OBSERVATORY : MARIANA AMATULLO

If You Believe You Can Fly

Last month, I had the great privilege to attend the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF), one of the premier global events focused exclusively on social enterprise and on building global awareness of the effectiveness of social enterprise in solving critical social problems. SEWF2012 was held in the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro. masterfully organized this year by the Brazilian-based team of NeSst with the leadership of NeSst co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Lee Davis.
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OBSERVATORY : MIKE WEIKERT

Thoughts on SEWF2012 and the Social Enterprise Lab

This year, the theme of design at SEWF2012 was given a significant, if not prominent role. Perhaps this call to action can be directed towards social design as well. Perhaps we can move forward collaboratively because we're all navigating this social space together and many perspectives are better than few.
READ MORE

NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS

For 15 years, the gold standard remains Sappi McCoy. McCoy boasts a remarkably rich, tactile feel that captures fine details, cool crisp blue tones and provides unparalleled readability and clarity.
More about McCoy >>
Sappi's paper selector tool >>
More about Sappi >>

What are you doing this summer? How about studying design history, theory and practice in Italy — the birthplace of Western typographic tradition. You can at the Masters Workshop in Rome May 26-June 9, 2013.
Learn More >>
MFA Design Program >>
SVA Website >>

PLACES : PLACES EDITORS

Places Is Hiring

Places is seeking a half-time Development & External Relations Coordinator to join our staff in San Francisco.
READ MORE

CHANGE OBSERVER : WILLIAM DRENTTEL & MICHAEL MOSSOBA

Winterhouse Third Symposium on Design Education and Social Change: Final Report

The final report from a symposium held at Yale University, August 2012, where participants from a variety of design and education programs discussed the objectives and challenges of social change initiatives within their schools, universities, museums and programs.
READ MORE

PLACES : NICOLA WALDRON

The Land Up North

"We bought it to build a dream on, to propagate. He wanted to plant fruit trees and dig a pond; I imagined a center for healing, where women would come to believe again in possibility. We would build writing sheds, one for each of us, and a ring of rustic cabins for the women. In the mornings, we would come together, then go our separate ways. We’d meet up for dinner, to watch the shadows grow." For Thanksgiving week, an essay by Nicola Waldron, about the cycles of life and land.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : RICK POYNOR

Robert Brownjohn: Photos at Street Level

Robert Brownjohn’s photographs of London street typography, published in Typographica magazine in 1961, have become the stuff of design legend. Brownjohn claims in his introduction to “Street Level,” a 32-page visual essay, that the pictures were gathered on a single trip around the city. Now the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has acquired the photographs and put 18 pictures on display for the first time.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

Accidental Mysteries, 11.18.12

The online site for the National Museum of American History is chock full of cool historical stuff, from advertising to art to communications to just about anything having to do with the history of our great nation. When I stumbled on to a selection of lunch boxes, I was impressed with their wide-ranging collection, from the plain everyday workingman’s box (think construction worker, 1940s) to the fun and highly decorated tin boxes of mid-century America (think Gene Autry). Here’s a small display of the lunch boxes of our nation.
READ MORE

OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN

Mirko Ilic

In this audio interview Debbie Millman talks to Bosnian-born designer and illustrator Mirko Ilic and the translator of his monograph and Print Editor-in-Chief, Aaron Kenedi. Ilic discusses his early career behind the iron curtain, his prolific drawing and his current career in New York.
READ MORE

PLACES : THOMAS JORION

The Forgotten Line

For years photographer Thomas Jorion has been documenting la petite ceinture — the 19th-century railway that circles Paris and was decommissioned decades ago. "At first I was enthralled by the mystery of its tunnels and fortified territories, by the smell of rust, tar and wood, and by the sense of freedom I felt when I lost sight of the city’s buildings and streets," he writes. "I would prefer the line remain abandoned, but I know it will not. I can only hope that future plans respect the spirit of this place, the last great wasteland in Paris."
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER

F*ck Elegant

Friends: A scourge has beset our culture, and something must be done. It may seem innocuous at first, but in truth it is an insidious force, eating away at the very foundation of all we hold dear. Even I have fallen victim to its powers of seduction. Ladies and gentleman, I refer to the ceaselessly expanding use of the term elegant. We must stop.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : ALEXANDRA LANGE

Knolling Your Polling Place

To knoll, as defined by artist Tom Sachs, is to eliminate the unnecessary, group by purpose, and arrange at 90 degrees. Polling place by polling place, I believe knolling could turn our ungainly election furniture into an architecture ... and save a lot of people a lot of time.
READ MORE

PLACES : BARBARA PENNER

"We shall deal here with humble things"

