Author: Vivian Isaak

Missing Accent. Hidden Figure. Accent marks (technically called diacritical marks or diacritics) are symbols that are added to a letter to change its stress or sound. Diacritical marks serve an important role phonetically: they indicate how a word is pronounced. And a diacritic can change the meaning of a word entirely, as is the case…

  Our beloved dandelion –a symbol of resilience– reminds us of our ability to rise above life’s challenges. According to an ancient belief shared among cultures around the world, if you blow on the seeds of a dandelion, you will be granted a wish. May we all be inspired by the children around us to create a…

Abstract: Barbara Wichmann speaks with Vivian Isaak, President, and Founder of Magnum Group and an expert on cross-cultural business practices. Vivian not only discusses the challenges of international business, such as language barriers, cross-cultural communication, and branding consistency, but also how localization, internationalization, and team dynamics can determine the success of an international business. Listen…

The “99% invisible” rule about good design is that when it’s done well, it goes unnoticed. Have you ever wondered how you just know where to check in at major airports around the world? How you are able to navigate public transit options when arriving in a new city? Wayfinding dates back to Classical antiquity,…

Chinese New Year celebrations have just ended. We have now officially entered the Year of the Dog. Chomsky, our CSO (Chief Smile Officer) is excited about this coming year, and I am, too. What images come to mind when you think of Chinese New Year? Pork dumplings steaming in a stainless steel pot? Brightly costumed…