New in the portfolio: Seven Ages of Britain – The Quest

I recently worked with Six to Start to produce a game for the new David Dimbleby TV show.

It’s the toughest history quiz you’ve ever done – but this time, you’re allowed to use Google.

Sugary Media

In a harsh, competitive media landscape, people will often consume content that is most stimulating, and that triggers a strong reaction, rather than that which is best or most informative.

The Frankenlab is now OPEN

We’re very pleased to announce the opening of the Frankenlab. This is the home of Dr. Victor Emelius Frankenstory, eponymous inventor of the world famous writing game, and a place where he will be regularly displaying and dissecting his favourite stories. The Dr. is ably played by Nick Lockey – do check it out, it’s [...]

New for 2010: Retooled

I’m really pleased to announce a new project for 2010, codenamed Retooled. The project will work with ex-manufacturing employees from the West Midlands, skilling them up in social media and working together on a challenge which mixes old and new skills. I will be leading on the project on behalf of Maverick TV, and it’s been [...]

Which are more powerful? Dreams or Nightmares?

When it comes to changing the world, I believe that scaring the shit out of people only works up to a point. I really love this quote: “Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech is famous because it put forward an inspiring, positive vision that carried a critique of the current moment within it. [...]

Young people are now even becoming scared of each other. What can digital do about it?

This article really depressed me. Not only is the media making adults needlessly scared of teenagers, it’s having an impact on the teenagers themselves – they’re now becoming scared of each other. Figures show more than half of the stories about teenage boys in national and regional newspapers in the past year (4,374 out of [...]

Anonymity as a design tool

One of my favourite cartoons ever, by Peter Steiner in a 1993 edition of the New Yorker I’m enjoying SecretTweet at the moment. It allows users to post anonymous confessions to a public Twitter stream – here are some good recent ones. “Had a choice between two guys to be with a couple years ago. [...]

How I learn

Photo by Sara I never got on with formal education. The day I finished my last university exam was one of the happiest of my life. I’d become so bored by my course that I taught myself how to build websites in the evenings.  Within a few months I was getting paid for it. My [...]