Leuty Parker

Blog

  • Intelligence

    There’s an ongoing debate about AI intelligence: some believe it will outsmart humans, while others argue it merely mimics us. I don’t hold a fixed view—I just know AI is incredibly useful, especially tools like ChatGPT, even if we don’t fully understand how they work.

    Because AI sits at the forefront of business research, it’s often compared with human and animal intelligence. One example is the “Animal/AI Olympics,” which tests problem-solving across species and AI agents using maze-like tasks in simple 3D environments. Similar tests are used with animals—and even in human neuropsychological assessments.

    I experienced this myself after a brain injury, when a neurologist tested my memory and problem-solving through mazes and drawing tasks. While basic navigation is easy, more complex challenges, like manipulating objects or understanding cause and effect, require common sense. These are difficult for less-evolved animals and still extremely hard for even advanced AI.

    This is well captured by my mother’s old phrase: “very intelligent, but no sense.”

    Intelligence involving higher-level reasoning is often seen as more advanced, yet closer inspection shows that different intelligences have entirely different profiles of skills. One challenge for AI is convincing us it is human-like.

    A useful metaphor is the octopus. Octopuses (or octopi) are highly intelligent: they use tools, plan escapes, and adapt to new situations. Their intelligence doesn’t resemble ours, yet it is remarkably effective. Unlike mammals, they have a distributed nervous system one central brain and one in each arm allowing semi-independent action.

    Octopus intelligence feels almost alien: efficient, decentralised, and fundamentally unlike human cognition. In this sense, AI may be best understood not as a lesser human mind, but as a genuinely different—almost alien—form of intelligence

    AI is difficult to understand not because it evolved on another planet or in some distant galaxy. In a sense, it is an alien—but one that evolved alongside us. We created it deliberately, designing it in the hope that it might give us a glimpse into deeper forms of understanding and intelligence.

  • Bone Conduction

    Ray-Ban smart glasses use open-ear speakers, not bone conduction, letting users hear audio while staying aware of their surroundings. This tech, however, is an exciting addition that could be a potential in other smart glasses. Here the pros and cons;

    ADVANTAGES of bone conduction (to open-ear speakers):

    They keep the ear canals open, which enhances situational AWARENESS and allows users to hear ambient sounds like traffic or conversations, making them (ideal for activities such as running, cycling, or walking)….

    …NCLUSION, for a wider marker…

    … helps people with conductive or mixed HEARING LOSS by transmitting sound through skull vibrations directly to the inner ear…

    … bone conduction devices provide a COMFORTABLE , pain-free alternative to traditional earwear, ideal for hearing aids and sports headphones.

    (Used medically to support hearing or balance in children and for safe listening while staying aware of surroundings.)

    DISADVANTAGES of bone conduction (to open-ear speakers):

    weaker bass and generally less rich sound than traditional or open-ear speakers….

    … high volumes can be uncomfortable, and proper placement on the cheekbones or temples is essential for effectiveness (the Ray-Bans alert overuse and stop you from going too loud….

    … sound may leak to others nearby, and noisy environments can reduce effectiveness.

    But If you do want to share with your listening to with someone, you can’t. These devices are connoted to your face and voice, so if you want to share the joy of your music with someone else you can, but with a lot of difficulty.

    DEVELOPMENT

    Gen 2 boosts bass and volume, adds Meta AI, a camera, touch controls, and app connectivity for stylish, hands-free use.

  • Fashion Origins – M43

    The M43 Jacket was introduced by the U.S. Army in 1943, during a time of intensified fighting and rapid advances in transportation. Designed for a global war fought across many climates, it served as an all-weather combat jacket made from durable cotton sateen (a material used when I was in the development team for VB), featuring four large pockets, a drawstring waist, and an optional liner and hood.

    First issued to airborne troops in 1944, the M43 quickly proved successful, shaping the design of later field jackets and directly influencing the development of the M51 and eventually the M65 (see the name collision)….

    The M43 evolved from smaller, less accommodating early patterns to a larger, more versatile design with a removable liner. Its improvements influenced the M51, which added a zipper-front, greater durability, and enhanced functionality, shaping future U.S. field jackets.

    The M43 is prized for its durability and historical importance.

  • Black Swan x SWT

    The SWT sector is inherently exposed to Black Swan dynamics because it sits at the intersection of fast-moving tech, shifting consumer behaviour, and fashion cycles.

    Black Swan events (in wearables) can:

    Create instant category leaders.

    Single unexpected breakthroughs; like a new AR display,

    Battery chemistry.

    AI-native eyewear (that can suddenly redefine the market and push one product to the front).

    Make existing products obsolete very quickly …. “Best-in-class” devices can be dethroned instantly when a competitor releases a surprising features. Radically better optics, double the battery life, or a new use-case that shifts what consumers expect.

    And in my area of specialism, they can also accelerate fashion–tech convergence. When a luxury brand releases a wearable that unexpectedly resonates culturally, it can pull the entire market toward lifestyle-led design. This can show how culture can shift faster than any forecast.

  • Black Swan x Business

    Business & Management (Your MSc Lens)

    Traditional business models rely on trends, forecasts, and steady planning. Yet, as I explored in my dissertation, SWTs move in sudden leaps that disrupt every linear prediction. In this landscape, resilient and adaptive firms consistently outperform those dependent on pure forecasting. Traditional companies that keep their supply chains flexible, invest in experimental R&D that is groundbreaking, and will diversify their partnerships. With tech × fashion collaborations, these are far better positioned to withstand sudden shocks. After all, consumer behaviour doesn’t shift gradually; it pivots unpredictably

    Black Swan events show that consumer adoption doesn’t always follow a forecastable path. E. G. When TikTok triggered a sudden jump in demand for creator-focused eyewear, which later was perfected into the sleek Ray-Ban × Meta collaboration; a great example of fashion meeting tech in a way that actually worked.

