The Bigger Picture: Festival of Interdependence

Responding to current economic, social and environmental crises, London’s NEF (New Economics Foundation) are this month running “The Bigger Picture”, a series of creative activities and events, exploring the possibilities of ‘a new kind of economy’, an economy which is low in carbon and high in well-being.

The event series culminates in a large-scale, public “Festival of Interdependence” in central London on 24 October 2009 when an interactive, living exhibition will be staged in the dramatic post-industrial setting of the Bargehouse on London’s South Bank.

Filed under: On Culture, On Ethics, On Events, On Social Design, On Society , climate change, Festival of Interdependence, NEF, New Economics Foundation, The Bigger Picture, Well-being

Kept – Things don’t have to be rubbish

Founded by More Associates Director Luke Nicholson, Kept is a new movement celebrating the “stuff” that can be kept in the world, stuff that isn’t rubbish. “Together we will help the people who still design and sell rubbish to embrace the change”, he explains.

Of course, we are in the throes of a worldwide recession, and we also face the urgent global crisis of climate change. Most of the new materials we take out of the ground to drive our economy are rubbish just one month later. This makes a huge contribution to both problems. If we’re going to ’spend our way out’, we shouldn’t be buying products that are designed to go into landfill.

Most of the stuff we can buy today is rubbish, and it was designed to be rubbish. Literally. Now, that’s not easy for us to say; we invented some of it, designed some of it, photographed it, advertised it, wrote about it, composed music for it and in the end we went out and bought it. Kept has been started as a way to make things better. Companies have to make products and services that meet our needs without extracting virgin materials from the ground, and without creating systems that routinely bury products that still have life in them. This will help them – by using fewer materials and less energy in clever ways, they can actually become more financially successful.

Kept represents anyone who wants to have great stuff in their lives, and who wants stuff to be better. Kept will be working with companies who care about the stuff they make, and wouldn’t want it to do harm. And will help government to understand what they can do (or not do) to bring about the improvements we all want.

To get involved, Kept is asking you to tell your stories and share what “things” you value and cherish. Submit your stories about the things you have kept, big or small, by visiting www.kept.it or if you use twitter just add #kept to your tweet!

You can follow the project news @keptintheloop and please join the project the Kept Facebook Group where we will be raising questions and sharing news, insights and debate.

Filed under: On Community, On Culture, On Education, On Sustainability , Design, Kept, Luke Nicholson, products, rubbish, stuff, Sustainable, things don't have to be rubbish, Waste

Bruce Mau: In Good We Trust 2010

In Good We Trust

Filed under: On Community, On Culture, On Ethics, On Events, On Social Design, On Society , Bruce Mau, In Good We Trust, Massive Change

The Age of Stupid

The Age of Stupid is a 90-minute film about climate change, set in the future, which will have its world premiere in London on March 15th 2009 and then be released in UK cinemas on March 20th 2009, followed by other countries. Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devasted world of 2055, looking back at archive footage from 2007 and asking: why didnt we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Filed under: On Community, On Culture, On Ethics, On Research, On Society, On Sustainability , age of stupid, Change, climate change, Film, future

“Globalisation Era Spearheaded by Individuals”

Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman speaks on the MIT campus in a talk entitled The World is Flat 3.0, where he discusses the 2007 update to his bestseller The World is Flat and provides a preview of his latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded.

Filed under: On Culture, On People, On Social Design, On Society , Flatland, Globalisation, Hot Flat and Crowded, The World is Flat 3.0, Thomas Friedman

The Good Consumer

Via. BonfireoftheBrands.com

Filed under: On Culture, On Ethics, On Society , Bonfire of the Brands, Consumerism, Good Consumer

Dancing the Commute!

‘Dance’, the latest Saatchi & Saatchi commercial for T-Mobile, was filmed at 11am on Thursday 15th January 2009 at London’s Liverpool Street station and aired less than 48 hours later. Although (to us savvy users of Web 2.0) flashmobs may not be a new concept, when I saw the smile on my fathers face as he saw this ad on friday night, I realised how such a simple act of community collaboration (and dance!!) can add a little bit of happiness to the daily routine of the commuter. Wonderful – I love how the elderly lady joins in at the end too!

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Society , Dance, Saatchi & Saatchi, T-Mobile

Tie Me To Your Favourite Thing

If you had to tie a red balloon to your favourite thing, what would you tie it to?

