Design Conversations

Bad Design / Good Design Posted by Bill Moggridge, on Thursday June 24, 2010 It’s hard to find examples of bad design that you can publish on a blog. I don’t suppose that’s surprising, as we all want to tell stories about our successes, but we’re happier when the failures fade into the gloom of obscurity. bad design, failures, complex, unused, useless, redundant, remote control, controllers, consumer, electronics, good design, iPhone, useful, hand, held, fingers, confusing, confusion, flick, tap, controls, relevant, Guggenheim, museum
Chicago Posted by Caroline Baumann, on Wednesday June 23, 2010 Recently in Chicago for NeoCon and the the unveiling of the Architecture & Design Galleries at the Art Institute of Chicago. Enjoyed showroom after showroom, despite the dizzying effect of the Merchandise Mart! Chicago, NeoCon, 2010, Art Institute of Chicago, architecture and design, galleries, new, Merchandise Mart, Antenna Workspace, Masamichi Udagawa, Sigi Moeslinger, Renzo Piano, Maharam, textiles, Cindy Allen, Yves Béhar, Bruce Mau, Hanns-Peter Cohn, Gregg Buchbinder, Susan Szenasy, Gio Ponti, Polly Apfelbaum, Bourollec brothers, Konstantin Grcic, Patrick Jouin, Marcel Wanders, Joseph Rosa, Zoë Ryan, Alison Fisher
2010 National Design Awards Posted by Caroline Payson, on Thursday June 17, 2010 Today Cooper-Hewitt announced the winners of the 11th annual National Design Awards. The entire list of winners and finalists is here. National Design Awards, nda, 2010, winners, finalists, annual, list, jury, nominees, fields, category, pioneers, Jane Thompson, Green Building Council
Designer David Trubridge answers why design? Posted by Cynthia E. Smith, on Tuesday June 08, 2010 It is not primarily to do with recyclable materials, efficient material use. To me these are the basic givens of design — any good design automatically does this by default. If not, it is not good design. David Trubridge, basics, stories, role, problem, solve, solutions, rationality, left brain, thinking, nourish, depth, nourishment, cultural, connection, value, nature, fresh, clean, clouds, form, senses, emotions, rewarding, why
Understanding the American Experience Posted by Bill Moggridge, on Wednesday June 02, 2010 The final grand challenge posed by Secretary Wayne Clough for the new strategic plan of the Smithsonian is explained by the sentence: “America is an increasingly diverse society that shares a history, ideals, and an indomitable, innovative spirit." challenge, Wayne Clough, smithsonian, diverse, Experience Design, objects, interactive, technology, Information, Architecture, spaces, experience, inclusive, systems, services, complex, digital, abstract, virtual, context, internet, Web, connectivity, link, American, disciplines, resources, museums, research, libraries, history, groups, individual, National, stories, stimulate
Valuing World Cultures – Bill Moggridge Posted by Bill Moggridge, on Monday May 24, 2010 The third of the grand challenges posed by Secretary Wayne Clough for the new strategic plan of the Smithsonian is explained by the sentence: “As a steward and ambassador of cultural connections, with a presence in some 100 countries and expertise and collections that encompass the globe, we will build bridges of mutual respect, and present the diversity of world cultures and the joy of creativity with accuracy, insight, and reverence.” challenge, Wayne Clough, smithsonian, steward, cultures, connection, countries, World, value, respect, diversity, diverse, present, creativity, international, Why Design Now, Triennial, Exhibition, why, Web, internet, Design for a LIving World, solutions, sustainable, materials, Piranesi as Designer, Piranesi, role, reform, 18th century, contemporary, Design for the Other 90%, affordable, socially responsible, community, Cynthia Smith, curator, Critical Mass, population, growth, urbanization
Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Posted by Bill Moggridge, on Wednesday May 19, 2010 This is the second of the grand challenges posed by Secretary Wayne Clough for the new strategic plan of the Smithsonian, with the explanatory sentence: “We will use our resources across scientific museums and centers to significantly advance our knowledge and understanding of life on earth, respond to the growing threat of environmental change, and sustain human well-being.” challenge, Wayne Clough, smithsonian, resources, sustain, implications, how, questions, respond, experiences, people, bio, biodiverse, nano, technology, social, Tony Dunne, Fiona Raby, Design Interactions, Royal College of Art, environment, change, communicate, holistic, Tangible Earth, project, digital, globe, installation, shinichi takemura, pragmatic, sustainable, materials, recycling, collaborate, Why Design Now, Triennial, Exhibition, World, planet, international, themes
Inside ICFF 2010 Posted by Debbie Ahn, on Tuesday May 18, 2010 Design Watch Members got an insider’s look at the 22nd annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair with Cooper-Hewitt’s deputy curatorial director Matilda McQuaid International Contemporary Furniture Fair, ICFF, 2010, Design Watch, members, Matilda McQuaid, Areaware, Artek, Trove, Material Connexion, INSIDENORWAY, Lobmeyr, Metropolis, Emily Pilloton, Design Revolution, roadster
Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe Posted by Bill Moggridge, on Monday May 17, 2010 This is the first of the grand challenges posed by Secretary Wayne Clough for the new strategic plan of the Smithsonian. Here’s the explanatory sentence: “We will continue to lead the quest to understand the fundamental nature of the cosmos, using next-generation technologies to explore our own solar system, meteorites, the Earth’s geological past and present, and the paleontology of our planet.” challenge, Wayne Clough, smithsonian, cosmos, technologies, explore, system, Earth, past, present, paleontology, planet, World, Universe, mysteries, Ray Eames, Charles Eames, Powers of Ten, film, Cosmic View, book, Kees Boeke, illustrate, zoom, rate, extent, micro, macro, scopic, understanding, ideas
Smithsonian Stats Posted by Bill Moggridge, on Wednesday May 12, 2010 Here’s some impressive trivia: Q – How many Museums are there in the Smithsonian? A – 19, including the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. smithsonian, stats, statistics, collection, museums, visitors, website, numbers, research centers, libraries, channel, network, mission, diffusion, knowledge, ambition, explain, contribute, quality of life, Wayne Clough, challenges, strategic plan, meaning