I’m a big fan of what Piers has been doing over the years at PSFK — both with the site, but also through the reports and talk events he organizes — and just wanted to give a heads-up to their latest project, a special report for Unicef on the future of health. As Piers tells it, it’s a “200 page report that not only describes the critical trends that are bringing healthcare to the many across the world but also has over 40 ideas for UNICEF based on the report from creative agencies like Wieden + Kennedy, Great Works, Cunning, Night Agency & Story Worldwide.”

Update: As far as what is found at the shop, it doesn’t differ much from the stuff you’re used to seeing elsewhere from GAS (the books and DVDs, as well as tees), but the space is quite nice, especially the wall with their Shoppingbag display (pictured here). I actually really like the bag, and wouldn’t mind getting one, but find it a bit too pricey (around 3000 yen for the smaller version, and 4000 yen for the big one).

Update: I was really disappointed by that Dragonfly Cafe. I quite like the one in Aoyama, and often go there (and bring people along), and find it hard to believe that they would/could create a space that felt so uninspiring. More than anything, it just looks boring, and the layout gives it a cafeteria-like feel. Not to say that DCROSS is a great spot — it’s a bit too commercial for my liking with all the product ads everywhere — but I had a comfortable couch to sit on and relax after my long day of walking.

Update: They also had a counter where they were selling past issues of the magazine.

Update: This picture was of course taken at the Yurakucho Muji, but my big Muji surprise for the day was when I got back to Ikebukuro and went to another Muji to buy something (a mixer) and saw a foreigner working at a register! She was blonde, and seemed to speak Japanese natively (I just heard from afar, I wasn’t at her register).

Update: I spotted this at the Sofmap in Yurakucho (under the Muji store).

Update: The show featured ceramic pottery in the form of dishes. Not really my taste.

Update: I had a blast (the most fun I’ve ever had at the Sony Building) and was probably there for close to an hour playing games. The wireless PlayStation Spot works like a charm, and I was able to try out 5 games on my PSP (you just select “Game Sharing” in your menu system), like a new Megaman game (very old-school, quite possibly a remake of the one of the original games, but with cute updated graphics — I had a lot of fun playing this, and will probably buy it when it comes out) and a sort of MADE IN WARIO-type game (I can’t remember what it was called) that featuresd little wacky mini-games. But the true standout was a game called LOCO ROCO. This is by far the most innovative game I’ve seen on the PSP, and I can definitely see it gain a KATAMARI DAMACY-like cult following. The game is so simple to play, yet deliciously addictive. It’s sort of like a platformer, but your character is a blob, and you tilt the screen with the L/R buttons to make it roll around (and holding back on both buttons and letting go creates a spring-like jump). As you roll around, there are certain spots which can only be traversed by calling forth lightning that disintegrates your blob, leaving you with a bunch of tiny blobs, which you can then re-stick together. Sure, it sounds weird, but it was fun as hell, and the graphics are a joy to look at. I cannot wait to get the full version of this (out in 2006).

Update: The show, “Laboratoires CCCP,” was a real letdown for me — not really the kind of graphic work that I enjoy seeing. It’s probably the quickest I’ve ever checked out an exhibition at the GGG — I was out after 5-10 minutes.

Update: The reason I took a picture of this is that I find it interesting how they’ve based the compaign around the use of the QR barcode. Just goes to show how popular it’s become — pretty much every ad you see includes a QR barcode that leads to more info.