Cherryflava

Our new business card

Inspirational business card design idea from Japanese designer Ji Lee. You can download the template and print your own 'Google me' card here.

We're going to have ours mocked up and printed out in two shakes of a lamb's tail.

Final result should look something like this:

 

[via Jean Snow]

Create your own bus stop ad

It's not that many people need encouragement to add a personal message to a bus shelter, but Sharpie [which we guess is a brand of permanent marker] allow wannabe graffiti punks to write something witty on a picture of an arm cast masquerading as an interactive bus stop billboard.

It seems that there is such an overwhelming desire for self expression on public property it's a total no-brainer not to take advantage of it.

Choose your colour from the palette, write something obscene, be legendary.

[via thecoolhunter]

Breadcrumbz: Cellphone-based map making

Giving directions could well get a long overdue tech makeover thanks to a picture-based navigation app for cellphones called Breadcrumbz - in other words - something that helps you make maps for dummies with a cellphone. [see video for more]

The software uses the phone's camera and GPS to take geo-tagged pictures of the user's route while Android's location APIs and Compass sensor track their progress as they navigate. Android's Maps API is then used to overlay route information such as arrows or notes on top of a map. The result is a personalized, picture-based map that users can email to friends or upload to the web to show others how to navigate a specific building or landscape.

Looks like a helluva handy tool to add to the quiver of tricks we already use in our location-based urban games, but alas it's only available for Google's Android platform and won't work on our Nokia N95s. But it's only a matter of time before the goodness spreads.

More: Using pictures to give directions - Springwise
Website: Breadcrumbz

Design your own credit card

We're a little surprised that more banks aren't allowing their clients the freedom to design their own ATM and credit cards.
Sure it takes a bit more effort to capture a couple of pictures and create individual cards for people, but the rewards of having a card passed about restaurants and gym changing rooms as an item of personalised pride is priceless.

A bank in the US, Capital One is now giving the concept a bash.

All Capital One consumer credit card customers now have the option to visit the Capital One web site and upload their own photo images - family, friends, pets, or a favorite picture - to be printed on their card, at no cost.

Hey First National / Standard / ABSA / Nedbank / Investec - forget about your expensive ads that everyone ignores, the silly payoff line changes and offering us an instant cash loan that we really don't want, let us put our own pic on our cards and we'll advertise your bank to everyone we know....for free.
Call us - we'll take you through our thinking here.

Website: Capital One Image Card
More:  Greensheet
Previously: Design your own bank card - Cherryflava

[via trendhunter]

Free business idea: Toilet humour

Apart from the stack of magazines and preferred PSP game titles which go nicely with quality time spent in the WC, the common toilet is rather devoid of entertainment.

Step up the budding entrepreneur and the realisation that their is an entire universe of untouched porcelain canvas on which to decorate and make casual statements.

Vinyl toilet graphics could easily spread like a salmonella infection if left unchecked and if you're sharp and witty enough, an entire cottage industry of profound statements and movement inspiring images could line the pathway to your black Vanquish S and luxury condo in Clifton.

More: Etsy
[via]

Crushpad: A winery hijacked by customers

We've written about California-based Crushpad before. It's that winery that invites you to 'design

your own' barrel of wine.

It's a great idea - and the proof of it's success is that it is still around... and growing at a swift clip.
The unfortunate thing is that the winery is in California and as yet, no local wine producer has taken the leap to do something a little similar.
We were keen to dish out a couple of cases of Cherryflava Merlot to our valued clients and business partners this year, which we'd crafted ourselves, but we don't as yet own a slice of the Cape winelands so that put pay to that idea. If there was an opportunity to fractionally own a tiny segment of vineyard for one season - we'd be there in a flash.
Owning a wine farm in Stellenbosch is many an entrepreneurs dream, but competition is tough - costs are at Aston Martin-levels and innovation in the local industry is low.

Surely the continued success of the Crushpad business model must spark some kind of local movement in the same direction at some near stage.

Latest: Winemaking that doesn't require a mortgage - NYTimes
Previously: Cool business idea: Design your own wine - Cherryflava

Design your own night club

In South Africa, redesigning your favourite night club's interior come courtesy of a can of spray paint or the rearrangement of furniture over the head of the annoying English rugby supporter who just won't simmer down after his 34th lager.

But in London, a new night spot has just opened where the walls take varying forms according to your every whim and fancy.
Whether you feel like sipping your Jack while gawking at the Arizona desert, slamming a tequila with a backdrop from The Matrix or you can even use your own images and video - probably via Bluetooth from your phone [...ja...easy big boy...we all know what choice home-made porn you're been stashing on that skanky old Motorola of yours], the choice is yours.

The bar continues the interactive theme and is touch sensitive. When you put a glass down; the bar reacts to it and sends out light beams across to the base of your drink. If you touch the bar with your hand, light shoots out towards you and alerts the barman that you require another drink.

Wicked - beam me a Stroh rum and Pepsi, please Scottie.   

Very impressive and all fun and games until somebody spills their drink on the main controller, but yet another example of the 'design your own...' mass-customization trend worming its way into everything from ATM cards to ..well, yes....your local disco.

Website: twentyfour
[via A Luxury travel blog]

Previously: Design your own bank card - Cherryflava