CHANGE OBSERVER : MARIA POPOVA

Coffee Common

A new coalition of coffee roasters and farmers affiliated with Alex Bogusky's COMMON project aims to fight the beverage's legacy of commodification.
READ MORE

PLACES : RAY GASTIL

In Motion: The Experience of Travel

"In his latest book, Tony Hiss poses a provocative challenge," writes urban planner Ray Gastil. "Can we rethink the value we put on the accumulated years of our lives we spend in transit, all the 'wasted' time spent in-between the places we live and work and visit?" Gastil explores how In Motion might inform contemporary planning and design "in a world where our daily rounds grow longer and duller — and often as not through the failures of narrowly defined planning."
READ MORE

FROM OUR SPONSORS

Come see what the students at SVA are doing. Join us in NYC at the SVA theatre on April 20, for Ideopolis, class of 2011. Also come check out OPEN IxD, the MFA Interaction Design Festival.
Visit Ideopolis >>
Register for OPEN IxD >>
SVA Website >>

Being sustainable has never been so profitable. See how the country's most innovative companies are improving their bottom line by staying the course on sustainability. Look into Sappi's paper mills that are setting a new standard for environmental responsibility.
Find out more about Sappi here >>
Order a copy of eQ003 >>
Download a PDF copy >>

OBSERVERS ROOM : RICK POYNOR

Starowieyski's Graphic Universe of Excess

With so much attention focused on the Wim Crouwel exhibition in London at the moment, it would be easy to overlook two small exhibitions of posters by Franciszek Starowieyski. Produced in the 1960s and 1970s at the same time as Crouwel’s posters, Starowieyski’s best work occupies a polar extreme. If Crouwel is the model of an Apollonian designer, then Starowieyski is violently Dionysiac.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : WILLIAM H. HELFAND

Health for Sale

An abridged version of an interview with William H. Helfand by Innis Howe Shoemaker of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from the catalogue for the exhibition Health for Sale: Posters from the William H. Helfand Collection (2011). The exhibit runs through July 31.
READ MORE

CHANGE OBSERVER : RAMSEY FORD

Design Impact Fellowship Program

We believe that a design isn’t finished until someone is using it: which is why we stay with our partners through implementation.
READ MORE

CHANGE OBSERVER : THE EDITORS

Design for the Real World Redux

New prize for a concept, prototype or product “that upholds Papanek’s vision of environmental and/or social responsibility.”

READ MORE

OBSERVERS ROOM : MARK LAMSTER

The Plight of the Political Artist

In a post on his blog entitled This Cannot Pass, Lebbeus Woods, who might be the conscious of the architectural profession, has vowed to accept no further commissions in China until Ai Weiwei is released from detention, unharmed. I hope the latter portion of this demand/plea is still a possibility.
READ MORE

OBSERVERS ROOM : ALEXANDRA LANGE

Muddying the Waters

The new chapbook, At Water's Edge, showcases both the design critics and the publishing models of the future.
READ MORE

PLACES : MICHAEL LIGHT & DAVID L. ULIN

L.A. Day/L.A. Night

For several years photographer Michael Light has been engaged in an aerial exploration of the arid West. Here we present a selection of his images of Los Angeles, along with an essay by David Ulin inspired by Light's daytime and nighttime views of the metropolis. As Ulin writes, if L.A. often seems like a dream, it is "a dream of substance ... a built dream, as concrete as it is abstract, an imposition of collective will. It is a three-dimensional set of hieroglyphs, a runic architecture unveiled in cloverleafs and rail yards, skyscrapers and industrial plants, dotted with small houses etched into the flats and hillsides, a narrative interposed upon the land."
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : CONSTANTIN BOYM

True East

Ever since I came to the Middle East, I have been looking for authenticity. Then I discovered mabkhara.
READ MORE

OBSERVERS ROOM : WILLIAM DRENTTEL

Design of Crime, Evil and Death

Buried in our Winterhouse library are numerous books with "design" in the title — things like Death by Design, Design for Dying and Design in Evil. These obviously are examples where the word "design" has worked its way into popular vocabulary or vernacular speech. I'm wondering what else is out there?
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

Accidental Mysteries, 04.03.11

Welcome to Accidental Mysteries, a weekly cabinet of visual curiosities set aside for your perusal and enlightenment.
READ MORE

OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN

Heather B. Armstrong

In this audio interview with Debbie Millman, Heather Armstrong discusses reconciling with her family after writing about them on her blog, documenting her relationship with her husband, growing up Mormon, her struggle with post-postpartum depression, taking photos of her dog Chuck and tweeting about her broken Maytag washing machine.
READ MORE

OBSERVERS ROOM : RICK POYNOR

Wim Crouwel: The Ghost in the Machine

What we can see now more clearly than ever, in Wim Crouwel's exhibition at the Design Museum, is that his practice was often at odds with the severity of his pronouncements. Far from suppressing his own creative personality in the way he advised, Crouwel was expressing it to the full. It just happens that this personality was inclined towards reduction and minimalism.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : EVA D. BLAKE

Design Observer Group Buys Huffington Post

This deal follows closely on the heels of the announcement in February that struggling AOL would buy Huffington, one of the most heavily visited news websites in the country.
READ MORE


WEEKLY EMAIL: APRIL 07, 2011
FEATURED THIS WEEK : PHIL PATTON On the Shoulders of Rebels What if someone invented a device that did good as efficiently as the RPG does harm? READ MORE
CHANGE OBSERVER : MARIA POPOVA Coffee Common A new coalition of coffee roasters and farmers affiliated with Alex Bogusky's COMMON project aims to fight the beverage's legacy of commodification. READ MORE PLACES : RAY GASTIL In Motion: The Experience of Travel "In his latest book, Tony Hiss poses a provocative challenge," writes urban planner Ray Gastil. "Can we rethink the value we put on the accumulated years of our lives we spend in transit, all the 'wasted' time spent in-between the places we live and work and visit?" Gastil explores how In Motion might inform contemporary planning and design "in a world where our daily rounds grow longer and duller — and often as not through the failures of narrowly defined planning." READ MORE FROM OUR SPONSORS Come see what the students at SVA are doing. Join us in NYC at the SVA theatre on April 20, for Ideopolis, class of 2011. Also come check out OPEN IxD, the MFA Interaction Design Festival. Visit Ideopolis >> Register for OPEN IxD >> SVA Website >> Being sustainable has never been so profitable. See how the country's most innovative companies are improving their bottom line by staying the course on sustainability. Look into Sappi's paper mills that are setting a new standard for environmental responsibility. Find out more about Sappi here >> Order a copy of eQ003 >> Download a PDF copy >> OBSERVERS ROOM : RICK POYNOR Starowieyski's Graphic Universe of Excess With so much attention focused on the Wim Crouwel exhibition in London at the moment, it would be easy to overlook two small exhibitions of posters by Franciszek Starowieyski. Produced in the 1960s and 1970s at the same time as Crouwel’s posters, Starowieyski’s best work occupies a polar extreme. If Crouwel is the model of an Apollonian designer, then Starowieyski is violently Dionysiac. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : WILLIAM H. HELFAND Health for Sale An abridged version of an interview with William H. Helfand by Innis Howe Shoemaker of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from the catalogue for the exhibition Health for Sale: Posters from the William H. Helfand Collection (2011). The exhibit runs through July 31. READ MORE CHANGE OBSERVER : RAMSEY FORD Design Impact Fellowship Program We believe that a design isn’t finished until someone is using it: which is why we stay with our partners through implementation. READ MORE CHANGE OBSERVER : THE EDITORS Design for the Real World Redux New prize for a concept, prototype or product “that upholds Papanek’s vision of environmental and/or social responsibility.” READ MORE OBSERVERS ROOM : MARK LAMSTER The Plight of the Political Artist In a post on his blog entitled This Cannot Pass, Lebbeus Woods, who might be the conscious of the architectural profession, has vowed to accept no further commissions in China until Ai Weiwei is released from detention, unharmed. I hope the latter portion of this demand/plea is still a possibility. READ MORE OBSERVERS ROOM : ALEXANDRA LANGE Muddying the Waters The new chapbook, At Water's Edge, showcases both the design critics and the publishing models of the future. READ MORE PLACES : MICHAEL LIGHT & DAVID L. ULIN L.A. Day/L.A. Night For several years photographer Michael Light has been engaged in an aerial exploration of the arid West. Here we present a selection of his images of Los Angeles, along with an