By Andréa Pellegrino, Worldstudio Design Ignites Change, an initiative of Worldstudio, promotes and encourages talented high-school and college students across the country to use design thinking and innovation to develop actual projects that will benefit their own communities while giving them a voice on important social issues. The winning projects of the Fall 2011 Design...

  The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum presented its fifth People’s Design Award to the Braille Alphabet Bracelet Thursday, Oct. 14, at its 11th annual National Design Awards gala in New York. White House Deputy Social Secretary Ebs Burnough and fashion designer Cynthia Rowley announced the winning design and presented the award to Leslie Ligon,...

Design Research Store, Cambridge, MA, 1953–78. Photo: Esto Today Cooper-Hewitt announced the winners of the 11th annual National Design Awards. The entire list of winners and finalists is here. One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity to sit in and observe (without voting) the jury process as they determine the winners...

Last night at Cooper-Hewitt, Washington Post Style Editor Robin Givhan lead a conversation with past National Design Award Winners Francisco Costa (Women’s Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection), Yeohlee Teng, and Maria Cornejo about their work and the role of fashion in contemporary culture. Their designs are all featured in Design USA: Contemporary Innovation, which...

Phil Patton Design Watch Members of the Museum had a preview of the 2010 New York International Automobile Show this week. Phil Patton led the group – he’s the design critic and author who knows lots about whatever moves you and writes the Wheels blog for NYTimes.com. As he guided us from one example to...

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Reynold Levy, president of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, has been selected the winner of the 2009 Design Patron Award. Mr. Levy is being recognized for his design stewardship of the Lincoln Center campus renovation project. The renovations at Lincoln Center have enhanced and added...

Plans are taking shape for the July 24th public programs in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 10th annual National Design Awards. These events will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. at museums around the Mall. First Lady Michelle Obama will host the White House ceremony for the winners and finalists later in the day. Each...

If you happen to be in New York this summer (one day it will stop raining, I promise), be sure to check out these design destinations, all featuring previous National Design Award winners. Recently opened at the Museum of F.I.T., the very beautifully installed retrospective of Toledo Studio’s designs includes The Dress (i.e., the lemongrass...

Perceptive Pixel’s Magic Wall played a central role in CNN’s rather exuberant coverage of President Barack Obama’s press conference last week on the occasion of his 100th day in office. The press conference was streamed on the White House’s YouTube channel, marking the first time the White House had ever livestreamed a news event. It...

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...

Isabel and Ruben Toledo. Photo: Karl Lagerfeld What are two things that Maria Cornejo, Narciso Rodriguez and Isabel Toledo have in common? Well, all three designers are personal favorites of First Lady Michelle Obama, who personally chose to wear their garments during President Obama’s campaign. Toledo even created the outfit the First Lady wore to...

On Monday, July 14, Mrs. Laura Bush hosted the winners and finalists of the 2008 National Design Awards at a brunch reception at the White House. For members of the Museum’s staff, this event is one of the most anticipated and enjoyable experiences of the year, giving us a chance to personally meet and congratulate...

On May 8 Cooper-Hewitt announced the winners and finalists of the ninth annual National Design Awards. Each year the Awards recognize excellence, innovation, and public impact across a variety of disciplines, including architecture, communication, fashion, interior, landscape, and product design. We invite you to share your feedback on this year’s winners and finalists. 2008 WINNERS...

Each year Cooper-Hewitt honors the best and brightest designers at the National Design Awards Gala. The awards are given out in a number of categories including fashion design, architecture design, and product design. This year we invite you to nominate who should be honored at the 2008 National Design Awards. Participate online at http://nominate.cooperhewitt.org. Also,...