On Monday afternoon, I wanted to write a post about design and that design is everywhere. And how it influences us and so on. I got sort of inspired by a quick picture that I took while waiting for the dentist in the dentist chair with the most spectacular view over one of Zurich’s growth hot spots: Zürich West. Quite amazing how many new buildings were and still are being built there. Another perspective in the dentist chair was the box with the tools: It was time to get rid of the last wisdom tooth. Modern chemistry be praised: nowadays, tooth extractions come without pain. But still. Something’s missing afterwards, and  teeth do not really come out easily, thanks to a ingenious natural design, extracting them comes with some damage. Anyhow. About design: Teeth are great stuff from a design point of view.

The next day (yesterday), when I got an example of a nice design delivered, I was considering writing about international shipping logistics. The new Tauer box arrived yesterday, and it is a big, big, big pile of boxes that I needed to move from here (ramp) to there (tauerville stock room). And after moving all the boxes my fingers and arm did not really feel like writing a post anymore. On the other hand, I was watching more or less live how a shipment with FEDEX made it to the US, from pick up to delivery in 30 hours: amazing. Fedex really, really is organized, and following this shipment was almost like being there. Anyhow: The box is here, and I will talk about it in more details when the last pieces that go with it are delivered, too. There is no need to hurry, as we still have the old design box in stock and the transition from old to new will take some time. But the new scent, NOONTIDE petals is going to be packed in new only. But, as I have said before, it is not really important; it is only packaging. I mean….

The last urge to post came yesterday night, after a serious jog in the still very cold and mostly icy-white woods, and after going through the snail mail envelops of yesterday. I got letters from the  ” Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property”. Now, these folks there, they are really amazing and super helpful. In the letter, I was told that the mark “L’air du désert marocain” is now, after a few forth and back, registered and published in Switzerland. Uff. And the other letter came from WIPO, the “World Intellectual Property Organization”, telling me that the mark “SOTTO LA LUNA” is registered and published in the EU. Uff. Now, it is about time to come up  with design there…. The W.-factor thinks that all the money that I spend for protection is about as useful as throwing it out of the window (almost). But I insist: I have seen too many blunt copies of names and ideas. I remember an other niche perfumer (that  I meet rarely but very openly) being close to tears when she realized that one of her ideas were copied, for instance. No way with me!

Thus, all tired from jogging, but fresh at the same time,  I took a little selfie: Maybe looking a bit skeptical (one word: Italy), but I feel smiling like a Hollywood star into every camera is not always the right thing to do. Thus, Andy looking into the future.

I guess, the bottom line is simple. What the hey!  The future is out there, it comes with all its changes, whether we like it or not,  and I prefer to shape it, or at least try to.