Cultural Norms

Shoe/Boot Repair

Almaty: accurate depictions
An accurate depiction of the service on offer – the default footwear for females in Almaty is a 2 or 3 inch heeled boot.



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15 Jun 2010

In: Almaty
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Sign Semantics

15 Jun 2010

In: Salton Sea
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Another sign with a whole bunch of cultural assumptions – from a day in the Southern California desert.
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Acceptable Tracking

15 Jun 2010

In: Shanghai
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Anyone planning to work in China is required to take undergo health check-up that ranges from eye-tests to HIV and involves a taxi ride into …
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Packaging + Value Projection

13 Jun 2010

In: Ashgabat
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There’s something very honest about the packaging for these tin: does what it says on the tin; uncomplicated; minimal graphic design (but no homogenous like, …
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Personal, Natural Space

12 Jun 2010

In: Almaty
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I suspect that arboriculturalists have heart palpitations when they arrive in Almaty – one of the features of leafy city is the proximity between the …
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ATM Norms

11 Jun 2010

In: Almaty
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Many of Almaty’s newer ATMs have a perculiar form: a significantly larger footprint than the international norm; and positioned in locations that force the customer …
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When A Mint Is Not a Mint

10 Jun 2010

In: Almaty
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Today’s driver is taking me 200km down to the border with Kyrgyzstan a journey that despite the clear roads is reduced to a speed of …
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Value Added Services

10 Jun 2010

In: Almaty
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If there’s one thing that Kazakhstan’s second city does well it’s lounging around in cafes taking in the summer’s afternoon – with the cool breezes …
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A Grimace in the Mind

09 Jun 2010



Canny designers have been playing on the human mind’s ability to see faces in pretty much anything usually to add a smile – one of …
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Putrid / Perfect

09 Jun 2010

In: Darvaza
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My desert guide whips out blanket and starts to brew water for coffee, and no surprises that it’s of the instant, granule variety. There’s something …
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