Conflict Kitchen

Four months ago, a group of artists associated with Carnegie Mellon University launched an experiment to spark conversations about countries at odds with the United States. In Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, they set up Conflict Kitchen, a take-out restaurant promoting culinary and cultural diversity. Opened with offerings of Iranian food, the venue has now become an Afghani restaurant with a new name, a fresh menu and an updated facade. The national focus will change twice more, at four-month intervals, before the project comes to an end.
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WILLIAM DRENTTEL, JULIE LASKY

Winterhouse Symposium on Design Education and Social Change: Final Report

Convened to form the basis for a collaborative network, thirteen educators from a variety of design and business programs discussed the challenges and objectives of social-change initiatives within their schools and universities. This is the final report from the symposium held in Falls Village, Connecticut, October 17–19, 2010.
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JOHN THACKARA

A Tale of Two Trains

Oslo Airport's mean-looking bullet train reaches the city center in 19 minutes. At 210 kph (130 mph), it is not the world's fastest — some of China'a new trains will soon reach nearly twice that speed — but Norway's is surely the most macho to look at.
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JONATHAN SCHULTZ

Solo Kota Kita

A budgetary initiative that began last year in Indonesia does not stray from the U.S. Census Bureau’s methods or aims. Yet its unique, design-led approach has engaged citizens at all levels of society, yielding a clear-eyed assessment of actionable budgetary items for 2011 as well as a graphics-rich profile of a society.
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PHOTO BY TASLIMA AKHTER

The Raveled Sleeve of Care

Garment worker Najma Akhter, 23, shares a room with her children, parents and siblings — 11 family members in all. Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 2009.
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CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

Climate Change Chocolate

While environmentalists debate the ethics and effectiveness of carbon offsets, designers work to make them appealing.
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UPCOMING CONFERENCE: DECEMBER 07, 2010

TED Women

How are women and girls reshaping the future? The first ever TEDWomen invites men and women to explore this question in depth: From the developing world, where a single micro-loan to a single girl can transform a village; to the West, where generations of educated women are transforming entire industries. The diverse international program takes a long look at women through the lens of change agent, intellectual innovator, idea champion ...

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RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED

Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean
Roberto Verganti

Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model
John Mullins & Randy Komisar

A Fine Line: How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business
Hartmut Esslinger


WEEKLY EMAIL: NOVEMBER 12, 2010
FEATURED THIS WEEK : MEENA KADRI Conflict Kitchen Four months ago, a group of artists associated with Carnegie Mellon University launched an experiment to spark conversations about countries at odds with the United States. In Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, they set up Conflict Kitchen, a take-out restaurant promoting culinary and cultural diversity. Opened with offerings of Iranian food, the venue has now become an Afghani restaurant with a new name, a fresh menu and an updated facade. The national focus will change twice more, at four-month intervals, before the project comes to an end. READ MORE
WILLIAM DRENTTEL, JULIE LASKY Winterhouse Symposium on Design Education and Social Change: Final Report Convened to form the basis for a collaborative network, thirteen educators from a variety of design and business programs discussed the challenges and objectives of social-change initiatives within their schools and universities. This is the final report from the symposium held in Falls Village, Connecticut, October 17–19, 2010. READ MORE JOHN THACKARA A Tale of Two Trains Oslo Airport's mean-looking bullet train reaches the city center in 19 minutes. At 210 kph (130 mph), it is not the world's fastest — some of China'a new trains will soon reach nearly twice that speed — but Norway's is surely the most macho to look at. READ MORE JONATHAN SCHULTZ Solo Kota Kita A budgetary initiative that began last year in Indonesia does not stray from the U.S. Census Bureau’s methods or aims. Yet its unique, design-led approach has engaged citizens at all levels of society, yielding a clear-eyed assessment of actionable budgetary items for 2011 as well as a graphics-rich profile of a society. READ MORE PHOTO BY TASLIMA AKHTER The Raveled Sleeve of Care Garment worker Najma Akhter, 23, shares a room with her children, parents and siblings — 11 family members in all. Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 2009. READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE Climate Change Chocolate While environmentalists debate the ethics and effectiveness of carbon offsets, designers work to make them appealing. READ MORE UPCOMING CONFERENCE: DECEMBER 07, 2010 TED Women How are women and girls reshaping the future? The first ever TEDWomen invites men and women to explore this question in depth: From the developing world, where a single micro-loan to a single girl can transform a village; to the West, where generations of educated women are transforming entire industries. The diverse international program takes a long look at women through the lens of change agent, intellectual innovator, idea champion ... Other Resources Academic Programs >> Competitions >> Conferences & Events >> Fellowships & Prizes >> Organizations >> Programs & Initiatives >> Publications & Websites >> Social Networks >> RECENT BOOKS RECEIVED Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean Roberto Verganti Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model John Mullins & Randy Komisar A Fine Line: How Design Strategies Are Shaping the Future of Business Hartmut Esslinger
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