The short: Last Friday, a few Barbarians attended the annual PSFK NY Conference at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. We had the privilege of listening to an inspiring lineup of creative talents so we thought we would share a few of our favorite ideas and discoveries.

A Digital Witness to Life: Jonathan Harris’ past projects, like We Feel Fine, have contemplated the complex relationship between people and technology. His latest project, the multimedia storytelling platform Cowbird, aims to shift user behavior away from compression and self-promotion - two trends Harris pinpoints as rampant online - and toward “deepening” and self-reflection. With the ability to tell one’s story through any combo of video, audio, photos and text, Cowbird encourages deeper, more “heartfelt” self-expression as opposed to what he calls the more reductive experiences of Facebook, Twitter, et al. Lofty goals, to be sure, but we see it as a refreshing approach that celebrates both the wonderfully personal stories being shared and the enriching act (and art) of creating over curating.

Tweaking the Retail Formula: Rachel Shechtman’s STORY is a physical location that has the POV of a magazine, changes every few weeks like a gallery, and sells things like a store. An exploration of what a retail experience can be, STORY provides a framework for an evolving conversation between consumers and brands. Even its logo, expertly designed by Stefan Sagmeister, changes with each incarnation. As we’ve seen digital circumvent the traditional retail experience, it’s interesting to see how a physical retail location can do the same.

The short: Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will acquire the hugely popular photo-sharing application Instagram.

Why it matters: With a network of over 32 million users, Instagram has quickly become one of the most widely-used photo sharing apps worldwide, and it is by far the most popular product or company that Facebook has ever acquired. Just how popular is the app? After it launched its version for the Android operating system last week, it received over 1 million downloads within the first first 24 hours. In Zuckerberg’s announcement, he assured fans that the Instagram features they love will not go away. Rather, Facebook will work with the 8-person Instagram staff to build an optimal Web experience for photo-sharing with friends, family and those with shared interests. While we are waiting for more details on what the app integration will look like, we predict that Instagram could become an essential feature of the site and hold special potential for brands looking to connect with fans on a personal level.

The short: Back in September when Timeline launched for Facebook user accounts, the question on everyone’s mind was whether brand pages would get their own version of Timeline. As of March 30, all brands have been transitioned to the new format, but one question remains: Is Timeline good for a brand’s Facebook Page? Although some initial studies claimed that Timeline was bolstering engagement, a recent independent study by Edge Rank Checker says that engagement remains unchanged.

Why it matters: Fan engagement is the number one reason that any brand has a Facebook Page. Although the new Timeline format has been optimized to tell a richer story about a brand’s history, most users are finding fewer reasons to leave the news feed on their home page and are making fewer visits to brand pages as a whole. The importance of compelling, on-brand content is greater than ever, as only the most engaging content will ever make it to the news feed. Fortunately, the latest suite of marketing tools on Facebook provides ways to buy better visibility and news feed placement, making combined earned and owned media campaigns an effective way to reach and engage with a Facebook audience.