Lit Tree is an augmented-reality project which lets you use hand gestures to interact with an illuminated tree. Usually, a projector emits a field of pixels, creating a flat image on a flat surface. Lit Tree uses two projectors to emit a field of voxels, or 3-D pixels, onto a bamboo tree. A Kinect scans...

When did you first see the Alitalia livery? A group of planes wearing the Alitalia livery It was designed by Walter Landor in 1967, working from his original headquarters, a retired ferryboat moored in San Francisco called The Klamath. He had already gained a strong reputation for original ideas about designing brands with just the...

Recently released is The Word It Book, a collection of visual submissions to the blog Speak Up. “Word It” is one of SpeakUp’s most popular and original features. Each month, a different word is posted on the site, and anyone who so desires can submit a visual/verbal interpretation. (Selections from Word It are on view...

On March 8, Ben Fry offered a hands-on workshop at Cooper-Hewitt devoted to Processing, the open-source visual design software that he co-authored. For more information, visit our calendar. The Processing workshop is part of our “Tech on Your Terms” series, which invites the public to come to the museum and try out various design technologies....

One of the themes running through Design Life Now is the opening up of media to everyday citizens. There’s been an explosion of “social media”—Web sites that allow people to build communities and talk with each other on-line. (Blogs like this are one example.) This communications revolution is affecting print as well digital media. Fueled...