D-Build

An alternative to traditional demolition, which can be costly and dangerous, and traditional deconstruction, which is time-consuming, D-Build uses a hybrid process. A building is cut into pieces of manageable size and processed on the ground by an efficient, local crew. The site then serves as a hub for users to exchange materials salvaged from deconstructed buildings and sell industrial design products made with these materials.
READ MORE

JULIE LASKY

Alex Steffen: Worldchanging II

Change Observer: How has the world changed in the five years since you published the first edition of Worldchanging?

Alex Steffen: The biggest change is that sustainability and the awareness of the need for sustainability are mainstream in ways they’re weren’t five years ago. Then, outside of specialized conversations, it was hard to find many ideas about sustainable design or green buildings. In the intervening years, we have not only seen a lot of really dire news that convinced many mainstream, credible people that these were important issues that deserved attention, but also social and cultural movements that have really taken off: the food movement, the trend towards walkable neighborhoods. Green building has rapidly moved from a hot topic to the way things are done.
READ MORE

JULIE LASKY

Rock Girl Benches

There’s nothing undemocratic about sexual violence in South Africa, where rape is a crime that crosses class, race, and gender. “It is estimated that a woman born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped than learning how to read,” states Rape Survivor Journey, a website that provides victim resources and statistics.
READ MORE

FROM OUR SPONSOR

Design Ignites Change announces 2010 award winners.
Show support with style, buy the limited edition "Feedback Loop" notebooks at Felt & Wire. All proceeds benefit the cause.
Design Ignites Change >>
Felt & Wire website >>
Mohawk Fine Papers >>

MEENA KADRI

Yoza

Delivered in installments by phone, and later collected on a website, Yoza stories are directed to African youth who are book-poor yet mobile-rich.
READ MORE

JOHN THACKARA

Africa: Where Events Are King

John Thackara: What's the most irritating preconception we in the North have about Africa?

Mugendi M’Rithaa: It would be the assumption that problems that occur in one place in Africa are typical of life for the rest of the continent. Pascal Eze coined the acronym PIDIC to describe such stereotypes: it stands for poverty, political instability, disease, illiteracy, and corruption. A group of us started Design With Africa as a counterweight to PIDIC attitudes. We want to facilitate a more informed and progressive dialogue. Africa is a far more dynamic and optimistic place than it is given credit for!
READ MORE

JULIE LASKY

DesigNYC, Round 2

The people who gathered at the New York Art Directors Club on a Thursday morning in January were nothing like a wedding party — and yet they appeared to be obsessed with marriage.
READ MORE

BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

Call for entries now open.
Submit your best and win up to ,000. No entry fees. >>

Need a great printer?
Use one of our winners.
A complete list here. >>

CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE

Cards of Change

Unemployed workers retrofit their former business cards to send hopeful messages.
READ MORE

UPCOMING CONFERENCE: MARCH 05, 2011

Social Enterprise Conference

Students of Harvard's Business School and Kennedy School of Government jointly run this conference, whose goal is to "educate leaders who make a difference in the world" and to "prepare leaders for service to democratic societies."

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


WEEKLY EMAIL: MARCH 03, 2011
FEATURED THIS WEEK : MARIA POPOVA D-Build An alternative to traditional demolition, which can be costly and dangerous, and traditional deconstruction, which is time-consuming, D-Build uses a hybrid process. A building is cut into pieces of manageable size and processed on the ground by an efficient, local crew. The site then serves as a hub for users to exchange materials salvaged from deconstructed buildings and sell industrial design products made with these materials. READ MORE
JULIE LASKY Alex Steffen: Worldchanging II Change Observer: How has the world changed in the five years since you published the first edition of Worldchanging? Alex Steffen: The biggest change is that sustainability and the awareness of the need for sustainability are mainstream in ways they’re weren’t five years ago. Then, outside of specialized conversations, it was hard to find many ideas about sustainable design or green buildings. In the intervening years, we have not only seen a lot of really dire news that convinced many mainstream, credible people that these were important issues that deserved attention, but also social and cultural movements that have really taken off: the food movement, the trend towards walkable neighborhoods. Green building has rapidly moved from a hot topic to the way things are done. READ MORE JULIE LASKY Rock Girl Benches There’s nothing undemocratic about sexual violence in South Africa, where rape is a crime that crosses class, race, and gender. “It is estimated that a woman born in South Africa has a greater chance of being raped than learning how to read,” states Rape Survivor Journey, a website that provides victim resources and statistics. READ MORE FROM OUR SPONSOR Design Ignites Change announces 2010 award winners. Show support with style, buy the limited edition "Feedback Loop" notebooks at Felt & Wire. All proceeds benefit the cause. Design Ignites Change >> Felt & Wire website >> Mohawk Fine Papers >> MEENA KADRI Yoza Delivered in installments by phone, and later collected on a website, Yoza stories are directed to African youth who are book-poor yet mobile-rich. READ MORE JOHN THACKARA Africa: Where Events Are King John Thackara: What's the most irritating preconception we in the North have about Africa? Mugendi M’Rithaa: It would be the assumption that problems that occur in one place in Africa are typical of life for the rest of the continent. Pascal Eze coined the acronym PIDIC to describe such stereotypes: it stands for poverty, political instability, disease, illiteracy, and corruption. A group of us started Design With Africa as a counterweight to PIDIC attitudes. We want to facilitate a more informed and progressive dialogue. Africa is a far more dynamic and optimistic place than it is given credit for! READ MORE JULIE LASKY DesigNYC, Round 2 The people who gathered at the New York Art Directors Club on a Thursday morning in January were nothing like a wedding party — and yet they appeared to be obsessed with marriage. READ MORE		BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK \| FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Call for entries now open. Submit your best and win up to ,000. No entry fees. >> Need a great printer? Use one of our winners. A complete list here. >> CHANGE OBSERVER: PROJECT ARCHIVE Cards of Change Unemployed workers retrofit their former business cards to send hopeful messages. READ MORE UPCOMING CONFERENCE: MARCH 05, 2011 Social Enterprise Conference Students of Harvard's Business School and Kennedy School of Government jointly run this conference, whose goal is to "educate leaders who make a difference in the world" and to "prepare leaders for service to democratic societies." 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
Privacy Policy \| Contact Us You are subscribed as \| Unsubscribe Copyright © 2011 Observer Omnimedia LLC. All rights reserved. Design Observer, P.O. Box 159, Falls Village, CT 06031, USA