    Health crises pushed step-tracking SWTs, including Oura-style rings, and biometrics to the mainstream. This unpredictability makes agile management crucial.

    With this explanation of how SWTs shape our population’s PESTLE (political , economic, social, technological, legal, environmental) factors, it’s clear that this market is one we need to understand, monitor, and anticipate.

  • Im An Unexpected Target Market ….Christian Louboutin

    …. Loving my red solled shoes.

    I bought a pair of Christian Louboutin trainers. I’m a global size 6, but the only pair in store was a size 5. I wanted them so badly that I convinced myself they fit and bought them anyway.

    Until they didn’t. So my mission of stretching them began.

    Stage 1: Thick socks on, my pride is totally swallowed. I’m shuffling around the house in shoes that are too small — and looking extra foolish, given I’ve only just started walking again. The things we do for love… and good footwear.

    Step 2: I should’ve gone to a cobbler first, but being cheap, I tried other methods. When I finally took them in, they could only stretch the shoes half a size — but for a good price, so I agreed. When I picked them up, they already felt more wearable.

    Step 3: When I picked them up, I also bought a stretch spray out of pure paranoia. Now, every time I wear them, I give them a quick spritz.

    Step 4: With full commitment, wear them nonstop around the house, on short walks, whenever I can. Slowly, they’ve eased up and stretched just enough to be wearable. Amazing what a bit of persistence can do.

    Step 5: Look fabulous, curating the perfect outfit straight from my wardrobe.

    And after a while, they stopp being excruciating. I used plasters at first, but now they’ve stretched enough. That’s the power of love, determination, pride, and branding. The perfect smart-casual, comfortable, and well loved.

    …recognisable only to the fashion-minded who catch the nuance.

    (Tip: just get the correct size in the first place.)

  • A Man in Uniform

    It’s often assumed—usually about men—that they don’t care about fashion or how they look. But they do care; they just frame it differently. What’s often described as “not caring” is really a focus on utility, durability, and function over aesthetics. Think of proud outdoorsmen, tradesmen, or soldiers: fashion, for them, is about whether something works.

    At first glance, you’d expect that children or perhaps the military would be the groups least concerned with appearance, prioritising pure function instead. Yet speak to any experienced quartermaster and they’d disagree immediately. The look of a garment—specifically, a uniform—is far more important than most people realise. Its visual design heavily influences acceptance, morale, and identity. If a soldier doesn’t actually want to wear it, if it feels awkward, ugly, or wrong, then its effectiveness is undermined long before it’s tested in the field. Good design in the military isn’t just about protection or practicality; it’s about creating something that people choose to wear with pride

  • Black Swan x Innovation

    Surprisingly often, technology first developed for medical use, ends up reshaping the consumer market. As I noted in my dissertation, one of the earliest examples of this crossover of SWT with medical devices was the pacemaker; fundamentally medical, deeply functional, implanted, yet theoretically wearable.

    Since then, sensors designed to monitor vital signs, track motion, support rehabilitation, or analyse neurological activity have steadily converged as they become smaller, cheaper, and easier to integrate. What began as clinical tools for diagnosis and recovery has been repurposed by consumer brands for fitness tracking, stress monitoring, sleep optimisation, and everyday health insights.

    This shift has not only broadened access to wellbeing data, but has also fuelled a new wave of fashion-forward wearables (smart wearable technology [SWTs]) where medical-grade innovation quietly powers lifestyle design. What once felt like “predicting the future” in design. has become more about creating conditions for serendipity. This mimics the concept central to Black Swan theory.

    A notable example is Hexoskin;

    Originally designed for astronauts, Hexoskin is a smart shirt equipped with sensors that track heart rate, HRV, breathing, movement, and overall activity. The data streams to a companion app in real time, offering detailed analysis that supports everything from everyday wellbeing to high-performance training. Comfortable, durable, and fully machine-washable, it enables long-term,

  • Georges Doriot

    confronted the design challenge of taking a white jacket that first emerged during World War I and adapting it for a university context, ensuring it functioned reliably across all environments and at all times.

    By taking on this task, rather than reinventing what had already been done elsewhere, Doriot approached the problem from first principles. He brought together insights from multiple industries, grounding the entire project in scientific testing. His design process was methodical and empirical: he consulted climatologists, physiologists, and geographers to determine the most effective approach for outfitting what would become a fighting force of 12 million people.

    Through this extensive collaboration, significant advancements emerged across the clothing industry—every sector of industry was, in some way, redirected toward supporting the war effort.

  • The Black Swan Effect

    The Black Swan effect refers to rare, unexpected events that have huge impacts, and only seem obvious in hindsight. It’s like the butterfly effect; small or unpredictable triggers lead to dramatic, far-reaching consequences.

    In short, it explains how humans underestimate the likelihood of extreme situations, but rely heavily on past data.

    Important attributes include unpredictability; nothing in the past clearly points defined the future.

    It concludes to really big consequences; PESTLE (as learned in my MSc: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental) or cultural. It’s only afterwards when it becomes obvious and should have been expected.

    Black Swanevents can instantly transform entire industries, markets, technologies, and even society itself.