When the Fix Becomes the Flaw : Why ‘Experience Design’ Is Breaking Retail
Retail has doubled down on experience design to win back emotion and attention. But when design becomes control, engagement collapses into performance.
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Author: Kim Hatton
The Illusion of Genius: Why We Mistake Narcissism for Insight
Not everyone who sounds like a genius is one. Our cultural radar is tuned to confidence, not complexity—narcissism, not nuance. In this piece, I trace the myth of genius through history, psychology, and systems, and suggest a quieter, more connective intelligence that the world urgently needs.
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When Plates Can Talk: How AI Is Reshaping Food Service in Aged Care
Nearly 40% of aged care food is thrown away—unrecorded, unnoticed, unremarked. But a new generation of AI tools is changing that. By tracking what’s actually eaten, systems like AFINI-T offer real-time insight into nutrition, risk, and resident dignity—transforming food from a static cost into a dynamic source of intelligence. This isn’t about surveillance. It’s about finally listening to the plate.
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Swiss Cheese Thinking: From Disaster Metaphor to Strategic Advantage
We use the Swiss Cheese Model to explain how failures happen—but what if we flipped it? This article explores how Swiss Cheese Thinking can transform traditional strategic planning into a resilience-based, investor-grade framework that absorbs shocks instead of collapsing under them.
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The Evolution of Luxury: From Gold Leaf to Inner Peace
Luxury isn’t about wealth—it’s about what’s missing. From postwar security to digital-era silence, what we call “luxury” keeps evolving. This essay explores how rarity shapes desire, how the luxury industry sells emotional scarcity, and why the most coveted experiences today are often the quietest.
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What Happens When the Last Bank Leaves Town?
As more banks close their doors across rural Australia, communities are turning to post offices for basic services—but can they really replace what’s been lost?
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Airport Retail and the Psychology of Stress: What Makes Travellers Spend?
That overpriced chocolate bar at Gate 14 wasn’t about hunger—it was about control. In this in-depth essay, we explore how Mood Repair Theory explains airport retail behaviour, especially in high-stress domestic terminals, and what airports can learn from global best practice to meet travellers’ emotional needs.
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The Future of Banking in Yarram: Local, Accountable, Ours
With Bendigo Bank closing its Yarram branch, locals have a unique opportunity: start a Community Bank, backed by state grants through the Future of Yarram program. This article explores the model, the costs, and the step-by-step process to bring essential banking back under community control.
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What Is Narrative Transportation Theory—and Why Should Regional Tourism Care?
Inside every old town lives a new story—emerging not instead of, but because of what came before.
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