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April 22, 2015 | Category: Blog | Author:

Weekly roundup: Reports, story stickers, being another

THE MACHINE TO BE ANOTHER: An international research and design group called BeAnotherLab has created “The Machine to Be Another,” which enables pairs of people wearing virtual-reality-type goggles to see themselves as if in someone else’s body. The group exhibited the machine at the Tribeca Film Festival’s “Storyscapes” show last weekend.

STORY STICKERS: An article at Mic.com talks about an effort by campus activists last week: “One in 3 American women will have an abortion in her lifetime. And yet, the issue is undeniably one of the most stigmatized, politically charged ones in America. [Last week,] activists on 75 college campuses created a ‘pop-up’ sticker project, in collaboration with the 1 in 3 campaign, campaign director Julia Reticker-Flynn told Mic. The stickers, which included women’s real stories of abortion in English and Spanish, were posted in high-traffic spaces on their campuses to spark personal dialogues about the role abortion plays in women’s lives.” Thanks to Bruce Trachtenberg for the tip.

NO MORE BORING ANNUAL REPORTS! How many boring annual reports have you read? Dozens? Maybe hundreds? Or perhaps better yet, how many boring annual reports have you NOT read — the fact that they’re so boring is just the problem. Here’s something that many organizations spend lots of time on, only to produce something that most people just skim, at best. In a post on Hatch.com, Rachel Hope Allison of Big Duck says, “the challenge isn’t in whether your report looks fancy enough, or whether it’s printed or online—the real danger is losing sight of what your supporter needs from the report.” She recommends telling stories that address your readers’ “hierarchy of needs”–survival, success, and transformation–as conceived by Abraham Maslow and reimagined by Chip Conley.