Information Design

Introducing Guest Blogger Rob Tannen: Your Hands Are in Good Hands

Alissa Walker — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:37:22 -0400

As director of user research and interaction design Bresslergroup, Rob Tannen is responsible for making sure that power tools, medical equipment, even touchscreen kiosks fit our hands like proverbial gloves. That's because when it comes to our hands, he's pretty much the authority on the topic: Rob is a Certified Professional Ergonomist.

A Better Way to Health Care Reform: We Need an Information Design S.W.A.T. Team

Ken Carbone — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:34:49 -0400

Long before the "town brawls", "grass roots vs. Astro-Turf," and "death panels" became the three rings of the health care media circus, an op-ed piece appeared in the Washington Post positing that the U.S. health-care system was critically ill. The diagnosis? Terminal Information Design.

Is it Possible to Design Anything Worthwhile For Less Than a Buck?

Linda Tischler — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:28:59 -0400

Designing anything beneficial--for one dollar or less--was the challenge Pratt students set for themselves as part of this year's ICFF Design Schools' Exhibition.

Introducing Guest Blogger Ken Carbone: A Look Inside His Private Journals [video]

Linda Tischler — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:28:36 -0400

About a year ago, I happened by the offices of Carbone Smolan, a design and branding agency here in New York. Their work for clients ranging from Morgan Stanley to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was--is--wonderful. But I was most entranced by a collection of personal journals that co-founder Ken Carbone showed me.

Introducing Our Latest Design Blogger: Gadi Amit

Linda Tischler — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:12:35 -0400

Last October, shortly after our annual Masters of Design issue hit the streets, I got an email from Gadi Amit, president of the San Francisco strategic design firm, NewDealDesign LLC. NewDealDesign was one of the "design factories" profiled in that issue, and Gadi, a leading design thinker himself, had been at a party to celebrate our Masters in New York.

Rockwell at the Oscars: Equal Parts Busby Berkeley and Michelangelo

Linda Tischler — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:25:35 -0500

For a man who loves spectacle, it's hard to match Hollywood's annual love-fest in the Kodak Theater. So for New York architect David Rockwell, last night's crystal-swagged extravaganza was about as good as it gets--especially since he was the man draping the stage with 100,000 of the Swarovski dazzlers. Rockwell was the first architect ever to be invited to design the show's sets, but he was no stranger to the theater, having designed the Kodak itself. Speaking prior to the broadcast, Rockwell said, "I know a project is good for me when it's 50% terror, and 50% thrill."

Never Mind! Pepsi Pulls Much-loathed Tropicana Packaging

Linda Tischler — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:30:26 -0500

Laid up with the flu recently, my daughter sent her boyfriend out for chicken soup and orange juice. What he brought back appalled her. "There was this carton of juice on the counter that looked like the generic supermarket brand," she told me.

Recession-proof Fashion? Look for the "Made in Alabama" Label.

Linda Tischler — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:11:11 -0500

The most heartwarming story to come out of Fashion Week is taking place far across town from the posh tents at Bryant Park, in the slightly down-at-the-heels precincts of New York's East Village.

Car Charging Stations at the Ready--In Israel

Linda Tischler — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:33:07 -0500

Ideo's David Kelley wins Edison Award for Innovation

Linda Tischler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:47:31 -0500

On April 1, Ideo founder David Kelley will be awarded the Edison Achievement Award by the Thomas Edison Papers at Rutgers University for his “pioneering contributions to the design of breakthrough products, services, and experiences for consumers, as well as his development of an innovative culture that has broad impact.”

Why a Bowling Shirt Made Me Love David Kelley

Linda Tischler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:44:06 -0500

It was a Power Point slide of Ettore Sottsass in a bowling shirt that first made Jim Hackett, CEO of Steelcase, want to get to know David Kelley.

Fifteen years ago, Hackett remembers, the Ideo founder had been summoned to Steelcase’s Grand Rapids boardroom to talk to the company’s executives about why the office furniture giant should be more design-driven. In prior weeks, other designers had trooped through with predictable presentations about metrics and ROI.

17 Career Lessons from Ideo's David Kelley

Linda Tischler — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:27:55 -0500

David Kelley is well-known for his astute application of design thinking to many of life's intractable problems. Less known is that he's also a veritable Dr. Phil of good advice about life, careers, and the importance of not being a jerk.

"If you ask people, was there ever a teacher or mentor who changed your life, many hundreds of people would say that was David Kelley. I'm one of them," his brother, Tom Kelley, told me. "If they spread the word....you can figure the exponential effect."

RISD Pride: Shepard Fairey's Show Opens in Boston

Aaron Perry-Zucker — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:37:29 -0500

RISD alum Shepard Fairey's first solo show is opening this weekend at Boston's ICA and, as a RISD student, I can hardly wait to go. And not to simply see the Obama poster. (Although it would be fun to calculate just how many millions of times even the average American has seen that image.)

Behind the Scenes: Brin Creates First Google Holiday Logo--from Clip Art

Linda Tischler — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:43:20 -0500

The first Google doodle happened late on a Saturday night in 1999. As Marissa Meyer, Google’s chief experience officer remembers it, she was in the office at 3 a.m., trying to finish up some work before leaving on vacation when Sergei Brin came running in, all excited, shouting, “Marissa! Marissa! Look what I made!”

When we were out in Mountain View a while later, talking to her about a story on simplicity in technology, she told us how the Google doodles were born:

Hey, Kids! Doodle 4 Google! Win Prizes!

Linda Tischler — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 11:16:50 -0500

Any kid who’s ever been intrigued with Google’s playful holiday logo-decorating antics can now get in the act–with the potential for winning lots of loot for the best efforts.

The Buzz Leaves the Hive: Honeyshed is Shuttered

Linda Tischler — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:18:01 -0500

A bold experiment in online shopping plastered an “Out of Business” sign across its virtual mall today when the Publicis Groupe announced it would suspend David Droga’s creative brainchild, Honeyshed.

Help Pick the Next Big Japanese Brand

Linda Tischler — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:59:10 -0500

There’s Toyota and Nissan and Sony and Nintendo. Next, there may be Inaba, Monacca, Satsuma, and Kawaguchi i-mono.Those companies are among the few dozen that recently auditioned for prime time in the West at an exhibit in New York.

The Japan Brand: Unfolding show at the Felissimo Design House was designed to showcase indigenous brands from the 30 distinct regions of Japan. These are contemporary products ranging from furniture to cookware, home accessories to eyewear (including the manufacturer of Sarah Palin’s eyeglasses!) that are largely unavailable in the U.S.

Dutch Treat: A New Pavilion for New York's Battered Battery

Linda Tischler — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:56:17 -0500

The Island at the Center of the World may have lost some of its luster recently, as the city’s profligate bankers squandered the nation’s wealth in pursuit of watches, jets, and beachfront property. But the ‘hood will soon get a new architectural bauble to help restore that glow.

Footballers in Tights Flog SoBe Water for Super Bowl [video]

Linda Tischler — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:48:45 -0500

What does it take to convince NFL superstars like Patriots All-Pro offensive lineman Matt Light (6 ft. 4inches, 305 pounds), New York Giants’s 274 pound defensive end Justin Tuck, and Baltimore Ravens's 250 pound tackle Ray Lewis to don tights and execute a pas de trois to the tune of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” during the Super Bowl? In 3-D, yet?

I’m guessing a giant pool of money, and a chance at Super Bowl glory -- although not the kind their coaches were hoping for way back in August.

Zaha Hadid's Faucet Turns Us On

Linda Tischler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:54:45 -0500

Can’t afford a Zaha Hadid Aqua Table from Established and Sons? Then how about something similarly swoopy and a little more modestly priced? Just in time for spring kitchen remodeling projects, the Pritzker Award-winning architect has designed a curvaceous faucet for the British company Triflow Concepts.

Designer Philippe Starck Embraces his Feminine Side [exclusive video]

Linda Tischler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:10:00 -0500

Philippe Starck, resplendent in black leather pants, came to New York’s Soho House this week to promote his latest project –- a set of sleek stereo speakers he designed for Parrot, a French wireless technology company whose CEO, Henri Seydoux, is one of the designer’s oldest friends.

The Zikmu speakers , matching black columns with flared bases, were introduced at MacWorld, then dazzled the crowd at CES, walking away with Bluetooth CIG’s “Best of Show” award.

The technology behind the speakers is first rate –- they’re topped with an iPod loading dock, and can wirelessly stream music from a PC or Mac. But it’s the neck-snappingly cool design (not to mention great sound) that creates product lust. The $1500 speakers, available later this spring, are striking for their simplicity, functionality, and beauty.

Any consumer can appreciate those qualities, but a recent presentation at CES by a pair of designers from Smart Design’s Femme Den, indicated that those traits resonate particularly well with women –- traditionally a tricky market for consumer electronics manufacturers to reach.

We spoke with Starck about why designing for men is like boxing, and designing for women is like aikido – and why simple, intuitive design is just so damned hard.

"Oprah Effect" Boosts Starbucks' Call to Service

Linda Tischler — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:20:35 -0500

The new commander in chief's not-so-secret weapon proved her power yet again yesterday when Oprah sparked President Obama’s call to volunteerism by backing Starbucks’s new “I’m in” campaign. The initiative promises a free cup of coffee between now and Sunday to anyone pledging five hours of community service before the end of the year.

Starbucks and M.C. Yogi Offer You a Free Cuppa Joe -- If You Volunteer

Linda Tischler — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:30:00 -0500

Backed with the catchy music of M.C. Yogi, Starbucks today kicks off its latest campaign honoring the Obama administration's call to national service -- and offers a free cup of coffee to anybody willing to pledge five hours of volunteer time. Following up on the smashing success of the company's free-coffee-for-anyone-who-votes campaign, this latest initiative is part of Starbucks' own rehabilitation strategy of linking its brand to various causes, says a spokesman for BBDO, the coffee shops' agency.

M.C. Yogi was an inspired choice as the soundtrack for this spot. The young yoga master/hip hop artist is best known for his campaign anthem "Vote for Hope" which sampled then-candidate Barack Obama's riveting speech at the 2004 Democratic convention.

But his route to Starbucks fame came via a more circuitous route. BBDO creative director David Carter happened to be at a yoga class in upstate New York when the yoga teacher played an M.C. Yogi song. He was instantly intrigued, he told me over a latte in a midtown Starbucks (of course) near the company's Manhattan headquarters. The company's creatives tracked down Yogi and asked him to compose a song specifically for this spot.

Oprah will debut the spot today on her show. You can hear the tune for yourself on YouTube (or catch it on CNN, MSNBC, and online), and download it -- for free -- on the Starbucks site.

Target and Trump: Strange Bedfellows of the Recession

Linda Tischler — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:00:07 -0500

Touchscreen Cash Register is the Future of Upsell [exclusive video]

Linda Tischler — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0500

Cash registers may not be ringing at the mall, but for a few days this week beleaguered retailers could live in a fantasy world where not only would customers line up to buy again, but sales clerks could use a slick touchscreen to upsell them even more goods, right from the register.