As part of her undergraduate project Douceurs, post graduate service designer Lauren Currie, (a.k.a Red Jotter), took a dozen red balloons to a park in Edinburgh, and to encourage traditional communication between the public asked people she met to tie them to their favourite thing.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Community, On Culture, On People, On Social Design, On Society , Balloons, Community, Design, Douceurs, Lauren Currie, RedJotter, Research

Service Design Project nominated for Design of the Year Award

Last Tuesday the UK Design Museum announced the nominations for the 2009 Brit Insurance Design of the Year award, including a nomination for the first EVER service design project to be included in the awards – The Social Innovation Lab for Kent (SILK), by Engine.

SILK is a project and a platform Engine have been developing with Kent County Council (a local government authority in the UK) that helps users and providers of public services create better services together using design tools and processes.

Read the full story at Engine and see a video here.

Filed under: On Community, On Culture, On Ethics, On Social Design, On Society , 2008, Award, Brit Insurance, Design Museum, Design of the Year, Engine, Service Design, SILK, UK

Represent presents “Future Present”

With Christmas just around the corner, it is time not only to think about your presents but also how you wrap them! In the UK alone, we use more than 8,000 tones of wrapping paper every year for our Christmas presents!! In a bid to challenge this problem, London based agency Represent have challenged the design community to develop innovative and eco-friendly solutions to the problem, by designing sustainable and totally tape-free ways to wrap a Christmas gift. Introducing Future Present!

Twenty best ideas have been selected and are appearing daily on the Represent website and in the studio’s ‘advent’ window throughout the month!. This is a great concept and an important consideration this christmas. So, what will you use to wrap your gifts!?

Filed under: On Culture, On Graphic Design, On Sustainability , london, sustainability, UK, Sustainable, Paper, Represent, Future Present, Mike Radcliffe, Christmas, Wrapping Paper, Giftwrap, Eco-friendly

‘What is Design?’ asks UK Design Council

The latest video from the UK Design Council has wonderfully captured the essence of design. Ambitiously entitled ‘What is Design?’ the video illustrates the simplicity required to explain the nature (and power) of design to the masses.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Social Design , Communication Design, Design, Design Council, Graphic Design, Service, UK, What is Design?

Green Spin: Should we believe the hype?

On Friday evening, as part of the magnificent Greengaged hub of sustainability events (at London’s Design Council), a series of leading speakers will debate; “Should we believe the hype? Green Marketing, spin and substance.”

In 2007, 70% of the US’s GDP was generated from consumption. UK household waste has been growing by 2% – 3% per cent a year. The average shopper in the developed world shopper adds 3 tonnes of CO2 to their carbon footprint by simply buying stuff. Products and services are clicking on to the big sell of green. In the climate of economic down turn how can we create behaviour change in consumers who are bombarded by advertising and bored of green wash.

Chaired by Lucy Siegle from The Observer, the speakers include: Ed Gillespie (Futerra), Sophie Thomas (thomas.matthews), Stewart Rassier (Saatchi & Saatchi S), Richard George (Plane Stupid), Chris Sherwin (Forum for the Future), John Grant (author of The Green Marketing Manifesto).

To join the debate visit Greengaged.com and book your place! Kick off is at 6.30pm.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Ethics, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Society, On Sustainability , Green, greengaged, greenwash, London Design Festival 2008, sustainability, thomas matthews

Teal Triggs depicts ‘Scenes of Graphic London’

With the 2008 London Design Festival only a matter of days away, it is with great respect to read ‘Scenes of Graphic London’, an editorial piece written by Teal Triggs (Professor of Graphic Design, University of the Arts London). Highlighting the importance of Graphic Design to the UK capital, Triggs beautifully captures a timeline of the UK’s most iconic work, and intelligently pays respect to the changing faces of its future. You can download the full article from the London Design Festival website.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design , creative, Design Writing, Graphic Design, london, London College of Communication, London Design Festival 2008, Scenes of Graphic London, Teal Triggs, UK

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

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

Images of Consumer Culture, by Brian Ulrich

Reading the archive of MotherJones this afternoon, I came across a photo essay entitled “American Happiness and the Need to Consume”, featuring the work of American photographer Brian Ulrich, who is known for his photographic exploration of consumer culture.

Filed under: On Culture, On Social Design, On Society , brian ulrich, consumer, Consumerism, Culture, photographer, photography, Society

Communication Designers Need to Catch Up Fast

Article for DesignSessions: Are You a Good Designer?

When I was first asked to contribute a piece on design ethics to Design Sessions: Notes on Design, I wondered how I could credibly comment on such a complex and highly academic topic. Whilst sitting at the early stages of my creative career, I wondered how many of us really understand what it means to be a “good” designer, and asked myself, if and how, I am a “good” (socially-responsible) designer?

