Hello! from Rick Cogley

My firm just launched our new “Tech It Easy” blog with IT tips in English and Japanese from our team members, like this post on keyboard shortcuts. We hope it might come in handy. 😎

We are debating finally cancelling the landline in our house, which made me think of the phone icon which was designed with the Bell Model 500 in mind. I wonder when this icon will become incomprehensible to younger people? In 10 years? 20? 📞📱

A few months ago I learned about Tilley and Dreyfuss’ work “The Measure of Man and Woman” which if you think on it, was just so revolutionary. Design barely even considered measurements of people prior to this, but now it’s ubiquitous. 👫

There’s a 1963 phone from NTT called the “model 600”, very much like the Bell model 500, which you can view among others at the NTT History Center of Technologies in Musashino, in west Tokyo. I hope to visit some day. ☎️

Do you feel an age or generation gap working with people from younger or older generations? I know I do. I’d love to hear your experiences. Δ

On 2nd June in 1859 (166 years ago), the Yokohama port opened for business, after the US-Japan trade agreement the following year. I’ve been fortunate to live here in Yokohama for years now, and enjoy the international feeling of especially the port areas of Sakuragicho and Kannai. ⚓️