Design Thinking Comes to the U.S. Army

When I get invited by CEOs to talk about integrating design thinking into their organizations, they listen attentively. The cautious ones argue that the core of their business is just too important to expose it to the risks of design — and maybe we could experiment with design in some minor part of the business. My response, typically, is to argue that the core is the most critical place for utilizing design thinking in order to save the core — and their whole business — from the inevitable poor consequences of exploiting the current rather than exploring what might be. But that argument rarely works. Now I have a better argument to make: if the U.S. Army can do it in the core of its business, so can you!
READ MORE

CHANGE OBSERVER : WILLIAM DRENTTEL

Design For Change Contest

Kiran Bir Sethi was a star at the first Ted India last year, where she movingly told stories of how she champions children. But her "Design for Change School Contest," a recent initiative only mentioned near the end of this talk, swept India like wildfire in 2009, and will expand globally this coming school year.
READ MORE

PLACES : JAMES SANDERS

Adventure Playground: John V. Lindsay and the Transformation of Modern New York

The past half century has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the cultural perception and daily life of New York City, from a zone for industry and commerce to a scenic setting for urban experience and play. Architect and author James Sanders analyzes the history of this change from its roots in the innovative administration of Mayor John Lindsay, who led the city in the late '60s and early '70s. Sanders's essay is part of a collection just published in conjunction with a major retrospective that opens this week at the Museum of the City of New York, America's Mayor: John V. Lindsay and the Reinvention of New York.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY : MICHELLE HAUSER

The Leisure of Looking: A Pedestrian View in a High-Speed Era

Booth Tarkington's novel The Magnificent Ambersons (adapted for film by Orson Welles) glides us through the quixotic fashions of the turn of the century. As trolleys replaced the horse drawn carriage, only to be overtaken by the streetcar and the automobile, Tarkington observes that "the faster people were carried, the less time they had to spare."
READ MORE

CHANGE OBSERVER : THE EDITORS

Change Observer Project Reports: A Summary

For the past year, Change Observer has been publishing Project Reports as an editorial zone to write about distinct projects at the intersection of design and social innovation. This post summarizes the 38 Project Reports we have published to date.
READ MORE

PLACES : BILL GUY

Take Me To

For photographer Bill Guy downtown Chicago is a dark and moody landscape, especially at dusk, and in the winter, when the sun starts setting in the late afternoon. In a series of images taken in the past couple of years, he focuses on figures — people and also mannequins — that heighten the sense of anonymity and even unease that large and complex cities can arouse. The black-and-white photographs here, he says, seek to describe "urban landscape and urban psychology."
READ MORE

BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE

Chip Kidd

Chip Kidd, award-winning book designer, musician and author.
Listen >>
More Design Matters Archive >>

CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

Peepoobag

Report on Peepoobag, a new self-sanitizing, single-use, biodegradable container for human waste.
READ MORE

OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE

No Bugs on TV

Mad Men

Oded Ezer & Typography

PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2009

Infrastructural Optimism

Learning from New Orleans, or why we really need a new New Deal.
READ MORE

CHANGE OBSERVER: RESOURCES

Academic Programs >>
Competitions >>
Conferences & Events >>
Fellowships & Prizes >>
Organizations >>
Programs & Initiatives >>
Publications & Websites >>
Social Networks >>

RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED

Chinese Graphic Design in the Twentieth Century
Scott Minick & Jiao Ping

The State of Ata
Mike Mandel & Chantal Zakari

Folk Photography
Luc Sante


WEEKLY EMAIL: MAY 06, 2010
FEATURED THIS WEEK : ROGER MARTIN Design Thinking Comes to the U.S. Army When I get invited by CEOs to talk about integrating design thinking into their organizations, they listen attentively. The cautious ones argue that the core of their business is just too important to expose it to the risks of design — and maybe we could experiment with design in some minor part of the business. My response, typically, is to argue that the core is the most critical place for utilizing design thinking in order to save the core — and their whole business — from the inevitable poor consequences of exploiting the current rather than exploring what might be. But that argument rarely works. Now I have a better argument to make: if the U.S. Army can do it in the core of its business, so can you! READ MORE
CHANGE OBSERVER : WILLIAM DRENTTEL Design For Change Contest Kiran Bir Sethi was a star at the first Ted India last year, where she movingly told stories of how she champions children. But her "Design for Change School Contest," a recent initiative only mentioned near the end of this talk, swept India like wildfire in 2009, and will expand globally this coming school year. READ MORE PLACES : JAMES SANDERS Adventure Playground: John V. Lindsay and the Transformation of Modern New York The past half century has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the cultural perception and daily life of New York City, from a zone for industry and commerce to a scenic setting for urban experience and play. Architect and author James Sanders analyzes the history of this change from its roots in the innovative administration of Mayor John Lindsay, who led the city in the late '60s and early '70s. Sanders's essay is part of a collection just published in conjunction with a major retrospective that opens this week at the Museum of the City of New York, America's Mayor: John V. Lindsay and the Reinvention of New York. READ MORE OBSERVATORY : MICHELLE HAUSER The Leisure of Looking: A Pedestrian View in a High-Speed Era Booth Tarkington's novel The Magnificent Ambersons (adapted for film by Orson Welles) glides us through the quixotic fashions of the turn of the century. As trolleys replaced the horse drawn carriage, only to be overtaken by the streetcar and the automobile, Tarkington observes that "the faster people were carried, the less time they had to spare." READ MORE CHANGE OBSERVER : THE EDITORS Change Observer Project Reports: A Summary For the past year, Change Observer has been publishing Project Reports as an editorial zone to write about distinct projects at the intersection of design and social innovation. This post summarizes the 38 Project Reports we have published to date. READ MORE PLACES : BILL GUY Take Me To For photographer Bill Guy downtown Chicago is a dark and moody landscape, especially at dusk, and in the winter, when the sun starts setting in the late afternoon. In a series of images taken in the past couple of years, he focuses on figures — people and also mannequins — that heighten the sense of anonymity and even unease that large and complex cities can arouse. The black-and-white photographs here, he says, seek to describe "urban landscape and urban psychology." READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AUDIO: DESIGN MATTERS ARCHIVE Chip Kidd Chip Kidd, award-winning book designer, musician and author. Listen >> More Design Matters Archive >> CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE Peepoobag Report on Peepoobag, a new self-sanitizing, single-use, biodegradable container for human waste. READ MORE OBSERVATORY ARCHIVE No Bugs on TV Mad Men Oded Ezer & Typography PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2009 Infrastructural Optimism Learning from New Orleans, or why we really need a new New Deal. READ MORE CHANGE OBSERVER: RESOURCES Academic Programs >> Competitions >> Conferences & Events >> Fellowships & Prizes >> Organizations >> Programs & Initiatives >> Publications & Websites >> Social Networks >> RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED Chinese Graphic Design in the Twentieth Century Scott Minick & Jiao Ping The State of Ata Mike Mandel & Chantal Zakari Folk Photography Luc Sante
Privacy Policy \| Contact Us You are subscribed as \| Unsubscribe Copyright © 2009 Observer Omnimedia LLC. All rights reserved. Design Observer, P.O. Box 159, Falls Village, CT 06031, USA