Drop. Dive. Fold.
DROP
Living in a big city and being busy inevitably means you miss out on new things under your very nose. You’ll jump on a train or a plane to see something hundreds or thousands of miles away but ‘just round the corner’ can mean months go past and then you feel it’s too late to bother.
Anyway that’s my mitigation for only just visiting Coal Drops Yard at King’s Cross Station, London today. To be fair I’ve walked through Granary Square and past the development as it was being regenerated but since the unveiling of Thomas Heatherwick’s ‘Kissing rooftops’ in late 2018 I’ve not been near. This Guardian review by their architectural columnist does a decent job and if you’re an international reader it will bring you up to speed.
‘Kissing Rooftops’
Bearing in mind for much of my lifetime the King’s Cross area was where drunk Scottish people went to catch their trains home (I’m Scottish I get to say that) or Londoners / visitors to procure some nocturnal company, this is a vast improvement ! You can see why the centre of gravity of London has moved slightly east and north.
DIVE
The main motivation to visit today was to take a look at Samsung’s KX environment.
They have created an impressive immersive environment which is jaw-droppingly good.
‘Immersive environment’ is a phrase that has been much overused and often results in an anti-climax but Samsung have taken things to an unimaginable level. It’s a vast space and one which is heavily programmed making it a 24/7 (almost) centre of excellence. Make the effort to look at their website and the activity calendar.
It’s the exact opposite of the sterile and predictable environment of Apple. A large white box this is not. The textures alone could generate a discussion. And the knowledgable, approachable and wholly normal staff answered and engaged like you were the first person to walk in.
And who knew Samsung did so much ? Or thought so deeply about the future. Well most of us probably did but when you have seen it presented, curated and at your fingertips it feels impressive. And it made me start to pull at the shackles of Apple iOS.
FOLD
Which brings me to FOLD.
Over the last 9 months Mission Critical has covered every bump in the road of the Galaxy Fold journey. We’ve shared countless reviews from both the initial, aborted press launch through to the latest more successful trials.
I was profoundly sceptical. And then today I got to hold one. And fold it. And admire its curves and its function and its engineering.
It’s not quite there yet but it’s the first thing I have seen since the iPhone was launched that would make me walk away from iOS servitude.
A DROP, A DIVE AND A FOLD. Sometimes you just have to go a little out of your way to experience something different.
About The Author
The author is a brand consultant and founder of Mission Critical, a highly focused and curated weekly briefing for time poor and information hungry decision makers and THE FIRST, a monthly briefing containing 31 inspirational insights.
