Recommended Reading for Big Idea

One of the classes we are taking is called the Big Idea with Bob McKinnon. The purpose of this class is to give us the opportunity to work as entrepeneurs in social change. Each one of us has to think of what it is that we want to change and why as well determine what the barriers will be and how to overcome them. The idea also needs to be sustainable.

These are some of the questions to consider:
What are we changing?
Who is doing the changing?
How will it work?

 

I will be honest, at this point I have several ideas but am having a hard time narrowing down the problem and thinking of ways to make it work. I am hoping that by the end of this week, my Big Idea will be clear.

In the meantime, Bob has recommended several books that so far I have found to be very informative and fun to read.


Here are some from the list:

Nudge, Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness by Richard Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

Proust was a Neuroscientist by Jonah Lehrer

The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford

Week 2 of Impact! Design for Social Change

Today we start week 2 of Impact! Design for Social Change. My group met with Karen Hu and Myriam from the Phipps Houses Group to learn more about the challenges they face as managers of low-income homes and maintenance of a "green community". It was impressive to find out all of the changes and upgrades that have been implemented to one particular building that they manage. The focus has been mainly on energy efficiency and they are in the process of implementing ways of measuring consumption and holding each tenant accountable. There is also a definite challenge within the building, as well as in many others, to get people to recycle even when many of the items and tools are provided to them to make the process much easier. Hopefully, we will be visiting two of their sites tomorrow and learning more about the challenges of the tenants within this community.

Impact! Design for Social Change

I am currently attending a 6-week intensive course at the Visual School of Arts in New York. This program focuses on social change and how it can be created through design.

Today is our fourth day and already we have had the opportunity to attend classes with amazing instructors and professionals in the fields of design, social advocacy, marketing and business. We have also had the chance to meet several non-profit organizations that are working hard to improve certain aspects of people's daily lives in one form or another.


Some of these organizations include:
www.IOBY.org
www.democracynow.org
www.enterprisecommunity.org
Healthy Bodegas
http://theblkprojek.wordpress.com/


I have chosen to work with Enterprise Community Partners along with two other students from Brazil. "Enterprise is the national leader in making affordable housing happen. Their mission is to create opportunity for low and moderate-income people through fit, affordable housing and diverse, thriving communities."

More on the challenges and focus of our project later...

Milton Glaser will be giving us a lecture very soon!

Listen to conversations with artists (part of Audio Arts - a cassette-tape magazine)

Click on the link to see a slideshow and hear interviews with artists such as James Rosenquist.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/04/29/arts/design/20100429-furlong.html?ref=design

 

From “Speaking of Art: Four Decades of Art in Conversation” by William Furlong (Phaidon Press)

Phaidon has also published a new book "Speaking of Art" based on "Audio Arts", a cassette-tape magazine created by William Furlong.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/arts/design/29furlong.html?ref=books

PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise is the Color of 2010

"In many cultures, Turquoise is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that to many people, Turquoise represents an escape, taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting – even if it is only a fantasy."

This is actually very close to the color of my bedroom. The color adds brightness and depth to the room and looks great with the contrast of orange pillows and a yellow telephone.

Art That Needs No Hook or Pedestal

 MoMa aquires the @ symbol.

"The acquisition, Ms. Antonelli said, “relies on the assumption that physical possession of an object as a requirement for an acquisition is no longer necessary, and therefore it sets curators free to tag the world and acknowledge things that ‘cannot be had’ — because they are too big (buildings, Boeing 747’s, satellites), or because they are in the air and belong to everybody and to no one, like the @.”"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/weekinreview/28kennedy.html?ref=design

Despite Changes, There's Little to Love in 2012 Olympics Logo

 The logo for the London 2012 has caused quite a reaction to the point of giving people seizures! Others claim that they see Lisa Simpson.

Take a look at the New York Times article to see different versions of the logo

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/29/arts/design/29iht-Design29.html?ref=design

What are your thoughts?