Design Writer: Allison Arieff

Allison Arieff is a contributing writer on design with the New York Times, the former editor and chief of the architecture magazine dwell, which still remains as one of the four magazine subscriptions I maintain.

She is also the editor of several books on art and culture, including Airstream: A History of the Land Yacht, Hatch Show Print: The History of a Great American Poster Shop and Pre Fab.

Book:Pre Fab

Design Opportunity: Improving the Airline Experience

Anyone that travels by plane knows that the experience has become less pleasurable with each passing year, with few exceptions. It can be predicted that the latest fuel cost increases will be felt by negatively by consumers as airlines cut more services.

Virgin Air and to a lesser extent Jet Blue have used design in planning its business and ensuring a reasonably comfortable experience is maintained.

Article: Fear of Flying

Time Magazine: Design 100 for 2008

Annually, Time scours the planet to pull together their list of what's happening in Design.

Design in it broadest sense continues to be covered within the pages of an expanding number of publications that compile similar lists including The New Times, Fast Company and BusinessWeek.

The Time's List

Progressive Architecture in China

The New Yorker magazine's architect critic, Paul Goldberg describes two of China's new structures built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics as the most innovative on the planet.

"At least two of the buildings on the Olympic Green—the National Stadium, by the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, and the National Aquatics Center, by the Australian firm PTW Architects—are as innovative as any architecture on the planet, marvels of imagination and engineering that few countries would have the nerve or the money to attempt. The Chinese, right now, have plenty of both. These buildings, some of the most advanced in the world, are made possible partly by the presence of huge numbers of low-paid migrant workers."

Audio Review by Paul Goldberger

NYTimes Article

New Yorker Review

Slide Show

Structure and Images of the National Swimming Center

NPR Article/Audio

The ArchitectIntreviewed

Video Game Design/ Business Strategy

The success of Nintendo's Wii gaming system has been a demonstration of user centered product design. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft introduced updates to their gaming systems in the summer of 2006. Both Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's Xbox redesign emphasized high end technological advancements in picture quality for the hardcore gamers; whereas Nintendo focused on interactive features (i.e. bowling, tennis..) that made gaming more accessible to families.

The market place has decided that Nintendo's strategy is a winner based on consumer demand and sales figures. This summer Nintendo extends their brand into the fitness arena with the introduction of Wii Fit software and balancing board.

Time Article

USA Today Article

The Designer

NY Times Article

Video Review of Wii Fit

Design History: The Brannock Foot-Measuring Device

There is something very appealing about the industrial quality of this classic tool used to measure one's shoe size.

It may just be my fond memories of shopping for back to school clothing and shoes in my youth.

More History

The Growth of a Young Designer: Garth Roberts

After winning the best new furniture piece of 2006 by Elle Decoration France for his table - RAW (pictured below), Garth Roberts has been busy shuttling between continents establishing himself as a hard working designer looking to make a lasting impact on the world.



Metropolis Interview

Threelayercake Interview

National Design Musuem 2008 Awards

It was nice to see a friend and mentor, Charles Harrison, receive recognition for his contributions to the profession of industrial design by being honored with the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Cooper Hewitt 2008 Awards

Chicago Sun Times Article

MoMA 's Design Curator Explains Her Latest Exhibition

Paola Antonelli shares her view of the role of design and its potential to aid our acceptance of technological innovations, science and the future. She is truly a design thinker, and clearly articulates where the designer fits within society.

Slide Show of: Design and The Elastic Mind

A Better Fly Swatter

Mexican born, product designer José Rodrigo de la O Campos brings his cultural knowledge to bear when designing an attractive solution for eliminating flies.

"The use of a plastic bag full of water hanging from the ceilling of several taco kiosks on the streets, is a traditional way to scare flies away in Mexico. The refraction of the water, amplifies the colors and movements for the sensible eyes of a fly reflected on this sphere, scaring it away."



José Rodrigo de la O Campos web site