#50 / I felt disappointed about Apple

Hello my friend! 👋

I suddenly feel disappointed with Apple. While I still trust the quality of its products, I no longer see it as a company leading trends or driving innovation.

Since the 1980s, when Apple’s DNA was all about storytelling from the user’s perspective, starting with the user-friendly Macintosh manual (Little Red Book) written by Espinosa, a college student. Later, at Macworld events, Apple changed the game by focusing on user narratives instead of just listing specs like other manufacturers, leaving them in the dust.

But from the recent video ads that seem to invite backlash and the keynote events that only focus on specs without discussing real-world usage scenarios, Apple’s arrogant attitude is evident. The meticulously crafted content at their events lacks any human touch (I miss the days of Jobs when they’d invite performers like Jack Johnson or Randy Newman to the stage). Apple, once the underdog, now seems to have turned into the dragon.

I hope I’m wrong about this. In 2012, I wrote my first book, “Apple Stories,” and in 2008, I bought the first-generation iPhone at a high price. Apple has changed the trajectory of my life, and I don’t want it to become just another bloated bureaucratic corporation. But as the saying goes, everything has its rise, fall, decay, and emptiness, and companies are no exception.

I’ll wait until June for WWDC to see if Apple’s narrative changes. In the AI explosion and technological breakthroughs of 2024, if Apple continues with the same storytelling style as they did in May, then they’re really in trouble.

Here’re a few things I’d like to share with you today 🙂

• The Importance of Seeking Diversity on Social Media

• Thoughts about kid’s education

• Myths are life guides in ancient time

• Build world view through movies, books, drama, comics and games

• Communicate Better with an AI Assistant: Here’s How You Can Build One

Have a great one and see you soon!

---

The Importance of Seeking Diversity on Social Media

Like most people, I usually follow folks on social media who share my values and interests. But lately, I’ve been pushing myself to explore diverse perspectives. Just like how journalism requires presenting both sides of a story and verifying information from multiple sources, our minds also thrive on a diversity of viewpoints.

Thoughts about kid’s education

While chatting with my wife about our child’s education, I shared some of my core views:

• When kids are young, any attempt to increase their exposure to a rich variety of information is beneficial. To put it simply, given the same half-hour, instead of staying at home doing the same old things with the same old talks, I’d rather have her in a different environment trying new things with other kids her age.

• Of course, some courses or activities require a certain age. I trust books and experts with credible reputations on this. I’m skeptical of recommendations from social media influencers.

• The more information a child is exposed to before the age of six, the greater the benefit for their cognitive development and personality shaping. Investing in this stage is likely the most cost-effective.

• Many children’s activities don’t necessarily teach specific skills but rather how to interact with peers, follow rules, express oneself, and help others. These social skills are far more important than specific technical skills. There are plenty of adults in their twenties or thirties lacking basic social skills because they missed out on these practical experiences during childhood.

• Child education in New Zealand places a strong emphasis on physical activities. Any girl can do cartwheels with no problem 🤸‍♂️. As someone who’s not great at sports, I strongly support investing in physical education for kids.

Myths are life guides in ancient time

While reading “The Power of Myth,” one of the most striking ideas from author Joseph Campbell was his view of myths as ancient life guides. He suggested that every individual inevitably encounters completely unfamiliar life events–birth, parenting, death, etc.–and myths subtly provide guidance on how to face these unknowns. Thus, humans are essentially story-driven creatures.

Build world view through movies, books, drama, comics and games

Scott McCloud, who once amazed everyone with his book “Understanding Comics,” has another book I borrowed this week called “Reinventing Comics.” It’s quite niche, focusing on comic creation and theoretical development, and I’m finding it a bit tough to get through.

However, one image in the book really hits the mark: it shows how people’s worldviews are shaped by various forms of media like films, literature, and poetry. This is why I advocate for exploring different fields and engaging with a variety of perspectives–the more complex the information, the better it helps us understand the world.

It’s impressive how he can convey such ideas through his illustrations–truly a master of comics!

Communicate Better with an AI Assistant: Here’s How You Can Build One

Say goodbye to communication fatigue! Discover how you can build your own AI communication assistant and transform your writing experience.

**Bear Academy Newsletter@2023**

---

Bear Academy Newsletter

Non-crap tips and thoughts on design, product and technology ✨

🐻 Bear Who?

Hi there 👋, I’m Bear, a seasoned Product Designer with 15 years of overall design experience and six years in product design, transforming the user experiences for millions 📝

As an Apple Award-Winning Podcast Host at BearTalk and a Design Mentor at Springboard and CareerFoundry, I apply my self-taught design skills and science background to solve complicated problems and mentor budding designers 😃

In my downtime, you’ll find me reading, drawing, podcasting, and making videos about everything from tech to design and productivity 👨‍🎨

🤓 Work

• 💼 What I do：Product Designer at Xero

• 🌃 I also do：Design Mentor at Springboard and CareerFoundry / Founder at Bear Academy

• 🎤 Side hustle：Podcast host at Award-winning podcast BearTalk

💡 Goodies

• Bear Academy - my courses around UX Design, AI, etc

• Bear Academy Newsletter - my free newsletter, which you are reading now

• Beartalking.com - all my posts, English and Chinese

• Youtube.com/@Bearliu - A video is worth a thousand words

💬 Contact

• https://twitter.com/bearbig](https://twitter.com/bearbig) - Majorly I post in Chinese

• bear@beartalking.com - The old fashion email way

• LinkedIn.com/in/bearliu - My professional life