In this episode we discuss the phenomenon of organisations working to keep alive a problem for which they are the solution. It was observed and written about by American technology writer and consultant, Clay Shirky and has thus been given the name The Shirky Principle. Through many examples, we explore how prevalent it's been in the world of products and consumables and try (but in all honesty, probably fail) to offer advice on how to avoid falling foul of it oneself. We conclude that it's definitely something much easier to spot in others! Here are some useful links if you want to find out more about some of the bits we discussed:Clay Shirky's book on Cognitive SurplusJono's sketch on the Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom chain. Mitchell & Webb Toothbrush design marketing comedy sketchStructure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas KuhnSketchplanations on the S-CurvePlease consider giving us a review or subscribing to our podcast on your podcast player. It really helps.We'd love to hear your stories of any experience with The Shirky Principle. Ping us an email to: hello@sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We spoke with mechanical wristwatch designer Gordon Fraser, of Marloe Watch Company, to hear his perspective on the pros and cons of product design when you set out to be different.It's not always a given that your customers want dramatically different and perhaps there are times when you should swim against the current and others when you should let yourself go with the flow.The real skill comes from experience, to know which mode to activate when.Gordon also speaks about the need to be allowed to dream as an antidote to creative blockages.Could this mindset help with any endeavours, be they creative or otherwise, in your world?Additionally, we reference:Jono's Prints & Performances sketch.Approach Buffet from both Sides sketchThe British Museum Clock GalleryPlease consider giving us a review or subscribing to our podcast on your podcast player. It really helps.Please also consider ordering a copy of Jono's Sketchplanations book: Big Ideas, Little Pictures. Out now!We'd love to hear your stories of creative mindsets and how you've overcome any barriers.Ping us an email to: hello@sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Music.It can be a very personal thing. It can be most powerful when shared.It's on the radio, in our headphones on the commute, at the gym, on TV ads, in our favourite movies... what would the world be without it?And what would the world be without the people who create it?This episode, we interrogate singer, songwriter, producer, and friend of the show Franc Cinelli to find out how he goes about creating new music.Where does it come from?What are his processes?And how does creating music relate to other areas of creativity in our lives?if you're a regular listener you may or may not be aware that it's Franc's music we use on the podcast.Most notably:Driver - as our intro music.The Impossible Breaks Free - as our transition into the episode's sketch-specific discussionJulius Play His Winning Ace - (my favourite) at the end of the Listener Comments that round off each episode.Find his music here on Apple or SpotifyHere's some good stuff to check out that we reference in the podcast:Short Film: From Somewhere - Franc talks about his music makingAxis of Awesome - songs that use the same 4 chordsSteal Like An Artist - Book by Austin Kleon : 10 things nobody told you about being creativeAnd what would an episode of this podcast be without referring to another of Jono's sketches: 3,500 lifetime readsAs always, we'd love to know your thoughts about our discussion and you can email us here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We think beaches are great!What about you?In this episode:We discuss how beaches are prime spots for enjoyment for all ages and at any time of year.We talk about how they can be places for excitement and adrenaline; places to encourage creativity; places for quiet contemplation; and places that bring perspective to life.Tommy goads Jono into a debate about what's better: Mountains or Beaches.We share our best beach-find storiesand as ever, we bring in a few of Jono's other related sketches:+ Sea Jellies and Sea Stars+ Types of surf breaks (waves)+ The Anatomy of a wave+ The Strand LineAnd here's the photo of "the bomb" found on the beach up near Middlesbrough.We'd love to hear from you about your best finds or your most memorable moments at the beach.Email us: hello@sketchplanations.comAll music on this podcast series provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we ask ourselves if we've reached our professional peaks and if we now fall foul to the Peter Principle, having tipped into our levels of incompetency.Amongst many other clever things, Jono applies the principle to Football Management.Tommy gives his insight to how relevant it is managing at the very top of a business.And I tell how my capacity to teach stuff is severely limited by exactly the kind of incompetence the Peter Principle is based on.Where do you feel you or maybe more interestingly, where do those around you sit within the Peter Principle?Here are some useful links if you want to find out more about some of the bits we discussed:The Peter Principle was first proposed by Canadian educator, Laurence J. Peter . In one of his books, he also said that "noblest of all dogs is the hot dog; it feeds