Design Ethics

Throughout every stage of my creative training, I have echoed the belief that design is “quintessentially an ethical process” (Devon and Poel 2002). I strongly believe that Communication Design has a positive and negative ability to affect social change, but recognize that its influential power should be treated with respect and careful consideration, of its use, from all its designers.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Ethics, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Society, On Sustainability , Communication Design, design ethics, Ethics, future, Graphic Design, Kate Andrews, Social Design, Visual Communication

Project H Design: Lifestraws for Mumbai!

Following the success of last month’s initiative to fund 75 Hippo Rollers for South African community Kgautswane, Project H Design is at it again! Emily is currently in Uganda and informs me she has just launched the latest Project H initiative – Lifestraws for Mumbai! At only $25 each, Project H Design aims to donate 100 (or more!) Lifestraw Family systems to Mumbai, India.

Lifestraw Family is an amazing point-of-use water filtration device designed and manufactured by Vestergaard Frandsen that eliminates 99.999% of waterborne disease bacteria, parasites, and viruses, bringing clean drinking water quickly and reliably, and preventing life-threatening disease from spreading through unclean water.

Lots of support is needed again, to help with the success of this project, so why not help this initiative and sponser a Lifestraw! Its only $25 to sponsor one Lifestraw family system!

+ Design21 Feature: Project Leader, Emily Pilloton

Filed under: On Culture, On Ethics, On Social Design, On Sustainability , Design, Emily Pilloton, lifestraws, mumbai, non-profit, Project H Design, Social Design, Sponsor

Design Conferences are Conceptually Thin

After Jody Boehnert forwarded me a link to Rick Poynor’s recent critic of Design Conferences, for Creative Review, I have thought a lot about their impact/importance and relevance.

The celebrity culture that has developed in the design industry is not something I have followed since being a student, however I was quite shocked at the monochrome nature of responses to this article, which it would seem illustrates a dichotomy of current day designers.

Response made to Rick Poynor’s feature:

Many conferences are simply an exhibition of famous works, but as Rajesh comments, students will forever love the opportunity to meet/see/admire their favourite designers (and there is nothing wrong with admiring your inspirations). As we develop into professionals however, there is more to learn and think about than “new tricks and computer skills”. If everyone just learns how to recreate the same thing, designers will evolve into nothing but another form of technology.

We should be asking for a new kind of design event that gets its audience off the seats and use their talents to challenge current day social problems. I therefore agree that smaller interactive debates, discussions and workshops that consider social change will assist the Communication industry to evolve positively into the future, and perhaps eradicate the risk of stagnating its designers into aesthetically orientated tech-savvy talent.

+ Creative Review: Design Conferences. Isn’t it time we demanded more?

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Social Design , Creative Review, Design Conferences, Design Critic, design education, Rick Poynor

Building on the Green Agenda

Great TED talk from Norman Foster, Building on the Green Agenda.

Recorded at the DLD Conference, Munich, Architect Norman Foster discusses his own work to show how computers can help architects design buildings that are green, beautiful and “basically pollution-free.” He shares projects from throughout his career, from the pioneering roof-gardened Willis Building (1975) to the London Gherkin (2004). He also comments on two upcoming megaprojects: a pipe to bring water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, and the new Beijing airport.

The DLD (Digital Life Design) Conference, in Munich, Germany, is hosted by publisher Hubert Burda and Israeli investor Yossi Vardi, covering digital innovation, media and design.

Filed under: On Culture, On Ethics, On People, On Social Design, On Sustainability , buckminster fuller, digital world, DLD, Environment, green agenda, norman foster, sustainability, TED

BANISH the Plastic Bag!

On 13 March 2008, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, announced the 2008 Budget, which says it includes “[...] measures aimed at tackling climate change.”

However, it is interesting to note how the greenness of the budget is being widely criticised. In response to Darling’s Budget, the Green Party’s Caroline Lucas described it as a:

[…] criminal wasted opportunity to set the country on the path towards a more sustainable future [...] Instead of seizing the opportunity to reshape our economy to deal with the serious threat of climate change, Alistair Darling used his much-awaited first Budget to set out a weak and flimsy agenda, which brought new definition to the word “greenwash”.

