We are Urban Influence a savvy group of big thinkers dedicated to increase the influence of your brand through strategy and design.

Hello everybody! It's seems like it's been so long since I've posted here. Does anybody still read our posts?

Since coming to Urban Influence, I've re-discovered, and discovered, a number of tools that I use in my daily life. Today I'd like to talk about some of them. While some of them are well known, like QuickSilver and Adium, hopefully you find some of the others interesting and new.

Check out this slick video for Battles' new single 'My Machines ft. Gary Numan'.

Siri (may be NSFW) fascinates me. It amazes me how fast she has become a meme, a character and a tool. Sites are popping up (such as STSS), to highlight the personality given to this computer program. In addition, across the web, people are refering to it as 'her' and contextually talking about it as if it were a person.

One month ago, I was more than happy with my Windows Phone using TellMe to hear and respond to text messages. I was a little jealous of the widespread use voice recognition had in Android, but I was still content. With the coming of Siri, I've gone from happy and content, to envious, and intrigued by the direction this could take the tech and mobile industries.

How fun is this brand video from Gatorade?

It seems that visual storytelling is becoming more and more prevalent in the way we interact with brands. It is not enough to get a good deal on a product. We want to know where the products come from. What was the process behind them? Were they made with integrity?

But all designers know that storytelling is an art in itself. There are tall tales, exaggerations, fabrications...Will we be honest storytellers? Will companies have good stories to tell? I think the answer to these questions will pave the way for what products and services become successful. 

What do you think? What are your favorite stories?