the hand that bites it."Creator of The Paula Principle is Tom SchullerThe Dilbert PrincipleThe Generalised Peter Principle sketch#1 Rule of Indoor GamesThe BBC Peter Principle sitcom with Jim Broadbent on YouTubePlease consider giving us a review or subscribing to our podcast on your podcast player. It really helps.Please also consider putting in a pre-order for Jono's Sketchplanations book: Big Ideas, Little Pictures. Out very soon.We'd love to hear your stories of any experience with The Peter Principle.Ping us an email to: hello@sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So much we didn't know about the wonderful world of plants.In this compilation, double-header episode discussing some of Jono's sketches that cover fascinating elements of botany, we are joined by 2-time gold medal winner at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show, author of 6 best-selling books, and ambassador for Kew Gardens; celebrated botanist, James Wong.Rather than edit out a tonne of insightful, educational discussion points from James, we decided to publish this episode in two parts. This is Part 2.The sketches we discussed are:Heat IslandsThe Browse LineThe Hungry GapPhoenix TreesNurse LogsHow to make your own Fresh AirThis last sketch was based on a TED talk by Kamal Meattle - and it's an interesting listen to hear how James dissects the theory behind it.It was also a delight to discover that all 4 of us attended the University of Bath at the same time.Please consider giving us a review or subscribing to our podcast on your podcast player. It really helps.Please also consider putting in a pre-order for Jono's Sketchplanations book: Big Ideas, Little Pictures. Out very soon now.Have a story or a thought about botany and your experiences with plants?Ping us an email to: hello@sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So much we didn't know about the wonderful world of plants.In this compilation, double-header episode discussing some of Jono's sketches that cover fascinating elements of botany, we are joined by 2-time gold medal winner at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show, author of 6 best-selling books, and ambassador for Kew Gardens; celebrated botanist, James Wong.Rather than edit out a tonne of insightful, educational discussion points from James, we decided to publish this episode in two parts. This is Part 1.The sketches we discussed are:Heat IslandsThe Browse LineThe Hungry GapPhoenix TreesNurse LogsHow to make your own Fresh AirThis last sketch was based on a TED talk by Kamal Meattle - and it's an interesting listen to hear how James dissects the theory behind it.It was also a delight to discover that all 4 of us attended the University of Bath at the same time.Please consider giving us a review or subscribing to our podcast on your podcast player. It really helps.Please also consider putting in a pre-order for Jono's Sketchplanations book: Big Ideas, Little Pictures. Out very soon now.Have a story or a thought about botany and your experiences with plants?Ping us an email to: hello@sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The three of us are tired of being misunderstood when we've used the words "biweekly", "bimonthly" and "biannually".It's just no fun.And so we're starting the campaign to ditch biweekly and use fortnightly instead. See sketch here.Try it out. You won't regret it.Our discussion turns to the general ambiguity of language and how in many senses it's quite a good thing.It allows for creative writing, comedy and ease of communication.Lots of bits to link to this week from this week's episode - enjoy:Ian Hollingshead book - Imagine my surprise... William Empson's book - The 7 types of AmbiguityTED talk by Lera Boroditsky & here's her Instagram account too.Sketch on the Oxford commaSketch on Context is KingSketch on CapitonymsSketch on homonyms, homographs, homophones, heteronymsPlease consider giving us a review or subscribing to our podcast on your podcast player. It really helps.Please also consider putting in a pre-order for Jono's Sketchplanations book: Big Ideas, Little Pictures. Out very soon now.We'd love to hear your stories of any confusion with the words biweekly, bimonthly or biannually.Ping us an email to: hello@sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you work with data and statistics?Actually, it doesn't matter if you do or not, you're bound to have come across averages of some kind at some point.And, as we discuss in this episode, the average can often hide key information about a data set.We'd love to know your thoughts or experiences with Sneaky Averages.email us: hello@sketchplanations.comThere's an old story about the statistician who drowned after seeing that the average depth was 3ft. Averages, or in this case the mean, necessarily hide some data, but very often they also hide what's really going on.As Jono's psychology professor at UC Berkeley, Sheldon Zedeck, taught him; spend time with your data.You can find the headline sketch here.Other sketches referenced in this episode include:SwimRunWealth inequality in the USThe BS Asymmetry PrincipleAdditionally, we mention the very entertaining website spurious correlations - where you'll find a whole load of amusing graphs.We mentioned Edward Tufty's work: The Visual Display of Quantitative InformationThere's the ever-fascinating musings of Tim Harford in his podcast (More or Less) and his book (The Undercover Economist)And there's our