In what can only be described as “showing off”, the guys and gals at Google have once again brought another technical tour-de-force music video to our attention, this time in collaboration with the hottest band around (and in the studio right now); the Arcade Fire.

The Wilderness Downtown is an interactive interpretation of the Arcade Fire’s song ‘We Used To Wait’ built using cutting edge web technologies such as HTML5, choreographed windows, interactive flocking, custom rendered maps, real-time compositing, procedural drawing and (deep breath), 3D canvas rendering to create a bespoke and unusual music video.

Quite what the point is, is, not entirely clear, but it is pretty cool looking nonetheless. Give it a go yourselves and watch your street bloom into a forest-scape.

The Wilderness Downtown

Ever since Jobs and Co. created the iPhone, there has been intense speculation that Apple were going to re-invent the Newton, with all kind of rumours about what the device would be and what it would be capable of.

For those of you that have been living in a bunker, the iPad is what Apple describes as a bridge between the world of the smartphone and the laptop — a third ‘mobile’ space that sits between the two. Indeed, at first glance, the iPad looks nothing more than a giant iPhone — it features the same glass multi-touch display (albeit a huge one at 9 1/2 inches), the same buttons – it can even run the same applications.

So many are wondering, well, what’s the difference; “Why do I need one of these shiny new toys when I have an iPhone and a laptop?… I was expecting an all-singing and dancing device that could read my thoughts and intiate command for me on the impulse of a brain wave! …This isn’t the JesusPad I wanted!” Yes, many of these points are true. But what people are forgetting to remember is that content is king, and just like the iPhone and the iPod before it, if the content is good, (in the case of the iPod; huge libaries of mp3′s versus a cd, and the iPhone with the app store full of entertainment and usefulness), then it will be a must-have product.

So let’s look at the killer app, and with a screen this size, it has to be publishing — anything from books to newspapers and magazines. Both Sony and Amazon (with the Kindle) have made significant inroads in to this new area with eBook readers: devices that are like carrying whole libaries in the space of a paperback. But these devices look a generation old compared to the user experience of the iPad – gimicky it may look, but simply turning and flicking a page on the iPad instantly feels more real. The printed book is all good and well, but it’s in the magazine and newspaper area where this product will excel. Take a look at this digital version of the Sports Illustrated magazine and try to say to yourself that you’d rather have a traditional magazine:

It’s been forecast for many years that the ‘death of print’ cometh. Maybe with the iPad and devices like it, we’re at the beginning to this new era. This fuzing of new-media and traditional print publishing into a new and interactive form is going to be exciting for both consumers and designers alike, hopefully reigniting what is a shrinking industry. Take a look at this concept video for a product called Mag+ by Bonnier R&D and their digital design partners BERG – it shows off the potential experience for what a product like the iPad can deliver:

No doubt the iPad will open the flood gates to millions of copycat tablet computers, all hoping to do the same thing. Will I be getting one? Well, I’ve always said; never buy the first gen of any Apple product; but if content as rich as this comes out, I might have to change my mind.

The night kicked off with a talk from Joel Gethin Lewis. He openly admitted to being a complete geek, which started him on his path to becoming an interactive designer. After gaining a yearlong placement at IBM at the age of 17, he went on to get a job at Dazed and Confused. Not the usual progression you might say, but this was his point. He said it’s better to know what you don’t want to do in life, rather than not knowing anything at all. He is now a successful designer who has owns his own company Yes Yes No.

Next up was Malcolm Venville, director and photographer. Malcolm is also a great example of how you can start anywhere. Some of his early photography work was taken outside the British Leyland factory he worked at as a teenager. He took captivating images of that ‘Friday Feeling’ as people poured through the gates to get home. He gained a place at University by passing off the work of his friend’s as his own and it all went from there. Luckily his passion for photography shone through and he went from strength to strength.

Last up was Sir John Hegarty, a worldwide-recognised creative director of BBH. He led us down the path to his success by showing us his first ever drawing, a simple piece of paper painted black at the tender age of four years old. Now he claims he was predicting the ‘black decade’ but at the time his teachers were very worried about him. Sir John showed us various other pieces of work from his career, concluding with the Reebok Classics campaign. He emphasised the importance of bringing the world you live in into your work. When taking a Q&A he was asked about the importance of a creative background was. He said as long as you are an interesting person and have good ideas; you can be very successful in the industry.

Even though I’m not in a design role at The Partners (I’m on the support/project management side), I still found it a really interesting talk. Coming from a range of backgrounds made me realise that anything is possible. It was great to hear from different creative disciplines and personalities. Whether it’s sitting on the doorstep of an agency demanding a job or using a friend’s drawings to get your foot in the door everyone starts somewhere. They may all seem rather over-simplified ideals, but if it helps plant the seed of thinking “I can do this!” then I think its pretty much worth it.

So you might have heard of and seen one of these Yamaha TENORI-ON machines (in fact Nathan blogged about Little Boot’s rendition of Hot Chip’s Ready for the floor a while back now) the new instrument that mixes musical beats and lightshow into one neat product, but have you actually had the chance to play on one? Seeming they cost just shy of £900, I’m guessing that you haven’t and that you probably won’t be able to afford one either. But fear not, André Michelle has created this cool flash version called ToneMatrix that you can tap away on to your hearts content. Ace. Check it out!

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen (OSKA) architects is responsible for the design of the new ‘whatcom museum’. Located in Bellingham, Washington State, the concept behind museum’s modern design is to bring as much activity as there is on the inside of the building, to the outside. The project is still in progress, but the focus of the new art and history institution will be a 36-foot-tall, 180-foot-long translucent wall, known as ‘the lightcatcher’, which will act as a backdrop to the building’s central courtyard. The installation of this wall is meant to encourage the public to participate and engage in activities surrounding the museum. [designboom]