Saturday, January 30, 2010

awww


Oh my goodness! Look at all the baby wind turbines!
You have to admit, they're working pretty hard over there in China.
(Obama was right to address this particular issue in both his state of the union address and his remarks to the House Republican retreat on Friday.)
Though I would love for America to raise the bar and start innovating in the realm of alternative energy, I will say that I am happy this subject has become something important in the world, even to politicians!
I will also say that I appreciate the fact that China is designing their future with my affinity for cute and chubby objects in mind.
(you can read about their progress here at the new york times online)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

sigh of fleeting relief



Upon reading today's news, I was relieved to find that the doomsday clock is now 6 whole minutes away from midnight, pushed back last night from 5 minutes. Bleak, but also, somehow, encouraging.

"The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which maintains the clock and puts an illustration of it on its cover, attributed the move to efforts by world leaders to reduce their countries' nuclear arsenals and collaborate on climate stabilization."
via reuters

Monday, January 11, 2010

thanks stefan






-stefan sagmeister

just a little quote to live by.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Heirloom Design



I finally received my first issue of GOOD Magazine this month after a mix-up with my subscription back in September. (sweet!) It's the Slow Issue, containing inside a number of great articles focused around the issue of our quickening lifestyles.

There is a small interview with an inventor named Saul Griffith (He's the founder of Instructables!-and developed designs for energy-producing kites!) The topic of the interview was "Heirloom Design." I was unfamiliar with the term until today, but it's a pretty interesting concept and goes along with the ideas expressed by William McDonough in my previous post.
"An object with "heirloom design" is something that will not only last through your lifetime and into the next generation, but that you also desire to keep that long because it's beautiful, functional, and timeless." -Griffith
The newest issue hasn't been posted to their webpage, so I'm not sure if the interview will be available online. I will share a few quotes that I particularly enjoyed, but if you get the chance, check out the newest issue; it's informative AND it's pretty!

Griffith says...
"We have to do things in new ways and think differently. That's an opportunity for people with their eyes open. Planned obsolescence and fashion seasons are new and constructed problems."

"You can't make a solution for climate change add up unless you address the issue. If you are a young designer today, it might be hard; it might go against the grain. But, the only way you will win in the long run, the only way you will design for the world we all want, is if you design heirloom products. Thumb your nose at the establishment."

(NOTE: This second quote is kind of a definitive statement and I don't necessarily agree that it's the ONLY way to design for a better world, but it seems like a step in the right direction. )

Friday, January 8, 2010

Design is the first signal of human intention.



I haven't updated in a while. Things have been so hectic, and I think I started to lose sight of a lot of the things I really care about. After a minor breakdown yesterday, (My mom would probably argue that the term "minor" used in this situation is a bit of an understatement. She is awesome for helping me get through it; listening to me vent for almost an hour and encouraging me, as my parents always have, to do whatever it takes to be happy.) I sat down, sulking, and clicked through some TED talks to cheer myself up. I've always found these addicting and incredibly inspiring (so stoked that there is a whole category devoted to design).

I chose to post William McDonough's talk because I couldn't sleep after watching it. I'm moved by his ideas of what design can be, and what it should be, but even more so by the resolve with which he has developed these ideas into fruition. I am inspired by his enthusiasm; it takes a lot of determination to breach the boundaries of modern thought, only to re-enter them in an effort to help the rest of us escape.

If you like the talk, you should definitely read his book Cradle to Cradle, co-authored by his colleague, Michael Braungart. Using history, science, modern business models, and the idea of design, they begin to address the question: How do we love all the children of all species for all time? prettyyyyy prettyyyy cool.