The Global Oneness Project

It is continually inspiring to discover new social design initiatives, increasingly springing up from a wealth of industry sectors, however this week I came across a project that (I feel) deserves huge creative and social credit. It’s name, The Global Oneness Project.

Founded and directed by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, The Global Oneness Project offers a remarkable insight in to the creative intelligence of human nature. This web-based video initiative aims to explore “how the notion of oneness can be lived in our increasingly complex world.”

The Global Oneness team are traveling the world, filming interviews with people from a variety of disciplines, asking them to share their stories about living and working from a perspective of interconnectedness. The films and interviews document an array of social initiatives from across the planet – in the fields of sustainability, conflict resolution, spirituality, art, economics, indigenous culture, and social justice.

There are already countless videos on the site, documenting some really insightful social projects, namely the “Not Just a Piece of Cloth” video about the Goonj recycling centre in New Delhi (the western world could really learn a lot from this one) and Johannesburg’s “GreenHouse Project”, run by Dorah Lebelo.

The library of films is available for free from the website or on DVD for event and educational use. This resource is an inspiring example of how design and social technologies can globally promote human creativity and social change.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Ethics, On Society, communication, Creative Intelligence, Film, Global Oneness Project, Goonj, Social Change, Social Design, Social Innovation, sustainability, The GreenHouse Project

The Social Lab

Award winning public service and communication design agency ThinkPublic launched The Social Lab last night, a project space set up for people to meet and discuss design-led concepts to address social challenges.

Each lab event is given a theme and invitations sent to an array of people with professional expertise spanning countless industry sectors. During the labs, attendees explore particular challenges using design tools and techniques, gain fresh insights and propose future steps for social development. Current Social Lab projects include The Real Work Experience, Public Service Thank You and ithinkpublic.

I am looking forward to watching this project evolve.

For more information visit www.thesociallab.com or contact the team at hello@thesociallab.com

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Research, On Social Design, On Society, Communication Design, Design Thinking, Events, london, Public Service Design, Social Change, Social Design, The Social Lab, ThinkPublic, UK

Social Design: We Cannot Not Change the World

It has been some time coming but it is here, a comprehensive exploration into what is ‘Social Design’. This great (if promotional) video comes from the team at the socialdesignsite.com.

Filed under: On Ethics, On People, On Social Design, On Society, Design, Social Design, socialdesignsite, Society, video, what is social design?

The (Overdue) Review: Sustainability and Graphic Design

During the first few months writing for sustainability design blog Inhabitat.com, it became immediately and increasingly evident how many designers were bathing in the new challenges of sustainability. The worlds of fashion, architecture, interior and product design continued to excel with an ecological conscience, launching countless contemporary designs every week. Although not focused to the work of Graphic Design, taking a quick look around Inhabitat it is evident a sense of contemporary Communication Design is appreciated. Critical dialogue however, discussing the relevant relationships between sustainability and graphic design, is almost vacant (with no more than 15-20 graphic-related features). This, it would seem is a recurring trend in the sustainable design communities.

“I wish I could report that it [graphic design] was doing its bit. Trouble is, tap “sustainable graphic design” into Google and you get a thousand suggested links. But, tap “Helvetica Movie” in, and guess what, you get fifteen thousand. So in cyberspace at least, that makes people 15 times as interested in a movie about a typeface than how to design responsibly. Great.” [Johnson Banks]

I am therefore, excited to have read this week that respectable designer, writer and critic Anna Gerber is currently writing a new book on Graphic Design and Sustainability, scheduled for publication by Laurence King in Spring 2009. I hope this book will give the Communication Designer a friendly kick in a sustainable direction and ultimately help our discipline play catch up to the rest of the creative industry.

Designer and author of the 2004 publication All Messed Up, Unpredictable-Graphics, Anna Gerber continues to write extensively for the likes of Creative Review, Print, Varoom, Idea and Eye. Furthermore, in collaboration with Teal Triggs, Gerber also wrote a dialogue for Blueprint last year, introducing the new postgraduate course, MA Design Writing Criticism at London College of Communications, which is scheduled to start this fall.

Resources:

Anna Gerber

Anna Gerber: London College of Communication

All-Messed-Up-Unpredictable-Graphics, Anna Gerber, 2004

Filed under: On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Sustainability, Anna Gerber, Graphic Design, Graphic Design and Sustainability, london, London College of Communication, MA Design Writing Criticism, sustainability, Teal Triggs, Visual Communication

2008 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award Results

The 2008 National Design Awards, by the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum have announced this years winners. I am not overly surprised to see that Michael Bierut (DesignObserver / Pentagram) has been awarded the Design MInd Award (a well-earned achievement all the same), but it’s great to see that Scott Stowell (of the cleverly branded studio Open) has been awarded the Communications Design Award. Congratulations chaps, I look forward to seeing some females in the shortlist next year though.

Via. DesignObserver

Filed under: On Graphic Design, On People, Communication Designers, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards 2008, Michael Bierut, New York, Scott Stowell

Social Studies: Educating Designers in a Connected World

This October sees the latest AIGA design educators’ conference address the social life of design. The event entitled Social Studies: Educating Designers in a Connected World, will be hosted by the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) on October 17-19, 2008. Co-chaired by Ellen Lupton, Jennifer Cole Phillips and fellow DesignSessions contributer Brockett Horne.

Graphic designers work with clients, institutions, users, and communities to make things happen in the world. Yet education often focuses on the individual voice. How are we preparing students for a lifetime of working with and for other people? How are our students connecting to the world? Come participate in a relaxed and stimulating weekend of lively discussions, hands-on workshops, and informal activities.

With the intention to host “dozens of presentations and workshops led by designers, educators, and graduate students”, this looks to be a thoroughly engaging event that is currently calling for speakers!

+ Social Studies: Educating Designers in a Connected World

Filed under: Art & Design, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Social Design, AIGA, Brockett Horne, Conference, Design, design education, Designers, Ellen Lupton, Graphic Design, Jennifer Cole Phillips, MICA, Social Studies, Social Studies: Educating Designers in a Connected Worl

Ethan Bodnar

Whilst ploughing through new design talents, the last thing we expect to find is a teenager hitting the design headlines, however Armin Vit recently interviewed 18 year old Ethan Bodnar “…graphic designer, author and entrepreneur.” What surprises me (apart from his forthcoming book!), is not entirely Ethan’s skills with the computer, or his portfolio of work per se, but its his wider knowledge of the industry that is admirable. Just a quick click through his blog illustrates his quite unbelieveable comprehension of Communication Design and its power to influence change. In his interview, he comments:

“I don’t think I want to spend my whole life being your normal designer. I would like to take design thinking and apply it to other areas. I will use the power of creativity and design to have a positive impact on the world. Coming up with new ideas and new ways to solve issues and problems. It is my belief that creativity can solve anything.”

Filed under: On Social Design, armin vit, communication, Design, ethan bodnar, Graphic Designer, interview, Talent, teenager