It may be the smallest room in the house, but the humble bathroom is where our daily domestic lives connect with large-scale infrastructures of water, waste and sanitation. Barbara Penner explores the design, culture and politics of the bathroom — this week the focus of annual World Toilet Day observances — and finds complex spaces that negotiate widely disparate scales — spaces that "hook up technology to the body, infrastructure to individuals, and public to private realms."
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER

Lulz and Pedagogy

Is it a waste of classroom time to show funny videos from the Internet? Not necessarily: When the lulz die down, there's often serious stuff to talk about. Here are some videos that I used that (sometimes) helped spark useful discussions of design as a pervasive, engaging, and important subject.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

Accidental Mysteries, 11.11.12

Want to get away? There is a growing trend today — call it the “tiny house movement” — to build smaller, even tiny, sustainable houses. Many build smaller sheds as separate workplaces or retreats from a larger, main dwelling. Whatever the reason, there is something cozy and personal about a small dwelling. With today’s high power consumption and the associated costs, small dwellings designed to be “off-grid” is appealing to many. With just a small wood-burning stove and a simple, rainwater catchment system, basic shelter and independence from “the grid” is actually obtainable to those with a pioneering spirit and hearty inner-fiber.
READ MORE

OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN

Austin McGhie

In this audio interview with Debbie Millman talks to her colleague Austin McGhie, who explains what a brand strategist is, the importance of positioning your brand and why brand could be a four letter word.
READ MORE


