These solar panels in Malmö are mounted vertically on exterior walls because the sun is so low on the horizon at this latitude.

A nice illustration of context-aware design. As well as a reminder that the world is a diverse place, that what we expect to see in most places (solar panels angled on roofs) may not be relevant in all places.

Isn’t it interesting how detailed the illustration is? And how clearly it communicated the message?

I am normally a fan of very simple and unfettered geometric forms for signage, but this has a unique charm that works.

It goes to show that you can use whimsical, decorative elements to create something beautiful that still fulfills the design intention.

One thing I noticed in my short time in Tokyo – the pavements are flawlessly even. This photo shows a perfectly level walking surface transitioning across three different materials: bitumen, flagstones and wood.

Excellence because someone gave a damn about what they do. Wow.

There’s beauty around us that we take for granted. When things work well, we stop noticing them. And then we go travelling…

It was markedly warmer today, with temperatures around 6°C. The sun was out and the sky was clear. Nice.

The two art galleries I went to were disappointing. The National Museum of Western Art (in a building designed by Le Corbusier no less) held a cross section of significant names like Monet, Picasso, Pollock; but the works did not grab me. The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum was literally overflowing with large numbers of students’ calligraphy – unfortunately not something that floated my boat.

The large chrome sphere installation was fun though.

The visual literacy level in Japan is very high. Everywhere I see great attention to detail – the placement of objects in spaces, the composition of visual material, the typography…

Everything gives the sense of being thought about, and considered. I am hard pressed to spot any “close enough, good enough” outcomes.

Tokyo is huge. Too big to hold in my head all at once…

In a village or small town, you have specialists/craftspeople, individual businesses that offer specific services like medicine, carpentry, bakery etc.

In a big city like Tokyo, these individual businesses cluster into streets or towns. Districts in the city become known for various specialisations such as the fabric street in Nippori, and the electrical/electronics street in Akihabara. In Singapore, there are shopping malls dedicated to electronics, vegetarian food and so on. A similar clustering on a larger scale is seen at the global level.

How do these clusters form? Deliberately or organically? What are the advantages and disadvantages of situation your business within a cluster of similar businesses? Is there niching opportunities here within the clusters as well as outside of them?

When you become known to the world for one overwhelming thing, the world can stop seeing the other stuff you offer. A strong brand, a powerful unique value proposition, can be disadvantageous if you have other things to offer.

Hiroshima is way more than the site of the first atomic bomb used in war. It is actually a lovely, lively and living city.