design-centric business models

Cafe,

1.  Yesterday's U.S. public radio program, _Marketplace_, had an 
interesting interview with Bob Lutz about his new book, _Car Guys vs. 
Bean Counters_, wherein Lutz argues that the downfall of the U.S. car 
industry is attributable to "putting numbers before design".

the interview (originally aired 13 June 2011) is at:
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/06/13/pm-the-us-car-industrys-downfall-putting-numbers-before-design/

& an excerpt from Lutz's book is available via _Marketplace_'s The Big 
Book blog at:
http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/the-big-book/2011/06/car-guys-vs-bean-counters-the-battle-for-the-soul-of-american-business.html


2.  Yesterday's _Marketplace_ also had an interesting story on "How 
the art and science of selling food can be redirected to fight obesity":

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/06/13/pm-the-supermarket-solution/

For those of you outside the U.S. who might think such re-designs of 
supermarket shelves and floor space make good sense, see the comment 
at page bottom from a "Concerned Shopper" -- IMO, representative of 
many folks in the U.S., on the political left & right, who actively 
oppose behaviorist "nudges" coming from government etc., with the 
do-gooder intent of saving us from ourselves.

This deep-seated suspicion of attempts to outlaw and/or suppress human 
nature reverberates throughout the debate on healthcare reform in this 
country (e.g., who should pay for treating the risk-taking smoker with 
emphysema late in life?).


Deborah
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Deborah Taylor-Pearce
[email protected]


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