition juror Clement Mok says, '[It's] an ode to hand-drawn letters. Wonderfully old-school, yet it feels very contemporary and personal. The letter scrawls are meticulously planned for legibility.' Prof. Mendoza teaches typgraphy, an art and study of arranging type to convey a message and make language legible. Prof. Pouya Jahanshahi of OSU says, '...he guides his students to mobilize principles of layout, composition, psychology and communication to produce powerful artifacts of graphic design - whether the outcome is a poster, book cover or comprehensive branding campaign.' Read on...

OSU News and Media: Graphic design professor's work recognized in international design competition
Authors: Erin Milek, Elizabeth Gosney

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 feb 2023

The COVID-19 crisis brought many challenges to the organizations in the nonprofit sector. Lisa Brown Alexander, president and CEO of Nonprofit HR, says, 'Since 2020, nonprofits have seen decreases in revenue, decreases in funding, decreases in opportunities to host fundraisers, which for many organizations is a revenue lifeline.' The crisis lead to financial challenges to nonprofits on one side while on the other there was increase in demand for their services and hiring requirements. According to the Nonprofit HR's 2023 Talent Management Priorities Survey of leaders in social impact organizations, HR leaders identified talent acquisition, performance management and talent-focused technology as their top three priorities this coming year. In 2022 the focus was on culture, learning and development, and performance management. Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project (NELP), says, 'The priority shift to a focus on finding and keeping employees makes sense.' Ms. Alexander and Ms. Dixon suggest 5 tactics for social impact organizations for talent management in coming months - (1) Focus on strategies to keep great talent. (2) Keep pace with your competitors. (3) Invest in technology, particularly tech that supports your staff. (4) Be competitive in pay and benefits. (5) Integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into your organization's talent management. Read on...

WTOP News: 5 ways nonprofits can win at talent management in 2023
Author: Vanessa Roberts

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 feb 2023

According to the research commissioned by Trades Union Congress (TUC, UK) and conducted by academics (Dr. Minjie Cai, Prof. Sian Moore, Dr. Alex Stroleny, Dr. Safak Tartanoglu-Bennett, Dr. Scott Tindal) at the Centre for Research on Employment and Work (CREW) at the University of Greenwich, the pandemic 'intensified existing trends' in online shopping, which meant a renewed shift from traditional shop-floor jobs towards work in warehouses, away from direct contact with customers. The analysis suggests that even though warehouse roles often provide more regular hours, and that competition for staff has pushed up wage rates, but warehouse work was considered by research participants as particularly gruelling ('the job is not human'), explaining labour shortages and high turnover, with a suggestion that automation and robotisation might be necessary to save the physical cost to human physical and mental health. Kate Bell, deputy general secretary of TUC, says, 'It was easy for consumers to forget that what feels like the miracle of rapid home delivery relies on real human labour, and real human labour which is increasingly tough - monitored, repetitive, gruelling.' Adrian Jones, the national organiser at Unite, says, 'Employers seem to be relying more and more on automated performance management tools in warehouses to set standards - and it doesn't take into consideration the massive issues that workers face on a day in, day out basis.' The researchers suggest surveillance of staff is used differently in workplaces where unions have a seat around the table. The report says, 'Where trade unions are recognised, workplace representatives play a key role in mediating technology and constraining its use in disciplinary measures against workers.' Tom Ironside, the director of business and regulation at the British Retail Consortium, says, 'The need for warehouse staff has been rising in recent years, so retailers have worked hard to provide the necessary financial and non-financial total reward to attract the necessary talent. As with all parts of retail, good working conditions are a key way of attracting and retaining staff, and warehouses are no exception.' Read on...

The Guardian: 'The job is not human': UK retail warehouse staff describe gruelling work
Author: Heather Stewart

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 feb 2023

Industrial designers are involved in the creation and development of many products and services that humans see and use in their life. They influence and contribute in shaping the physical and virtual experiences. Dr. Liam Fennessy, associate dean for industrial design at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Australia), says, 'It's not just tangible products or buildings, it's programs, experiences and digital products and digital interfaces too. Some industrial designers specialize for products in a particular industry while others get involved in projects in multiple and diverse areas. Those involved in consultancy services often work in diverse projects and interdisciplinary teams. Tim Phillips, an industrial designer and owner of Tilt Industrial design, utilizes multidisciplinary approach and focuses on built environment. His team of industrial designers design large-scale, site-specific design features for architects, landscape architects or artists. Explaining the approach in designing the operable façade at UTS (University of Technology Sydney) building where industrial design process is used to achieve architectural goals, Mr. Phillips says, 'The façade delivers a specific environmental function and a unique aesthetic. This combination of impacts is at the heart of what Tilt is trying to achieve in the built environment.' Even though an undergraduate degree in industrial design is generally a basic requirement to pursue a career as industrial designer but experts explain that having diverse and broad skills and excellent communication capabilities are necessary to achieve success. Mr. Phillips says, 'A great industrial designer must be able to deliver an amazing end-user experience and an equally successful commercial project outcome.' Read on...

The Sydney Morning Herald: The people who make everything around us
Author: Sue White

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 jan 2023

Even though for founders making their sart-up known, to grow the brand and innovation are essential components, but intentionally adopting PR strategies are often overlooked. Jenna Guarneri, founder and CEO of JMG Public Relations, with focus on innovators and startups, suggests ways for founders to get involved in the PR process as they are the most knowledgeable, committed, passionate and enthusiastic about their startups - (1) Understand Who You Are: Better understand the identity of the company and its goals and communicate it effectively to the customers. (2) Understand Your 'What' And 'Why': Understand what the brand represents and infuse core values and build the messaging accordingly. This will help in developing how the audience perceive the brand. (3) Create An Impact: Proactively create a positive image and be cautious while using digital media as a communication tool as any mistake can dilute the hard work done while building the image. (4) Build A Loyal Following: Relationships are a critical component of PR. Nurture and grow relationships with customers, and create a connection and develop trust to gain loyal following. (5) Know Your Competitors: To differentiate your brand, fully understand the competition and create a unique messaging to communicate how good you are at what you do and at addressing the pain points of your customers. This make you stand out from competition. Read on...

Forbes: 5 PR Tips That Every Founder Needs To Know
Author: Jenna Guarneri

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 jan 2023

Landscape design starts with applying the basic principles of design to the new project or renovating the existing one. Basic principles of design mean the standards by which designs are created, measured, discussed and evaluated. Following are the sicx principles of design - (1) Balance: Includes the state of being and seeing. Balance can be symmetrical, asymmetrical or proximal/distal. (2) Focalization of Interest: Good designs have a focal point that attracts viewers attention. (3) Simplicity: Intended to make viewer feel comfortable. It eliminates unnecessary change. Doing too much can create complexity. Less is more. (4) Rhythm and Line: Rhythm is created when something repeats substantially with a standard interval. The most essential lines are the lines and angles of the house. Designers repeat the lines and angles of the house with those of the landscape materials. One of the most common line plantings is the foundation planting. (5) Proportion: Defines the size reletionship between all the features of the landscape. Includes both the vertical and horizontal relationships as well as space relationships (6) Unity: Unity brings all the separate parts of the design together into a total unified design. Read on...

The Lawton Constitution: The principles of landscape design for your yard
Author: Jim Coe