During the twentieth century, quickness was a vector of progress, from futurism to automobiles, from transoceanic transport to the first man on the moon. Calvino however, referred to quickness of thought defined in antithesis to “methodically rigorous thinking, which proceeds slowly and with caution”.In this sense, quickness is not only to do with the ability to think critically, but rather intuition or, as we would say nowadays, lateral thought.
The ability to think critically and quickness are the two fundamental characteristics of Twitter, a Brand that has demonstrated its ability to be relevant to the latest generations, especially overseas. Twitter is a Brand/Service that is so quick it can spread the most superficial gossip as if it were crucial information and mobilise uprisings during the Arab Spring.
Quickness is the vital promise of some Brands: Amazon has built its success on being able to source anything you need in a short time; even Spotify, for example, gives you access to “all the music possible” in an instant.
Google has taught us how important it is for a Brand to be able to react quickly, to mutate quickly depending on the context. In this sense, the Google Doodle or special editions product packs represent this “swift manner of speech” that each brand has to broach with an up-to-date approach.
Let’s finish off with the story told by Calvino at the end of his lesson:
