WEEKLY EMAIL: JUNE 15, 2012

FEATURED THIS WEEK : ROB WALKER

The Bizarro Storytelling Exercise

Noting the value of "story" is fashionable these days, and it makes sense to think hard about the best tale you can tell about your brand or company or product. But maybe there's even more value in thinking hard about the very worst story that could plausibly be told.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : KATHERINE LARSON

Study for Love's Body

The theories of Love
have become tremulous and complicated.
The way snow falls or Saturn revolves
repeatedly around some distance
where space is nothing
yet still something that separates.
READ MORE

PLACES : HENK WILDSCHUT & AARON ROTHMAN

Shelter

In the middle of the last decade, photographer Henk Wildschut began to document a "crisis hidden in plain sight" — the extensive networks of transient camps set up all across Europe —from Calais and Dunkirk to Malta and southern Spain — by undocumented workers from Africa and Asia, especially Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria. As Aaron Rothman notes, Wildschut is here exploring how to portray humanitarian crises — "how to show not only suffering but also dignity and resilience."
READ MORE

NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS

Enter the Sappi Ideas that Matter competition - an annual, innovative grant program that provides monetary support to produce the creative ideas of designers working for social good. Sappi established the Ideas that Matter grant program to recognize and support designers who donate their time and talent to create communications materials for a wide range of charitable activities.
More about Ideas that Matter >>
Watch Doug Hebert an inspiration junkie >>
Find out more about Sappi here >>

Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism.
Watch videos of presentations by the Class of 2011 >>
The D-Crit Program >>
SVA Website >>

OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER

Underappreciated in Ft. Worth

As anyone who has written thoughtfully about Philip Johnson knows well, he has a tendency to surprise. Sometimes these surprises are pleasant, and sometimes they are not—this is, in part, what makes him such an interesting character. This past week I found myself surprised by Johnson, and in the good kind of way.
READ MORE

PLACES : KELLER EASTERLING

Zone: The Spatial Softwares of Extrastatecraft

Recent years have seen the phenomenal rise of the free zone — an opportunistic urban hybrid established in order to legally evade national laws. As Keller Easterling writes, "Though its roots date back to the free ports of antiquity, the zone has only recently emerged as a powerful global form, evolving rapidly from an out-of-way district for warehousing custom-free goods to a postwar strategy for jumpstarting national economies to a paradigm for glittering world cities like Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai."
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

Accidental Mysteries, 06.10.12

Accidental Mysteries, a weekly cabinet of visual curiosities curated by John Foster, highlights images of design, art, architecture and ephemera brought to light by the magic of the digital age. This week's focus is smoke.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : ALEXANDRA LANGE

Introducing Strelka Press

These days how you publish can be as much of a statement as what you publish. Strelka Press, a new publishing venture edited by Guardian design critic Justin McGuirk, just launched with a series of longform architecture and design essays, available as digital downloads. This format offers critics more room to write and readers the opportunity to pick and choose. I was one of the guinea pigs.
READ MORE

BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Meaningful work is creating impact. A positive future is taking shape.
Submit your proposal >>

D-Crit: Design as subject matter. Criticism as literary genre.
Learn at SVA >>

A quarterly magazine of art and culture
Read more >>

Designers and leaders talk innovation in healthcare.
Join us >>

AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE

Carin Goldberg

Carin Goldberg was a staff designer at CBS before establishing her own firm, Carin Goldberg Design.
Listen >>
More Design Matters Archive >>

CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

Roudha Center

Report on Roudha Center, a proposal for a one-stop hub for Qatari women to learn the nuts and bolts of launching a business
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE

Francois Robert

Stephen Doyle

Listomania

PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2000

Portfolio: Uneasy Spaces

New York City photographer Elizabeth Felicella focuses on what she calls "landscape of security."
READ MORE

RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED

The Well-Kept Kitchen
Gervase Markham

Clog: Apple
Kyle May, editor

You Can

You Can't Change China, China Changes You
John Van De Water


WEEKLY EMAIL: JUNE 15, 2012
FEATURED THIS WEEK : ROB WALKER The Bizarro Storytelling Exercise Noting the value of "story" is fashionable these days, and it makes sense to think hard about the best tale you can tell about your brand or company or product. But maybe there's even more value in thinking hard about the very worst story that could plausibly be told. READ MORE
OBSERVATORY : KATHERINE LARSON Study for Love's Body The theories of Love have become tremulous and complicated. The way snow falls or Saturn revolves repeatedly around some distance where space is nothing yet still something that separates. READ MORE PLACES : HENK WILDSCHUT & AARON ROTHMAN Shelter In the middle of the last decade, photographer Henk Wildschut began to document a "crisis hidden in plain sight" — the extensive networks of transient camps set up all across Europe —from Calais and Dunkirk to Malta and southern Spain — by undocumented workers from Africa and Asia, especially Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and Nigeria. As Aaron Rothman notes, Wildschut is here exploring how to portray humanitarian crises — "how to show not only suffering but also dignity and resilience." READ MORE NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS Enter the Sappi Ideas that Matter competition - an annual, innovative grant program that provides monetary support to produce the creative ideas of designers working for social good. Sappi established the Ideas that Matter grant program to recognize and support designers who donate their time and talent to create communications materials for a wide range of charitable activities. More about Ideas that Matter >> Watch Doug Hebert an inspiration junkie >> Find out more about Sappi here >> Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism. Watch videos of presentations by the Class of 2011 >> The D-Crit Program >> SVA Website >> OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER Underappreciated in Ft. Worth As anyone who has written thoughtfully about Philip Johnson knows well, he has a tendency to surprise. Sometimes these surprises are pleasant, and sometimes they are not—this is, in part, what makes him such an interesting character. This past week I found myself surprised by Johnson, and in the good kind of way. READ MORE PLACES : KELLER EASTERLING Zone: The Spatial Softwares of Extrastatecraft Recent years have seen the phenomenal rise of the free zone — an opportunistic urban hybrid established in order to legally evade national laws. As Keller Easterling writes, "Though its roots date back to the free ports of antiquity, the zone has only recently emerged as a powerful global form, evolving rapidly from an out-of-way district for warehousing custom-free goods to a postwar strategy for jumpstarting national economies to a paradigm for glittering world cities like Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai." READ MORE OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER Accidental Mysteries, 06.10.12 Accidental Mysteries, a weekly cabinet of visual curiosities curated by John Foster, highlights images of design, art, architecture and ephemera brought to light by the magic of the digital age. This week's focus is smoke. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : ALEXANDRA LANGE Introducing Strelka Press These days how you publish can be as much of a statement as what you publish. Strelka Press, a new publishing venture edited by Guardian design critic Justin McGuirk, just launched with a series of longform architecture and design essays, available as digital downloads. This format offers critics more room to write and readers the opportunity to pick and choose. I was one of the guinea pigs. READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Meaningful work is creating impact. A positive future is taking shape. Submit your proposal >> D-Crit: Design as subject matter. Criticism as literary genre. Learn at SVA >> A quarterly magazine of art and culture Read more >> Designers and leaders talk innovation in healthcare. Join us >> AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE Carin Goldberg Carin Goldberg was a staff designer at CBS before establishing her own firm, Carin Goldberg Design. Listen >> More Design Matters Archive >> CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE Roudha Center Report on Roudha Center, a proposal for a one-stop hub for Qatari women to learn the nuts and bolts of launching a business READ MORE OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE Francois Robert Stephen Doyle Listomania PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2000 Portfolio: Uneasy Spaces New York City photographer Elizabeth Felicella focuses on what she calls "landscape of security." READ MORE RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED The Well-Kept Kitchen Gervase Markham Clog: Apple Kyle May, editor You Can't Change China, China Changes You John Van De Water
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