mate Jez Clements who holds the Guiness World marathon record for the fastest male dressed as a 3D TV Character.Finally, I'm not the only one who struggles saying the word "statistics" repeatedly!!Find many more sketches at Sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It can be uncomfortable to express opinions different from those of a group. Perhaps you remember that feeling when a teacher asked a question in class and if everyone raised their hand to one answer it wasn't always easy to be the only hand up for a different one.That's Groupthink!Do you remember the story of 12 Angry Men? How it took the resilience of one jury member to arrive at a correct verdict of not guilty.That's Groupthink.Thankfully, Jono suggests various ways to help avoid falling into the Groupthink mentality. See the sketch online for more details.The sketchplanation itself is set in a professional environment - where I'm sure many people have experienced it.Let us know.email hello@sketchplanations.comOther sketches referenced include:Bandwagon EffectBystander EffectFirehouse EffectAbilene ParadoxWe also reference the concept of psychological safety - a very apt phrase in this context coined by American author and Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School, Amy EdmondsonAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ah, that satisfying, superior, at once gleeful and slightly sinful feeling when the aggressive driver that overtook you gets their comeuppance and is flashed by a speed camera. Or when you find yourself laughing when a loved one falls over. #EpicFail comes to mind. This human experience can also be described as Schadenfreude, a nifty German word made up of schaden for damage, harm or hurt and freude for joy. Taking pleasure in others’ misfortunes.And so begins a litany of examples amongst the three of us of times we've felt schadenfreude. We learn that there are different types (summarised as 'good' and 'bad'), that some of us experience it more than others, and that there could be learnings in it for all of us to help consider our relationship with those around us. You can find the headline sketch here.We regularly reference the writing of cultural historian, Tiffany Watt Smith and her book on the topic. Let us know your stories where you've experienced schadenfreude. We'll try not to laugh. email us: hello@sketchplanations.comalternatively, you can find all three of us on Social Media here too: Jono Hey, Tom Pellereau, Rob Bell.Find many more sketches at Sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you a perfectionist?Do you identify as someone who regularly spends too much time on various projects or endeavours for the quality of output required?Yeah - you're not alone.This week we discuss the Law of Diminishing Returns and explore how prevalent it is across all our lives: professionally, academically, socially - it's everywhere.We try to identify various ways to know when enough is enough. But it's not always easy. You can find the headline sketch here. Other sketches referenced in this episode include:In Tandem5 User Tests find 85% of problemsFor want of a nailAdditionally, we reference the inspiration for Jono's sketch itself from this absolute favourite sketch of mine about Too Many Cooks Spoil The Broth from the masterful comedy team Big Train.Go on. Lose yourself for 10 minutes!We'd love to know your thoughts or experiences with The Law of Diminishing Returns.email us: hello@sketchplanations.comalternatively, you can find all three of us on Social Media here too: Jono Hey, Tom Pellereau, Rob Bell.Find many more sketches at Sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wouldn't it be cool if we had an army of tiny people working together to help us get through the day?It might surprise you to know that Designers and Problem Solvers sometimes imagine this exact scenario to help them overcome creative challenges."Smart Little People" is one of a number of tools from a design framework called TRIZ.In this episode, we talk about what TRIZ involves, and how Smart Little People have helped Jono, Tommy and others produce products and services in our every day lives.Find the Smart Little People sketch here.See Jono's other sketches related to TRIZ tools here.What problems would you employ Smart Little People to help you figure out? Let us know at hello@sketchplanations.com or by leaving us comments on social media.All Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do we no longer get many bugs stuck to our windscreens? Why do police sirens sound different depending on whether they're approaching or moving away from us? And what is the car horn's intended purpose?Find the answer to all these questions and more in this compilation episode about cars, driving and life on the road.Find all the sketches referenced here:Passing on an inside BendMarchetti's ConstantExhaust IdlingThe Doppler EffectThe PistonThe Windscreen PhenomenonTiredness Can KillUse of the Car HornHuman senses and paceWe also referenced a BBC video demonstrating The Doppler Effect with a trombone on a train.Let us know your thoughts on all these topics by emailing us: hello@sketchplanations.comOr leave us a comment or a message on Social Media.Extended version of the podcast now available to watch here on YouTube.All music on the podcast series kindly provided by Franc Cinelli. Find all his music, gigs and more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much of something can be