Initially, encouraged that the government is a least listening to the public acknowledgment, that action needs to be taken to tackle climate change, however it was shocking to realise how small a step has been taken to eradicate plastic bags. One of the budget actions, to [potentially] charge for plastic carrier bags, IF retailers fail to take ‘enough’ (?) voluntary action to reduce their use, by next year… is ridiculous. Firstly, by focusing the public attention to the potential cost (one of those many purchasing decision-makers) of plastic bags, in my eyes completely undermines the global challenge that is climate change, blinding them to see problems caused by aviation and the like. As Lucas quite rightly argued, surely the Chancellor should be focusing on the feasibility of phasing out plastic bags altogether? If so many USA states can survive without the carrier, surely we can!?

Unsurprisingly, the UK retailers kicked up a fuss about the bag charges however, on a more positive note, the Daily Mail Newspaper did launch a BAN THE BAG campaign [pictured above], so maybe just maybe such media campaigns are our only hope in helping the public see the reality.

Filed under: On Culture, On Society, On Sustainability , 2008 Budget, Alistair Darling, climate change, Consumerism, Environment, Plastic, Plastic Bag, UK, Waste

The Messenger/Receiver House

The Messenger/Receiver House is a project by design students Chris Knox, Colm Keller and Bastian Bischoff, studying on the Master Programme in Design at HDK (The School of Design and Crafts at Göteborg University in Sweden). Conceived to collect and analyse public opinion about homelessness, the graphic and product design students created this eye-catching public exhibit. As MocoLoco reported, the future of the M/R House project looks to involve “smaller versions to be decorated by homeless people and well known creatives to be auctioned off to raise funds for organizations that deal with homelessness.” Via. DirtyMouse.

Filed under: On Community, On Culture, On Graphic Design, On Social Design, On Society , Design, HDK, homeless, poverty, public, students, The Messenger/Receiver House

[the lack of...] Sustainable Graphic Design

“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 move about typeface than how to design responsibly. Great.”

- Johnson Banks [04.10.07], Thought of the Day: Leaching it of any Meaning.

Filed under: On Culture, On Graphic Design, On People, On Research, On Social Design, On Sustainability, On Typography , Design, google search, Graphic Design, helvetica, helvetica movie, johnson banks, sustainable graphic design

The History of Visual Communication

With thanks to Core77 for crediting Turkish artist, designer, and educator Elif Ayiter responsible for putting together the [visually enthralling] chronological History of Visual Communication.

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Research, On Typography , Education, Elif Ayiter, Graphic Design, History, Technology, The History of Visual Communication, Typography

INDIGO: International Indigenous Design Network

The INDIGO: International Indigenous Design Network is a research initiative, which explores the role of indigenous visual culture within contemporary society and looks at its relationship to National identity. The issues and pressures facing indigenous cultures around the globe are similar. INDIGO’s aim is to encourage and promote constructive exchange between the worlds’ indigenous communities. The objective – to help to elevate the profile of indigenous design by encouraging contemporary interpretation of traditional techniques and themes.

In 2006, a pilot of the collaborative projects possible through the INDIGO: International Indigenous Design Network was demonstrated when Monash University (Australia) and the University of Hartford (United States) created MIX06. MIX06 was a cultural exchange project that explored the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous culture within the context of national identity. Workshops, research, and collaborative teamwork took place in both countries and included indigenous participation. The workshop results can be found under the title: One Step Back, Two Steps Forward, an Icograda endorsed website. Inspiring results!

Filed under: Art & Design, On Culture, On Education, On Graphic Design, On Research, On Social Design , INDIGO, Mix06, indigenous Design, Icograda, Visual Culture

What is Success?

[In response to Ellen Lupton's (2007) AIGA feature: What is Success?].

Having recently immersed myself into Oliver James’ book Affluenza, this is a wonderfully topical discussion, which I have also been discussing with colleagues and students. Affluenza (which at most criticizes and abruptly awakens its readers to a money-grabbing, consumer “must-have” society), ultimately questions if success can be gained in any competitive industry and within any consumer-focused society. For example: Can a single ambition ever be experienced? As one success, ambition or goal is reached another one is created, superceding its previous. Therefore, I agree that a consistent “raising of the bar” (Jared Lantzman, AIGA response), certainly plays a part of being a “successful” designer. Why this is the case, however, is an entirely different discussion.

Success is subjective to personal ambition and at its core is defined by each individual. The problem I see however, is that success is taught initially by a grading matrix and later by an overly powerful “celebrity” culture. I believe being a successful Designer entails the creative ability to evolve and grow at the same pace that the industry does, yet whilst remaining unique in ones own ability and passion.

Filed under: On Culture, On Graphic Design , Affluenza, AIGA, creative, Ellen Lupton, Graphic Design, Impact, Success