Facial recognition technology was just highlighted in the media in a very clever interactive media advertising campaign that was launched at a bus stop in London. This advertising campaign was initiated to highlight the plight of women in third world countries and the discrimination that it heaped upon the because of their gender. The bus stop has a large screen and a HD camera that scans the audience with facial recognition technology and based on facial characteristics (male or female) chooses the advertising content to share with that viewer.

Watch this video to see how facial recognition technology can be used with your TV:

 

For example, men see a highly abbreviated version of the advertising campaign and mostly statistics about women who are discriminated against around the world and their plight. The men are denied access to the whole advertisement. The women in front of the screen see the complete advertisement which includes the story of the lives of 3 women and the discrimination that they experience. Once the viewer opts in they experience positive or negative gender discrimination through the facial recognition technology. Not only the message but the media also conveys the limitations imposed by gender bias and discrimination. The message comes through very powerfully. See the attached link for the full story. www.plan-uk.org/choices-for-girls

This facial recognition technology provides an interactive media experience, but with a bit of an uncomfortable edge to it. There are many companies that place large screens in malls and airports starting to utilize this type of interactive media. Their product measures the length of time an individual looks at the screen, the gender of the viewer and the age of the viewer within ranges and then chooses what advertising to show to that viewer. It can capture a lot of information about every passerby. This type of audience segmentation is involuntary as it scans everyone who walks by.

Even though in both cases it’s an interactive experience, the key difference here is that most out of home mall and airport participation is involuntary. Where the advertising in London had an opt in function before capturing data of its viewers, some other facial recognition firms take pride in their stealth technology, claiming one “does not require audience cooperation for measurement or for gathering demographics, thus providing true and unbiased information.” This may be a marketers dream but perhaps not great for the passerby’s privacy.

With dwindling marketing budgets and more demand for hard data, new technologies are springing up everywhere to compile data, which can be utilized to determine the best use of a company’s resources. Both Facebook and Google have had their challenges steering clear of privacy issues with their users. Perhaps this is the next interactive media platform that will have to bear up to public scrutiny.

Interactive media provides marketers with a wealth of information when set-up with appropriate controls and can track great information. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a great example but remember it also provides an opt-in feature, making it a responsible alternative. Marketers must capture data to make the best use of their dollars and increase their ROI while driving down costs and interactive media marketing is one of the best ways to do just that. There are many ways to mine that data but we should also consider the most appropriate and responsible way to collect it while respecting our customers and prospects and using the data to best serve them.

These top mobile apps for graphic designers will help you with your day to day business like it has for me.  I have a first generation iPad and more recently have purchased an iPhone.  The technology is a wonderful thing, because these mobile apps save me a ton of time and offer and there are more and more apps available to help in my day to day business.  I thought I would share some of the best graphic design apps I have found to date.

Top APPs for Graphic Designers and Printers

Color Expert                                            Price $9.99

By Code Line
The first one is Color Expert – It is like having a PMS Book on your iPhone or iPad.  It does have a price tag of $9.99 but compared to a traditional PMS book ranging from $85-$100 it is a bargain.   Plus it’s a lot easier to carry around.

Color Expert Description

Includes licensed data of your favorite color libraries, many with CMYK info:
PANTONE® solid coated, PANTONE® solid uncoated, PANTONE® Goe™ coated, PANTONE® Goe™ uncoated, PANTONE® f + h cotton and PANTONE® f + h paper.

We built Color Expert from the ground up with the creative spirit in mind. Designers of all types, regardless of their medium, have a common thread—and that common thread is color. We use it to be loud, quiet, bold, subtle, soothing, frenzied and sometimes just to stand out. But working with color can be difficult away from the studio.

And how about building your Spring Collection’s palette from that flamingo you saw at the zoo? Well, you can get started on that one in about 8 taps as well. Suddenly your design begins the moment inspiration hits you, no matter where you are.

But Color Expert is more than just a Color Wheel and Image Picker, it’s also a Swatch Book that contains all of your favorite libraries, many with CMYK data. So give it a spin with your iPhone or iPod touch.

iPhone Screenshots

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Eco-Calculator                               Price:  FREE

By Neenah Paper, Inc.

The second App I would recommend is Free.  It is the Neenah Eco-Calculator.  With this app you are able to enter the amount of paper you are using for a given print project, by pounds or by sheets used. Once you enter your information you get a list of environmental savings in various categories such as wood, water, energy emissions and solid waste.  You can even have your printer print these calculated amounts and images right on your printed piece to show your customers how environmentally savvy you are.

Description The Neenah Paper Eco-Calculator is a free iPhone Application that lets you instantly calculate the environmental savings of paper made with post consumer fiber as well as the savings of paper made with 100 percent renewable energy.

Calculate your environmental savings as measured in wood, water, energy, emissions and solid waste.
See your savings with real-world examples of resources saved.
Save your environmental reports or share them with friends, vendors, or clients via email.
Use the built-in glossary to better understand how your paper choices affect the environment.
Access links to source data for additional information.

Environmental impact estimates for savings pertaining to the use of post consumer recycled fiber share the same common reference data as the Environmental Defense Fund paper calculator v2.0, which is based on research done by the Paper Task Force, a peer-reviewed study of the lifecycle environmental impacts of paper production and disposal. Environmental impact estimates for savings pertaining to the use of papers made with renewable energy are based on the U.S. EPA Power Profiler. Values derived for the Neenah Green Eco-Calculator are from publicly available information sources.

iPhone Screenshots

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Adobe Press Learn By Video             
Initial app: FREE    Tuturial Sets: $1.99

By Adobe

The last one I am going to share with you today is the Adobe Press Learn by Video.  I have the Adobe Design Suite of products on my computer and have been trying to teach myself how to use them effectively.  With this app you can view instructional videos of the various programs, like Photoshop, InDesign and Flash. The initial app is free but each set of tutorials will run you about $1.99.

iPhone Screenshots

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Great information here, just don’t attempt to use these on the runway!