Engelberg, Trübsee/Switzerland, 1936. Herbert Matter (Swiss, 1907 – 1984). Offset lithograph on white wove paper, 40 1/8 × 25 1/16 in. (1019 × 637 mm). Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund, 2006-15-1 Two articles in the May issue of Dwell magazine have special resonance for Cooper-Hewitt’s followers. The first, “Printed...

  Two significant tools for American designers seeking to make their design process more sustainable have recently been announced. The first tool, which hopefully will have broad and positive implications for manufacturers of outdoor industry goods, is Eco-Index . Basically an assessment tool which evaluates a product’s environmental impact, Eco-Index allows manufacturers to measure six...

Why? A team of architects and urban planners, social workers and citizens has transformed Medellín, Colombia, from the most violent city in the world into a community whose architecture carries a powerful message of social inclusion. Public buildings, parks, libraries, schools, and museums were inserted in the most desperate neighborhoods to provide crucial public services....

Design for the Other 90% opened in Washington, DC on April 28, 2010 at the National Geographic Museum’s 17th Street galleries, through September 6, 2010. Admission is free. Photo: Megan Seldon, National Geographic Society, 2010 Alan Parente (left) and Rich McWalters of the National Geographic Museum install the Solar Home Lighting System, one of the...

Pioneers of Change celebrates the blurring of low- and high brow, questioning the difference between the design world and the normal world. How can non-professionals play an intricate role in realizing creative projects? Moderator: Julie Iovine, Executive Editor Architects Newspaper Panelists: Jake Barton, Local Projects Pascale Gatzen, Painted Arne Hendriks, Platform 21 Scott Stowell, Open

Follow my field research chronicles on twitter, starting in Kumasi, Ghana at the International Development Design Summit organized by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and MIT. The summit aims to create equity in the distribution of research and development resources by focusing on the needs of the world’s poor, bringing together students,...

The winner and two finalists of the Corporate Achievement category are, together, quite different from the winners of the past. As a whole, they represent what is possible at a smaller scale. The Walker does its amazing work in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Heath Ceramics has been handcrafting tiles and tableware in the same way for over...

World Bank’s Development Marketplace has started a blog to exchange and expand knowledge about innovation and social entrepreneurship for early stage development around the world. Practitioners from different backgrounds and previous winners will discuss projects, share lesson learned, tools and resources. Expanding beyond the yearly themed global competitions (such as sustainable development, water, sanitation, energy,...

In a special two-week presentation, Cooper-Hewitt will host GlassLab, an innovative program of The Corning Museum of Glass that pairs its master glassmakers with some of the most creative minds working in design today. On view in the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden, GlassLab allows Museum visitors to witness the excitement and extraordinary craftsmanship of...

GlassLab, now on view at Cooper-Hewitt through June 3, is an innovative program of The Corning Museum of Glass that pairs its master glassmakers with some of the most creative minds working in design today. Participating designers, many of whom have been featured in past Cooper-Hewitt exhibitions and programs, will include Harry Allen, Constantin and...

In a very special presentation, Cooper-Hewitt will host GlassLab, an innovative program of The Corning Museum of Glass that pairs its master glassmakers with some of the most creative minds working in design today.   GlassLab at Design Miami 2007 Participating designers at Cooper-Hewitt include: Harry Allen Constantin and Laurene Boym Francisco Costa/Calvin Klein Michele...

Nutrition in Bolivia Positive Deviance Study In this growing area of design innovations are evident in numerous forms. Not limited to current technologies these designers sample from current, emerging and out-moded technologies to provide low cost effective solutions to benefit the poor and marginalized. Working across disciplines and sectors they partner in innovative ways. They...

A multitude of schools are at the forefront of devising low cost innovations around the world, these are only a few of the examples of initiatives and projects underway. Designmatters at Art Center College of Design develops a multi-component design solution for a mobile clinic in Kenya. A camel-packaging system improves efficiency, refrigeration units are...

Many people complain that technology is isolating people from their fellow humans. I disagree. E-mail, cell phones, FedEx, Blackberries, and other systems are keeping people more in touch than ever. Indeed, many of us are expected to be “reachable” 24/7. One of the themes of Design Life Now is how design brings people together, through...