WEEKLY EMAIL: NOVEMBER 21, 2012
FEATURED THIS WEEK : LEONARD KOREN Making WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing People often assume that I’ve always been interested in bathing. But this isn’t so. My fascination really only began while in architecture school. Like most of my classmates, I was initially drawn to the heroic architectures du jour, Modern — the taut, muscular variety — and then proto-Postmodern. When those love affairs soured, I became curious about less self-conscious, more humane approaches to place-making. This led me to small, intimate environments: the kinds of places you go to feel safe and secure, the kinds of places that induce you to “let go” and “be yourself.” READ MORE
OBSERVATORY : MARIANA AMATULLO If You Believe You Can Fly Last month, I had the great privilege to attend the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF), one of the premier global events focused exclusively on social enterprise and on building global awareness of the effectiveness of social enterprise in solving critical social problems. SEWF2012 was held in the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro. masterfully organized this year by the Brazilian-based team of NeSst with the leadership of NeSst co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Lee Davis. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : MIKE WEIKERT Thoughts on SEWF2012 and the Social Enterprise Lab This year, the theme of design at SEWF2012 was given a significant, if not prominent role. Perhaps this call to action can be directed towards social design as well. Perhaps we can move forward collaboratively because we're all navigating this social space together and many perspectives are better than few. READ MORE NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS For 15 years, the gold standard remains Sappi McCoy. McCoy boasts a remarkably rich, tactile feel that captures fine details, cool crisp blue tones and provides unparalleled readability and clarity. More about McCoy >> Sappi's paper selector tool >> More about Sappi >> What are you doing this summer? How about studying design history, theory and practice in Italy — the birthplace of Western typographic tradition. You can at the Masters Workshop in Rome May 26-June 9, 2013. Learn More >> MFA Design Program >> SVA Website >> PLACES : PLACES EDITORS Places Is Hiring Places is seeking a half-time Development & External Relations Coordinator to join our staff in San Francisco. READ MORE CHANGE OBSERVER : WILLIAM DRENTTEL & MICHAEL MOSSOBA Winterhouse Third Symposium on Design Education and Social Change: Final Report The final report from a symposium held at Yale University, August 2012, where participants from a variety of design and education programs discussed the objectives and challenges of social change initiatives within their schools, universities, museums and programs. READ MORE PLACES : NICOLA WALDRON The Land Up North "We bought it to build a dream on, to propagate. He wanted to plant fruit trees and dig a pond; I imagined a center for healing, where women would come to believe again in possibility. We would build writing sheds, one for each of us, and a ring of rustic cabins for the women. In the mornings, we would come together, then go our separate ways. We’d meet up for dinner, to watch the shadows grow." For Thanksgiving week, an essay by Nicola Waldron, about the cycles of life and land. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : RICK POYNOR Robert Brownjohn: Photos at Street Level Robert Brownjohn’s photographs of London street typography, published in Typographica magazine in 1961, have become the stuff of design legend. Brownjohn claims in his introduction to “Street Level,” a 32-page visual essay, that the pictures were gathered on a single trip around the city. Now the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has acquired the photographs and put 18 pictures on display for the first time. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER Accidental Mysteries, 11.18.12 The online site for the National Museum of American History is chock full of cool historical stuff, from advertising to art to communications to just about anything having to do with the history of our great nation. When I stumbled on to a selection of lunch boxes, I was impressed with their wide-ranging collection, from the plain everyday workingman’s box (think construction worker, 1940s) to the fun and highly decorated tin boxes of mid-century America (think Gene Autry). Here’s a small display of the lunch boxes of our nation. READ MORE OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN Mirko Ilic In this audio interview Debbie Millman talks to Bosnian-born designer and illustrator Mirko Ilic and the translator of his monograph and Print Editor-in-Chief, Aaron Kenedi. Ilic discusses his early career behind the iron curtain, his prolific drawing and his current career in New York. READ MORE PLACES : THOMAS JORION The Forgotten Line For years photographer Thomas Jorion has been documenting la petite ceinture — the 19th-century railway that circles Paris and was decommissioned decades ago. "At first I was enthralled by the mystery of its tunnels and fortified territories, by the smell of rust, tar and wood, and by the sense of freedom I felt when I lost sight of the city’s buildings and streets," he writes. "I would prefer the line remain abandoned, but I know it will not. I can only hope that future plans respect the spirit of this place, the last great wasteland in Paris." READ MORE OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER Fck Elegant Friends: A scourge has beset our culture, and something must be done. It may seem innocuous at first, but in truth it is an insidious force, eating away at the very foundation of all we hold dear. Even I have fallen victim to its powers of seduction. Ladies and gentleman, I refer to the ceaselessly expanding use of the term elegant*. We must stop. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : ALEXANDRA LANGE Knolling Your Polling Place To knoll, as defined by artist Tom Sachs, is to eliminate the unnecessary, group by purpose, and arrange at 90 degrees. Polling place by polling place, I believe knolling could turn our ungainly election furniture into an architecture ... and save a lot of people a lot of time. READ MORE PLACES : BARBARA PENNER "We shall deal here with humble things" It may be the smallest room in the house, but the humble bathroom is where our daily domestic lives connect with large-scale infrastructures of water, waste and sanitation. Barbara Penner explores the design, culture and politics of the bathroom — this week the focus of annual World Toilet Day observances — and finds complex spaces that negotiate widely disparate scales — spaces that "hook up technology to the body, infrastructure to individuals, and public to private realms." READ MORE OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER Lulz and Pedagogy Is it a waste of classroom time to show funny videos from the Internet? Not necessarily: When the lulz die down, there's often serious stuff to talk about. Here are some videos that I used that (sometimes) helped spark useful discussions of design as a pervasive, engaging, and important subject. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER Accidental Mysteries, 11.11.12 Want to get away? There is a growing trend today — call it the “tiny house movement” — to build smaller, even tiny, sustainable houses. Many build smaller sheds as separate workplaces or retreats from a larger, main dwelling. Whatever the reason, there is something cozy and personal about a small dwelling. With today’s high power consumption and the associated costs, small dwellings designed to be “off-grid” is appealing to many. With just a small wood-burning stove and a simple, rainwater catchment system, basic shelter and independence from “the grid” is actually obtainable to those with a pioneering spirit and hearty inner-fiber. READ MORE OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN Austin McGhie In this audio interview with Debbie Millman talks to her colleague Austin McGhie, who explains what a brand strategist is, the importance of positioning your brand and why brand could be a four letter word. READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER More from Sappi >> Design History, Theory and Practice in Italy Register today >> Everything you need to create an exceptional website. Try it free >> Learn more during live online sessions from UNICEF's Innovation Lab in Kampala, Uganda >> OmniFocus >> AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE Jakob Trollback Jakob Trollback is a designer, filmmaker and DJ. Listen >> More Design Matters Archive >> CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE 132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE The latest material (and sustainability) adventure from the great Japanese fashion designer. READ MORE OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE High Priority The Limits of Possibility On Plastic PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2008 Little Rock's Emerging Nonprofit Corridor The non-profit sector is a major player in promoting green urbanism. Here's what's happening in Little Rock. READ MORE RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED Guaranteed to Last: L.L. Bean's Century of Outfitting America Jim Gorman A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald Errol Morris Collage Culture: Examining the 21st Century's Identity Crisis Aaron Rose and Mandy Kahn
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WEEKLY EMAIL: NOVEMBER 21, 2012

FEATURED THIS WEEK : LEONARD KOREN

OBSERVATORY : MARIANA AMATULLO

OBSERVATORY : MIKE WEIKERT

NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS

PLACES : PLACES EDITORS

CHANGE OBSERVER : WILLIAM DRENTTEL & MICHAEL MOSSOBA

PLACES : NICOLA WALDRON

OBSERVATORY : RICK POYNOR

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN

PLACES : THOMAS JORION

OBSERVATORY : MARK LAMSTER

OBSERVATORY : ALEXANDRA LANGE

PLACES : BARBARA PENNER

OBSERVATORY : ROB WALKER

OBSERVATORY : JOHN FOSTER

OBSERVER MEDIA : DEBBIE MILLMAN

AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE

CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE

PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2008

RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED