Science of the Time, formally known as Signs of the Time

For the international Cool City Hunt Tour Science of the Time is doing with Fontys, Carl Rohde lectured at the Barcelona University. At this page the Coolhunters can find all the information they need to accomplish a good Coolhunt.

ABOUT COOLHUNTING
The participants have to ‘hunt’ for everything they think is ‘cool’. The definition of Science of the Time’s ‘Cool’ is “attractive and inspiring with future growth potential”. It is not about the gadgets but the mentalities behind it. Coolhunting is simply searching for things, products, services, people etcetera that are attractive and inspiring with future growth potential for you and the ones around you. This could be everything as long as you are able to explain why you think it is cool. Look on the website or especially the Top-15 to get inspired by others. 

COOL MENTALITY TRENDS
To give this research some direction, the Coolhunt focusses on FIVE trends:

1. Cool Experience Economy
People are more and more willing to pay extra to get extra (a story, experience or anything else that is connected to the product but is not the essence/character of the product itself). Bring back the example of the coffeebean (as described in Experience Economy by Joe Pine): a simple cup of coffee at home costs you 30 cts max. A cup of coffee in the pub around the corner (another environment and made and served by someone else) is 3 Euro’s. But there is always an extreme: people are greatfull to drink a cup of coffee (that in fact is comparable with the one at home) at Piazza San Marco in Rome and are willing to pay 30 Euro’s to sit and drink at this special place. The valuable loading of this product is what experience economy is all about. We love the marketing of the memorable moment. And we often can pay for it. 

2. Web 2.0 (Give Me Interactive Kicks).
The internet grew from a source for information into a way of creating (co-creating) information together. It is interactive and provides us all different ways to load our identities, get experiences and all sorts of wisdom. Together. Think of Sellaband that overruled the established way of trading in music business by connecting with the fans who in the end have more power all together (thanks to the internet) than a corporation at the other side of a desk. There is no limit for web 2.0. Everything is possible. And if not, you can make it possible. 

3. Cool Relax/Sustainability
Living in Stress Society: we all are working harder and are making more hours than the yuppie of the 80s. Help Me to De-stress and Give me an energy boost therefore have become desires world wide. In Stress Society these desires are as basic as intense. Especially in times of recession people are re-discovering what is having a chill-night at home is worth. We embrace the Wellness Revolution. Besides that we try to live life on a higher quality: more social and environmental responsibility. 

4. Cool Recession
Of course in times of recession the struggle of life gets harder. But there’s a positive, sane side on the recession the world is in now. People start to wonder what really matters to them. Is money the only key to happiness? That’s why we call this mentality movement ‘Sane Recession’.
People respond in many different ways to the financial crisis. There’s defense, anger and bitterness but also feelings of real empowerment and resilience. At one side of the spectrum people cluster in collective ways to depend on the proven authority OR to work on a better world together. At the other side of the spectrum people handling the problems in a more individual way: they’re worried about their own status and soothe it with luxury brands to protect them OR they believe in the vitality-approach: being healthy, in shape and good condition will lead them through every problem.

For all examples and short descriptions of the mentality trends

ASSIGNMENT

Make your own CoolHunt now! 
You have to hunt for something COOL yourself.
Find for each trend (described above) an example (either found/described online or in the real world, out on the streets) that is COOL. Remember, Cool is attractive, inspirational and with future growth potential within the own generation. The COOL examples must illustrate the trend, and you have to write ‘Why it is Cool’. 
This can be a very short alinea, but it always makes clear: 
- What trend are we dealing with 
- Where you found it 
- Why you think it is Cool 
- Why it is a good example of the ‘main theme’ of the trend, or 
- Why it takes the trend a little further. 
- To what other trends can you link this Cool example? 
-Always upload an image
-Always explain what it is and why it is cool
-On behalf of the international character of Science of the Time: Always write in English.

Logging-in Webpage
Special results page Barcelona Cool City Hunt

TIMEPATH
One week. Deadline Monday 4th of June, 17:00h.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
I don’t know how to post. Read this instructions: how_to_post_tutorial.pdf

I can’t log in or I lost my password:
A) Go to http://www.scienceofthetime.com/scienceofthetime/forgot_password/
B) You will then receive an (1) email to check if you want to reset your password (and yes you do want this), so you click on the link
C) You will receive then an (2) email with your new password.
D) With this pasword and your username you can log-on to the website.
E) Add your Cool Stuff on: http://www.scienceofthetime.com/eekernel
F) Your Cool Stuff will appear on the special Barcelona Cool City Hunt page: http://www.scienceofthetime.com/coolhunt_barcelona/

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU
1. A great learning experience and a nice thing extra on your cv/portfolio.

2. Worldwide fame if you are really good. We will show your examples on our leading website pages which has many visitors (6000 a month, many decision makers) worldwide. Also the best of the Cool City Hunts will be published in CODE, a cool magazine with Dutch origins that also is distributed in New York and Tokio.

3. Participation in a cool worldwide network. Entrance to the outcomes of the other Cool City Hunt projects (Belo Horizonte, Lisboa, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Brussels, Skopje, Minsk, Seoul, Shanghai and more to come). At this moment we use the same information as the Cool Hunters of the other Universities. Exciting isn’t it? More groups of students working on almost the same assignment. The only difference is that the Fontys work will be posted online at your own special page: http://www.scienceofthetime.com/coolhunt_barcelona/
4. Participation in the forthcoming Battle of the Best, in which the best people all over the world who are participating in the Cool City Hunt research will compete against each other. (No details given yet.)

GENERAL CONDITIONS
Homepage:
-Every participant (student & education institution) agrees to the publishment of the outcome/Top-15 on the homepage of Science of the Time
-Publishing is always under the mentioning of ‘Cool Editorial Staff’, like: ‘A Coolhunter from xxx-Coolhunt (date) reported....’
-Unless the student want his/her name published, then they have to contact

Special Coolhunt Page:
-Participants agree that the Coolhunt results at the Special Coolhunt Page are visible for other Coolhunt-participants, also from other Coolhunts
-Participants are allowed to comment and react on eachother’s assignments, only at ScienceoftheTime.com
This to enable to reciprocal knowledge and inspiration (co-creation). 

FURTHER QUESTIONS
Contact