March 12th, 2010
We sped over to MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) after Johns Hopkins, and opened up shop from 4-6pm. One of our visitors, among a swath of students, was Kevin White, from Global Vision 2020, the US-based partner for the producers of the liquid-filled self-adjusting Adaptive Eyecare glasses. Kevin showed up to give us a few extra pairs (after our first pair was broken in North Carolina!), and Matt got a personal fitting for his own pair.
At 6:30 pm, we sat on a panel with some friends and colleagues we have come to know well: John Bielenberg of Project M (we recently saw him at PieLab in Greensboro, AL as well), Julie Lasky of ChangeObserver, and Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, journalist and design writer for publications such as Metropolis. Our other friend Ellen Lupton, who teaches at MICA and is also a curator at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, introduced us.
After brief presentations from each of us, Elizabeth moderated a panel discussion that focused on the efficacy and growth of design for social impact. We discussed the best ways to work in communities we are unfamiliar with (trust-building, long-term commitment, and humility), as well as the debate over “something-vs.-nothing,” which began with John Bielenberg’s statement: “Something is better than nothing.” Julie made the comment, however, that we do have a duty to measure our impact and to foster feedback that allows for continual improvement.
We’ve personally seen this in a few designs in the road show, things that might be guilty of the “it’s good enough for them” paradox, where many feel that a device doesn’t need to be perfectly designed if it is intended for a “bottom of the pyramid” market that has nothing to begin with. We feel this is a slippery slope and that all design, no matter who it is intended for, should be thoughtful and take into account all reasonable possible contingencies.
In closing, Elizabeth discussed Baltimore’s D:Center and MICA’s Center for Design Practice (sponsors of the event). Thanks to all who made for great conversation around design for the greater good!
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March 12th, 2010
Thank you Post-It note left on the Airstream after our evening at MICA last night
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March 11th, 2010
When: March 11th, 4:32 p.m.
Where: Parked outside of MICA, Baltimore
Emily (to Matt): “You are SO 1920’s architect man!”
(On Matt’s newly fitted Adaptive Eyecare glasses)
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March 11th, 2010
Detail of a sculpture made from plastic straws at MICA
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November 18th, 2009
We are happy to announce that on March 11, 2010, as part of our stop at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), we will join a panel of design for social impact leaders for a heated discussion about the potential, shortcomings, and challenges of the Design Revolution.
When and where: March 11, 2010, Falvey Hall, Brown Center building, 6-7pm
Panel details: We increasingly hear about the need to design for the greater good, but what, exactly, does social design entail? And how will issues of social justice and advocacy impact the way we conceive and execute the components of our built and visual environment? Join MICA’s Graduate MFA Program as we bring a panel of top designers and editors to debate the future of design practice. Panelists include Emily Pilloton, Founder, and Matthew Miller, Project Manager, of Project H design, a non-profit dedicated to bringing product design to those who need it most; John Bielenberg, founder of Project M, an immersion program created to inspire young graphic designers, writers, photographers, and other creative people to do work that can make a difference; and Julie Lasky, editor of Design Observer’s Change Observer column, which covers socially aware design. Baltimore-based architecture and design writer Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson will moderate the discussion.
(more…)
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November 8th, 2009
We’ve confirmed 25 different high schools and colleges as official stops on our tour! Each school has its own informational page, which can be accessed from the list on the Itinerary page here. Please check back regularly for updates on each school page- we will be adding specific schedule and location info for where the Airstream will be parked at each stop, along with when and where the lecture will be held as soon as we have confirmed details with each school.
Posted in Academy of Art University, Announcements & News, Art Center College of Design, Auburn University, BCAM, Bertie County School District, California College of the Arts, Cleveland Institute of Art, College for Creative Studies, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Design High School, Design Lab High School, Hale County Workshop, Kickoff Event with Adobe, Maryland Institute College of Arts, North Carolina State University, Pratt Institute, Redwood High School, San Francisco State University, Savannah College of Art And Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Syracuse University, The Park School, Trip planning, University of Cincinnati, University of Louisiana, University of Texas Austin, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Virginia Tech, Wilmington High School | No Comments »
November 1st, 2009
As of November 1, 2009, the following schools have been confirmed (see the Itinerary page for the full route and more information):
- February 1: Redwood High School, Larkspur, CA
- February 2: Kick-Off Event with Adobe, San Francisco, CA
- February 3: California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
- February 4: Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
- February 5: San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
- February 8: Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA
- February 9: The Design High School, Los Angeles, CA
- February 15: University of Texas, Austin, TX
- February 18: University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA
- February 22-23: Auburn University, Auburn, AL
- February 24-26: Hale County Workshop (Learning Landscape build), Greensboro, AL
- March 1-2: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
- March 4-5: Bertie County School District, Windsor, NC
- March 11: Maryland Institute College of Arts, Baltimore, MD
- March 12: The Park School, Baltimore, MD
- March 15: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
- March 22: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
- March 23: Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School (BCAM), Brooklyn, NY
- March 25: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
- March 29: Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH
- March 30: Design Lab High School, Cleveland, OH
- April 1: College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI
- April 2: Cranbrook Academy of Art and High School, Detroit, MI
- April 5-9: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- April 12-13: University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI
- April 15: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
- April 16: Wilmington High School, Wilmington, OH
Posted in Academy of Art University, Announcements & News, Art Center College of Design, Auburn University, BCAM, Bertie County School District, California College of the Arts, Cleveland Institute of Art, College for Creative Studies, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Design High School, Design Lab High School, Hale County Workshop, Maryland Institute College of Arts, North Carolina State University, Pratt Institute, Redwood High School, San Francisco State University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Syracuse University, The Park School, University of Cincinnati, University of Louisiana, University of Texas Austin, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Virginia Tech, Wilmington High School | No Comments »