From time to time we come across concepts that are so compelling, we are moved to share them with our friends, colleagues,
and clients. Our team has an insatiable quest for knowledge and an equal passion for sharing what we know. We hope you
find these big ideas as moving as we did. And if you have some big ideas you would like to share with us, please contact us. We are always looking for exciting new things to think about!
Effective communications can make a difference: Series 2
A look at the building blocks of influential communication systems.
To communicate effectively you have to know the appropriate language. But language can be elusive. "Words are slippery and
thought is viscous." (Adams, Henry. The education of Henry Adams. New York: Modern Library, c1918.) The systems we use to
communicate inform our discourse and our cultural landscapes. Forging connections with people sometimes requires simple
devices that form a map to meaning, a sort of "Rosetta stone" that bridges different mindsets and translates ideas and
ideals in ways that make sense—in ways that resonate.
We hope you find these remarkable systems thought provoking and inspirational. Some have saved lives by allowing people
to better navigate change, some have moved whole nations to greatness through prosperity, some have built powerful communities
by increasing participation, some inform, some educate, and some forge powerful connections. In all cases, effective
communications made a difference.
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A look at the building blocks of influential communication systems: Phoenician
2800 years of ambitious expansion—motivated by a dragon's teeth? Learn more.
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A look at the building blocks of influential communication systems: Emoticons
Sometimes what you need to engage, involve, and entertain your reader is a sideways look at the world. Learn more.
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A look at the building blocks of influential communication systems: The Periodic Table of Elements
Some communication systems are not incremental evolutions, but revolutionary innovations. Learn more.
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A look at the building blocks of influential communication systems: Proofreader's marks
In this era of almost instantaneous communication, mistakes are easy to make. Learn more.
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A look at the building blocks of influential communication systems: Cree
The written form of the Cree language has helped aboriginal populations of Canada and northern United States invigorate their culture for 150 years. Learn more.
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A look at the building blocks of influential communication systems: Ogham
The earliest written form of the Celtic language helped travelers anticipate the journey before them. Learn more.
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Effective communications can make a difference: Series 1
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Popular translations of the enigmatic Egyptian hieroglyphics into the Roman alphabet abound: Hieroglyphics
But the ancient symbol system actually has many more complex rules governing its use—and during the era of the pharaohs, only a privileged few could read or write the symbols. Learn more.
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The Greek language, one of recorded history's most ancient, dates back many millennia: Greek
In its early days it evolved considerably, influenced by variations from island and mainland communities, and by trade and conflict with other civilizations. Learn more.
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Until the development of flag signals began in the sixteenth century, communication between ships at sea was impractical: Nautical
For the most part, naval tactics were so primitive that there was no need for a sophisticated communication system. Learn more.
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Though binary counting and communication systems developed in many cultures around the world, modern information technology traces its roots back to ancient China: Binary
The German philosopher, mathematician, and logician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (not the first European to discuss binary logic, just the most famous) learned binary counting from Jesuit missionaries. Learn more.
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By the time Jonathan Lambert, who was deaf, arrived in 1694 as one of the earliest settlers on Martha's Vineyard, most of the residents of the small island community knew a form of sign language they brought from their common ancestral home, the Weald: Sign Language
This isolated rural region in the English county of Kent once had an unusually high incidence of deafness due to its small population, and marriage patterns that perpetuated the inheritance of the deafness gene. Learn more.
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Samuel F.B. Morse's mysterious first message in February 1838 signaled a revolution in communication: Morse Code
He recognized the capacity of electric current to carry information, and he used Allesandro Volta's electric battery. Learn more.
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The Nature of Ideas
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Take a break for three minutes and explore The nature of ideas
For almost a quarter of a century we've been helping corporations, cultural and academic institutions, and professional service firms nurture good ideas into successful realities. Let's collaborate to make your good idea great. Learn more.
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