Green Patriotism Campaign by Michael Bierut

Earlier this month, more than sixty buses hit the streets of Cleveland encouraging “Green Patriotism” with banners and posters designed by Pentagram (and Cleveland-born) designer Michael Bierut. Promoting the ecologically sound use of mass transit and buses, and the development of green jobs in the manufacturing sector, the posters are visible on buses across the city throughout July. “The banners are part of a new environmentalism — one that sees action to address climate change as an imperative to protect both the American and world economies.”

Filed under: On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On Social Design, On Sustainability, Environment, Graphic Design, Green, Green Patriotism, Michael Bierut, Pentagram, Social Design, sustainability

Orange RockCorps: Give, Get Given!

A new concept in community volunteering has arrived in the UK, explained The Guardian earlier this month. Orange RockCorps is asking you to give something back to your local community. ‘Give’ just 4 hours of your time to a community project, and you’ll ‘Get Given’ a ticket to the exclusive RockCorps gig at London’s Royal Albert Hall in September! The first confirmed guest in the line up, Busta Rhymes.

+ Orange RockCorps
+ Orange RockCorps – Flickr
+ Orange RockCorps – Facebook

Filed under: Art & Design, On People, On Social Design, Community, Community Engagement, creative, Give. Get Given., Local Community, Orange, Orange RockCorps, RockCorps, Volunteer, Volunteering

The UK Design Council launches ‘The Good Design Plan’

Building on its 2004 strategic plan, the Practical Power of Design, the UK Design Council has launched “The Good Design Plan”, a new three-year national strategy for design. Defining good design as ‘sustainable design’, it highlights five objectives for the council.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Society, On Sustainability, Design Council, Good Design, Service Design, Sustainable Design, The Good Design Plan, UK, What is Good Design

New Views 2: Conversations and Dialogues in Graphic Design

The New Views 2: Conversations and Dialogues in Graphic Design symposium and exhibition opens at London College of Communication this week.

With introductory speeches from Design Council Chairman Sir Michael Bichard KCB and Live|Work Founding Director Chris Downs on Wednesday evening, the symposium running through Thursday and Friday will bring together leading academics, professionals and students to explore the practice of graphic design for the future.

Co-ordinated by Professor Teal Triggs (LCC) and Dr. Laurene Vaughan (RMIT), New Views 2 is structured with intent to allow open dialogue. Over the two-day symposium, six topical clusters – formed from the selected paper submissions, allow attendees to join discussions specific to their interest areas:

• Cluster 1: Design Writing/Criticism: Repositioning the Debate.
• Cluster 2: Graphic Design: Interdisciplinary.
• Cluster 3: Graphic Design: Practice and Methods.
• Cluster 4: Research/Innovation: New Critical Thinking.
• Cluster 5: Responsive Curricula: Shifting Paradigms.
• Cluster 6: Graphic Design: Changing the ‘Real World’.

The clustered group propositions are now available for download from www.newviews.co.uk

Filed under: Art & Design, On Ethics, On Events, On Graphic Design, On Research, Conversations and Dialogues in Graphic Design, Design Council, Design Criticism, Design Writing, Design Writing/Criticism, Graphic Design, graphic design future, livework, london, London College of Communication, New Views 2, Public Service Design, Social Change, Social Design, Teal Triggs

Can Coca Cola Save Children’s Lives?

David Wilcox reported this week about an inspiring initiative founded by Simon Berry:

Twenty years ago Simon Berry was a development worker in North Zambia, conscious that while he could buy a bottle of Coke anywhere, children were dying through inadequate distribution of simple medical treatments. In many cases they simply needed rehydration salts. Wouldn’t it be possible to reach an agreement by which Coca Cola used a small part of its superior distribution capacity to get the medicine to children?

Filed under: On People, On Social Design, On Society, campaign, Children, coca-cola, coke, Distribution, facebook, Health, Humanitarian, media, simon berry, social media

ManTowNHuman: Toward a New Humanism in Architecture

Last night saw the launch of the radical architecture manifesto ManTowNHuman. In the words of Nico Macdonald, it’s “[...] more progressive than First Things First.”

Founded by Director of The Future Cities Project, Austin Williams, the ManTowNHuman Manifesto was co-written by Alastair Donald, Richard J Williams, Karl Sharro, Alan Farlie and Debby Kuypers.

Toward a New Humanism in Architecture:

The time has come to re-think architecture.

The time has come to re-imagine the city.

The time has to re-engage with society.

The time has come to break free from building identity, community, and stability… and get on with building.

The time has come to challenge ‘what is permitted’, with ‘what could be’.

The time has come to break free of the architecture of limits.

The time has come to prioritise the human and downplay – and exploit – the so-called natural world.

Austin Williams’ opinion on The Future Cities Project website states, “Sustainability is killing creativity” …really!!? As an advocate of creativity and sustainable design, I feel, this is a debatable argument. How can architecture and building be as imaginative as it is (required to be) ecologically sound? Saddened to have missed the launch event last night.

+ ManTowNHuman.
+ BBC Newsnight: Architects to Launch Manifesto.

Filed under: On Culture, On Research, On Sustainability, architecture, future, Manifesto, ManTowNHuman, sustainability