essay by David Ulin inspired by Light's daytime and nighttime views of the metropolis. As Ulin writes, if L.A. often seems like a dream, it is "a dream of substance ... a built dream, as concrete as it is abstract, an imposition of collective will. It is a three-dimensional set of hieroglyphs, a runic architecture unveiled in cloverleafs and rail yards, skyscrapers and industrial plants, dotted with small houses etched into the flats and hillsides, a narrative interposed upon the land." READ MORE OBSERVATORY : CONSTANTIN BOYM True East Ever since I came to the Middle East, I have been looking for authenticity. Then I discovered mabkhara. READ MORE OBSERVERS ROOM : WILLIAM DRENTTEL Design of Crime, Evil and Death Buried in our Winterhouse library are numerous books with "design" in the title — things like Death by Design, Design for Dying and Design in Evil. These obviously are examples where the word "design" has worked its way into popular vocabulary or vernacular speech. I'm wondering what else is out there? READ MORE OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER Accidental Mysteries, 04.03.11 Welcome to Accidental Mysteries, a weekly cabinet of visual curiosities set aside for your perusal and enlightenment. READ MORE OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN Heather B. Armstrong In this audio interview with Debbie Millman, Heather Armstrong discusses reconciling with her family after writing about them on her blog, documenting her relationship with her husband, growing up Mormon, her struggle with post-postpartum depression, taking photos of her dog Chuck and tweeting about her broken Maytag washing machine. READ MORE OBSERVERS ROOM : RICK POYNOR Wim Crouwel: The Ghost in the Machine What we can see now more clearly than ever, in Wim Crouwel's exhibition at the Design Museum, is that his practice was often at odds with the severity of his pronouncements. Far from suppressing his own creative personality in the way he advised, Crouwel was expressing it to the full. It just happens that this personality was inclined towards reduction and minimalism. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : EVA D. BLAKE Design Observer Group Buys Huffington Post This deal follows closely on the heels of the announcement in February that struggling AOL would buy Huffington, one of the most heavily visited news websites in the country. READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER NYC at SVA theatre from 12 to 7PM. Visit Ideopolis >> Use our online Paper Wizard. Design Observer readers get 10% off their next order >> Gain business knowledge. See the big picture. Make connections >> Good design can influence positive change! Learn more Ideas that Matter >> AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE Minda Gralnek Minda Gralnek is the executive vice president, creative at the Target Corporation. Listen >> More Design Matters Archive >> CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE Cards of Change Unemployed workers retrofit their former business cards to send hopeful messages. READ MORE OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE Meena's Collection 10 to Redesign Political Ads PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001 Village Vices: The Contradiction of New Urbanism and Sustainability A critique of New Urbanism focusing not on its traditionalism but on the unsustainability of its planning models. READ MORE CHANGE OBSERVER: RESOURCES Academic Programs >> Competitions >> Conferences & Events >> Fellowships & Prizes >> Organizations >> Programs & Initiatives >> Publications & Websites >> Social Networks >> RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED Five Centuries of Indonesian Textiles Ruth Barnes & Mary Hunt Kahlenberg Deborah Butterfield Robert Gordon & Deborah Butterfield Process Compendium 2004-2010 C. E. B. Reas
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WEEKLY EMAIL: APRIL 07, 2011

FEATURED THIS WEEK : PHIL PATTON

CHANGE OBSERVER : MARIA POPOVA

PLACES : RAY GASTIL

FROM OUR SPONSORS

OBSERVERS ROOM : RICK POYNOR

OBSERVATORY : WILLIAM H. HELFAND

CHANGE OBSERVER : RAMSEY FORD

CHANGE OBSERVER : THE EDITORS

OBSERVERS ROOM : MARK LAMSTER

OBSERVERS ROOM : ALEXANDRA LANGE

PLACES : MICHAEL LIGHT & DAVID L. ULIN

OBSERVATORY : CONSTANTIN BOYM

OBSERVERS ROOM : WILLIAM DRENTTEL

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN

OBSERVERS ROOM : RICK POYNOR

OBSERVATORY : EVA D. BLAKE

AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE

CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE

PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2001

CHANGE OBSERVER: RESOURCES

RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED