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DM Next Steps

In last weeks DM meeting we decided to create content and develop quality articles/white papers around Design Management. This will hopefully develop into a larger user group in which in-person events are needed. We can use this blog-space for now as a space to record ideas. We will pitch topics to the team to judge interest and once a topic is selected we will develop the article (or multiple). Image a newspapers editorial meeting. We can then work in collaboration with one person leading the efforts and the other as research support. The lead role can change for each piece. This is a way to get something moving since it is hard to meet in person and summer is fast approaching. If we feel strongly about a topic we can even produce a 30 sec – 1 minute video (since this medium is more compelling).

Here are my 3 pitches for the week of 5/26/2009.


Data.gov

The Obama White House could easily be located in Silicon Valley these days as it launches http://www.data.gov/. This is essentially a look inside the government’s assortment of knowledge and information. While some information is sensitive it does allow access to raw data and useful widgets, which can display a variety of information such as CDC alerts to track H1N1 outbreaks. This open source government even asks users to submit requests for new types of information. The question still remains, how transparent will/can a government be?

Store Front billboards


While most of the outdoor advertising business has lost money the past year, eye-level billboards are helping to sell ad space. In areas affected by the down consumer economy, stores are closing up shop, but cash strapped landlords are selling window space to advertiser as they wait for new tenants. This tactic, once associated with the Great Depression, has come into favor since high rents force small business out of downtown commerce areas. Even though this is providing work to the Design community, is it just cluttering a neighborhood?

EPA auto emissions

This was a hot topic in the news last week, but it seems to have already shifted to the “vitamin” section/pages of most newspapers (B3, D12). What does this mean for the US auto industry and what is the future opposition that may through this off track?


I would love to hear your ideas. Please respond in the comments field or email me some topic submissions to post.

crisis of credit

In a great display of using slick visual design to illustrate a complex problem, Jonathan Jarvis made the linked video as part of his thesis work at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. His goal was to give form to a tough situation like the credit crisis by quickly supplying the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated. Jonathan also made a “Part 2″ which can be watched in the embedded YouTube playlist above.
(Source: crisisofcredit.com)



Video Link

Greening the Ghetto

Wonderful profile of Green jobs pioneer Van Jones in this weeks New Yorker. Some highlights include his shift from a quick reacting activist to more of a long term problem solver. 2 years ago, his charisma and personality caught the attention of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now he is a major spokesperson in the creation of US green jobs in low income communities.

New Yorker Link

Flash Catalysts

Flash catalysts

Adobe labs has dropped a gem for designers who have lagged behind in understanding the web (thanks Russ). Truth be told, this is wizard, but still an interesting product to get more copies of Flash sold. So if your a designer looking to improve you skillset and learn a little about Flash (its about time) please look into this.

http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashcatalyst/


From the looks of it, this is a great bridge tool for creative teams to "motion comp" ideas for tech teams. I will update more information with the beta comes out.

One Laptop One year later.

One Laptop One year later.

After months of launching the one laptop per child initiative, which followed years of Nicolas Negropontes championing his vision of globally connected children, the project turns to mainstream media to help get the message out.

The goal, Mr. Negroponte says, is greatly increasing the donation program, “Give a Laptop. Get a Laptop. Change the World.” For $399, a person can donate an XO laptop and also receive one. Or donors can simply donate $199, to give a child a laptop, at www.amazon.com/xo.

Some of the proposed adds are actually quite clever, but can they spur the masses into giving? The project had mixed results as a tech grass-roots cause so hopefully these spots will push people to contributing despite the fact that consumers are clutching to their wallets right now.

Source: NYTimes

If the end end product can't be Green, the process can be.

If you are involved in design, you need to understand how design the environment. This is not exclusive to your product but also to the lifecycles of your vendors and the supplies that you use. If we are making a site about Green initiatives, shouldn’t we try to implement a cradle to cradle (see McDonough post below)thinking process in how we make our sites?

To develop truly a sustainable product, we must be experts in which design solution is environmentally preferable.

They have listed out some steps for designers looking include sustainable practices

http://designcanchange.org/#act/becoming_sustainable/intro
http://www.pre.nl/ecodesign/ecodesign.htm

Great Resource for in-depth Green for designers.

http://sustainability.aiga.org/

Calculator based on using certain paper stocks
http://www.mohawkpaper.com/resources/resources-calcs/