The first street signs in New York City, known as “direction boards,” were posted in 1793 and were largely used on horsecars.[1] They were intended to “rationalize the city’s built environment,” and have undergone many changes over the years. The recognizable rectangular shape of today’s signs, like this one in Cooper Hewitt’s collection, date to...

In 2012, math professor Laurie Rubel developed, with support from the National Science Foundation, the City Digits project to help high school students learn math by examining urban injustices in their own New York City neighborhood. Partnering with civic designer Sarah Williams, the team designed a set of place-based learning tools to integrate richer data...

Despite the presence of over 300,000 streetlamps in at least 30 distinct designs, few of the millions who visit Manhattan’s bustling streets every year take note of these integral pieces of city life. The lights have not, however, completely escaped notice: this design drawing by Donald Deskey, one of the most influential Industrial Designers of his era, represents one of many...

Find out how designers today are rethinking the aesthetics, process, and public of graphic design by creating their own software and systems. Join Cooper-Hewitt's Curatorial Director, Cara McCarty, Walker Art Center Curator, Andrew Blauvelt, and interaction designer, Dimitri Nieuwenhuizen, in a lively discussion. Dimitri is a member of Lust, the innovative Dutch design collective that...

Each day, 600,000 New Yorkers hop in the back of a taxi – the iconic yellow cab that is a symbol of New York City around the world. The 2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi, New York's Taxi of Tomorrow, made its global debut yesterday at a special event with New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg...

According to Jim Pynn, Superintendent of Newtown Creek’s 52-acre water waste treatment plant, the plant’s star architectural feature is eight futuristic, stainless steel–clad “digester eggs.” Tours of the facility began less than a year ago. Our tour started early in the morning in the new Visitor Center. Once inside, it was hard to hear over...

Cooper-Hewitt’s DesignPrep is a series of free design-education programs that introduces New York City high-school students to collegiate and career opportunities in design. Participating students attend design workshops with professional designers, visit design colleges as well as designers’ studios, and engage in professional development.   Students from all over the city were invited to become...

Target: Design in the Classroom is an innovative new program that brings Cooper-Hewitt, to NYC schools. This video shows a kids-eye-view into a full day of design workshops at P.S. 124 in South Ozone, Queens. All K-12 teachers in NYC are eligible for this free, hands-on design workshop. Register online today at http://www.cooperhewitt.org/designK12registration to register...

The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt has recently acquired several original prototypes and drawings used to develop OXO’s Good Grips product line. Cooper-Hewitt curators identified this line for the museum’s collection because the products were a game-changing innovation iconic of late 20th century design. Watch this video to learn more about the story behind the objects.

Now in it’s second year, the Teen Design Fair is one of the best new parts of the National Design Awards. Held annually in Washington, D.C. and in New York City, The Fair invites hundreds of local teens to learn about careers from a diverse array of design professionals. Design colleges from around the country...

One of the exciting aspects of Design with the Other 90%: Cities is the ability to connect the international themes of the exhibition to a New York setting. In our second DesignPrep workshop held at the United Nations, teens examined key issues highlighted in the exhibition. The workshop was an opportunity for teens to raise...

New York City teens joined the DesignPrep program this fall for a series of school visits to local art and design colleges. DesignPrep introduces teens to colleges and career opportunities in design. This fall a number of schools opened their doors to our students, sharing information about the admissions process and college life. Teens thinking...

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, the Eyebeam Art + Technology Center, and Smart Design teamed up this past summer to take Jell-O on a whirlwind tour through New York City, with a Jell-O Mold Workshop for high-school students interested in food, design, and technology. Students got a chance to collaborate with leading product and industrial designers...

We're proud to announce an innovative new program, Target® Design K-12: Design in the Classroom. This FREE design-based workshop comes to your classroom, and all K-12 teachers in New York City are eligible. The 45-minute session focuses on teamwork, brainstorming, and problem-solving. Led by a museum educator, the program includes a brief introduction of how...

Watch Teen Design Fair NYC, the kick-off event of National Design Week. Held annually in Washington, D.C. and in New York City, The Fair invites hundreds of local teens to learn about careers from a diverse array of design professionals. Design colleges from around the country are also on hand to provide admissions and financial...