great.Too much can be a real burden.This week we talk about the 4 Pillars of Too Much - as explored by simplicity parenting, and it doesn't take us long to reveal that all 3 of us feel like we suffer from too much stuff, too much choice, too much information and things happening around us too fast.Is this the modern world we live in? Or a world we've created ourselves?We try to offer up some strategies to try and cope with and manage these excesses, but are also the first to admit how difficult we find it to make changes. That said, I'm off to charity shop now to offload some books I've already read, or know I'll never read.We'd love to hear from you with your thoughts on, experiences with and strategies to manage The 4 Pillars of Too Much.Email us: hello@sketchplanations.comOr leave us a comment or a message on Social Media.Extended version of the podcast now available to watch here on YouTube.The artwork for this episode should be displaying the sketch under examination. If not, you can find it here.Other connected sketches discussed include:The Laws of ExpansionThe Paradox of ChoiceA Good Teacher is like a DJ for LearningWhen Drinking Tea, Just Drink TeaMean World SyndromeAll music on the podcast series kindly provided by Franc Cinelli. Find all his music, gigs and more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his research, biological anthropologist Robin Dunbar poses that the typical number of people we can keep meaningful relationships with sits at around 150, and that this number is limited by the size of our brains. We discuss how it applies to us, if social media has impacted it, what it means for businesses and if we should be influenced by it when writing wedding invites or christmas cards...! :-)How does the number 150 sit with you and your social network? Or the number of contacts on your phone? Or even the number of people invited to your wedding? We'd love to hear from you. Let us know at hello@sketchplanations.com or by leaving comments and messages for this episode on Instagram or Twitter.You can find all three of us on Social Media here too: Jono Hey, Tom Pellereau, Rob Bell.Find many more sketches at Sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to holidays, or nights out, or relationships even; it can often be the peak moments of emotional intensity and the very end of an experience that we filter in our memories to form our lasting impressions. It's called The Peak-End Rule. And guess what - Jono's done a sketch on it. The experience or event that we remember through the Peak-End filter can be short or long, it can be good or bad. Our brains are very good at dropping a lot of the detail and focussing on Peaks and Ends. You can see Jono's sketch on it here. Can you think of times in your life where your memory might be affected by this? Let us know at hello@sketchplanations.com or by leaving comments and messages for this episode on Instagram or Twitter.This is our final episode of Series 1, but we'll be back in the Autumn with a second series. In the meantime, you can find all three of us on Social Media here: Jono Hey, Tom Pellereau, Rob Bell.Find many more sketches at Sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we invite expert, Nancy Hey to talk us through the 5 simple, evidence-based ways to actively improve our mental wellbeing. Suggestions for actions we can all integrate into our lives to try and take a holistic approach to improving our mental capacity and wellbeing. Do you have any additional suggestions or things that work for you? Let us know at hello@sketchplanations.com or by leaving comments and messages for this episode on Instagram or Twitter.See Jono's sketch here: https://sketchplanations.com/5-ways-to-wellbeingYou can find all three of us on Social Media here too: Jono Hey, Tom Pellereau, Rob Bell.Find many more sketches at Sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's your relationship with language? If you're interested in quirky words, linguistic devices and grammar, then there'll be lots in this week's episode for you. It's another BUMPER PACK QuickFire Round. Every day's a school day! But we promise you won't get told off if you haven't done your homework. In order of appearance:1/. Kaffikok2/. Advise vs Advice3/. Affect vs Effect4/. Pleonasm5/. Amateur vs Professional6/. Pyrrhic Victory7/. Flotsam & Jetsam8/. Contranym9/. NATO Phonetic Alphabet10/. Compliment vs Complement11/. Less vs Fewer12/. TsundokuEmail us at hello@sketchplanations.com with your takes on these sketches or you can leave us comments and messages for this episode on Social Media.You can find all three of us on Social Media here too: Jono Hey, Tom Pellereau, Rob Bell.All Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s easy to think “it’s just a few minutes.” But as the number of people that you hold up increases, the true cost of being late scales rapidly.This week we discuss our relationships with time-keeping and explore how the impacts can be much bigger than you might first think. What's your relationship with punctuality? We'd love to hear from you. Let us know at hello@sketchplanations.com or by leaving comments and messages for this episode on Instagram or Twitter.You can find all three of us on Social Media here too: Jono Hey, Tom Pellereau, Rob Bell.Find many more sketches at Sketchplanations.comAll Music on this podcast series is provided by Franc Cinelli. Find many more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.