Design 21: Social Design Network

I recently wrote an article for GOOD magazine focusing on Rogan Gregory, the designer of clothing line, Edun. While it only touches on the company's alternative business model and fair trade practices, I think the prospects for apparel industry jobs and production in the third world is an interesting topic to explore further.

You can read the the article here

Walking through London over the weekend I passed an outdoor art exhibition which really caught my eye. Situated by Tower Bridge, 'Gibson Guitartown London' is a unique campaign bringing together music with art to raise money for three charities; The Princes Trust, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and the Teenage Cancer Trust.

This public exhibition showcases thirty 10-foot tall hand painted Gibson Les Paul replica guitars, which have been signed by an enormous array of musicians showing their support for the charities listed. 'Each individual guitar artwork aims to capture the spirit of the musicians who have given their support to the project.' Musicians such as Rod Stewart and Brian May, and creatives such as Sir Peter Blake RA and Peter Saville, have been involved in this project. The guitars on display, which are truly stunning, will go to auction in September to raise money for the charities involved, along with thirty more 'actual size' replica guitars, Gibson SG's, which have been exhibited in The O2 (formally the Millennium Dome).

I feel that this is a brilliant concept for a charity campaign because of its social impact; how it brings together artists and musicians, the public and a free exhibition, in a journey towards raising both awareness and money for three important charities. Further information can be found at the More London and London Guitartown websites.

[Pictured artwork: Love by Gail Jones. Signed by The Magic Numbers.]

//also featured on Anamorphosis....

Scanning the pages of Flickr, I came across a great initiative called Good 50x70; a poster design contest run this year. Focused toward five social issues: Aids, Environmental Damage, Human rights violation, Underdevelopment and War; Amnesty, Amref, Emergency, Greenpeace and Lila created briefs for the creative contestants to answer. The aim; "to raise public awareness (particularly amongst people inside the communication industry) of the relevance and importance of social communication. A successful communication is a real drive for social change."

Good 50x70 describes the project: "Social communications nowadays is moving in two directions that rarely meet: on one side there are the occasional work that an agency donates to its social clients, often mixing different aims; and on the other side, really creative and innovative communication which tries to get free itself from the agency/client logic. The very meaning of our contest is to shake the current state of things by creating workshop where free creativity faces crucial issues while being enlightened by experience, with the aim of making a real contribution to society and truly making a difference."

Do take a look at the Good 50x70 exhibition photos on flickr, and the competition winners here. This is a undoubtably an inspiring project with a timely future mindset; yet scanning the winning designs I am yet to find a unique style, that separates this socially conscious graphic design from any other...

Review by Kate Andrews and Rose Stewart.

A recent Design Week article commented on the UK Government Report; Sustainable Schools: Are we building schools for the future?, highlighting an important area of research for all undergraduate designers, teachers and practising designers to take note of; The Future of Design Education.

The UK Design Council CEO David Kester, Hilary Cottam of Participle and John Sorrell of The Sorrell Foundation, were among those giving evidence for the House of Commons Education and Skills Committee report Sustainable Schools, discussing the Building Schools for the Future programme.

With plans to rebuild and refurbish all secondary schools across England over the next fifteen years it is argued that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should encompass good design and good design practice to thoroughly embrace a future of better education and educational environments. Parallel to the development plans across secondary education, the design sector is under reform with concerns on the skills designers should be equipped with when they join the industry. The High Level Skills for Higher Value report addresses how the design industry is on the cusp of radical change, which although has been apparent in my eyes for many years, is a promising statement to come from the UK Government.

The report is the UK Design Skills Development Plan created by the Design Skills Advisory Panel, consisting of designers and industry experts, and supported by the Design...

The latest edition of Creative Review begins a series of investigations into the design industry entitled, A Month in the Life of...

'It's the first in what we hope will be a series of special features taking an in-depth look at the day-to-day work of our readers. In future issues, we hope to look at the lives of photographers, creatives, commercials directors, illustrators and others.'

They have started the journey this month with graphic design studio, Build, and supporting content to the magazine feature can be found on Creative Reviews blog.

Creative Review want to reflect how we share things as designers, learning from each other, and that we are in a collaborative profession. Each feature will support this concept by threading designs from people that Build work with, as well as their influences and whose work they admire, into the body of the feature. This idea of collaboration is shared further with us, the reader, by letting us dip into the lives of these creatives. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment in this Creative Review journey, which I feel will be a rich and interesting learning experience.

... that plastic should be grown in a vat and pollute the environment. Australian based Plantic wants to change all this by growing biodegradable plastic in a corn field, like biofuels.

What's the world coming to? Pretty soon we'll have cars that get more than 50 miles to the gallon and run on batteries.

Read a great, hard-hitting review of the Cooper-Hewitt show at Design Observer, written by David Stairs. Here's a snippet:

Is there a realistic response designers from developed countries can offer? A starting point might be to recognize that in many cases, we don't need to remake other people or their societies in our image and likeness. The idea of design intervention--sustainable or otherwise--may feel very intrusive to people who are still reeling from 150 years of colonial intervention. (You don't just waltz into a patriarchal society and aggressively advocate equal opportunity for women, or deliver pumps and boreholes to peasant farmers without understanding the sociology of migratory herdsmen). Living among other people and learning to appreciate their values, perspectives and social mores is an excellent tool of design research. (To their credit, both Polak and Fisher have spent considerable time abroad, not just user-testing, but living and working with their client-partners.) Education is also a wonderful access point, as is a required second language. But how many design curricula are supporting, let alone implementing such global initiatives?

Thanks Core77

Which leads to my question - what schools are going this? Parsons, for one. Art Center College of Design is another. Karen Fiss is running the Just Design Studio at CalArts. Anyone know her or anyone know anyone at CalArts? Design21 wants to partner with schools, raise awareness, outreach, depth of involveme...

Hello,

We are looking for designer that can make prints for t-shirt. Market : juniors aged 4 to 10 year.

Please contact xavier at : xavier@kidslab.com

Regards

xavier

PS we are also looking for designs of kids furniture

FYS (Finish Your Self) junior is a project by David Graas. An inspiring green-design that uses its own cardboard packaging as its solution. "Puzzle your own chair together (with a little help from mama) using a large part of the packaging. The chair is made from corrugated cardboard and is 100% recyclable." See more images of the project here

What would happen if all bloggers, from all 4corners of our planet posted an article about the same topic all on the same day? Well the question is to be answered! Thanks to Georgios for the heads up on this one! An international initiative of bloggers known as Blog Action Day launched on Wednesday, with the aim of uniting thousands of blogging voices, talking about one issue for one day. This year on the non-profit initiative, which is slated for Oct. 15, 2007, bloggers will be discussing the environment. This will hopefully display the potential and the power of the blogging community, which is a disparate community but one with an amazing size, breadth and diversity.