Design Concept: The Potential of the Parking Meter

Smart meters continue to be adopted by more cities, but the functionality of the devices still have yet to be used in a way that would fulfill their potential to serve local citizens in the 21st century digital world.

As most cities are reducing the number of meters needed to manage parking spaces, the opportunity for municipalities to create new revenue streams is being overlooked.

As I had sketch out in my thesis project iLink (2003) the parking meter's function can be extended to serve as the device that not only parses physical space as it has done since its adoption, but the new opportunity is for the same device to parse the virtual spaces of our new digital world and to serve as an infrastructure node of a free wireless network within city environments.

USA Today Article: Smart Parking Meters

NYTimes Article: Broadband Expansion

Social Media Is...

I have been slow to embrace the push toward participating in the various social media outlets, with the exception being this blog. My lack of enthusiasm is primarily because of the newness and a perceived lack of value for me. at the moment. Also, based on my past experiences it takes a minute before a standard and a clearly useful tool shakes out from all of the available choices. That being said, I anticipate that when that perfected application arrives I will join the band.

NYTimes Article: Twitter

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Social Media Is...

View more presentations from Lee White. (tags: socialmedia enterprise2.0)

NYTimes Article

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Twitter Frenzy

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Type Designer: Matthew Carter

The noted Type Designer Matthew Carter spoke at the Corcoran Gallery of Art here in DC yesterday where he discussed type and the continuing need to develop new ones that are readable on devices like the iPhone etc.

"Three of Carter's best-known typefaces are Georgia, Tahoma and Verdana because they are all available in Microsoft programs. Microsoft commissioned him to create these fonts in 1994, because the fonts that work well in ink don't necessarily look great on low-resolution computer screens. "


Washington Post Aricle:

The Kindle 2.0- Amazon's Digital Book

The direction in which product development is heading is made clear by the success of product like the Kindle digital book.

Amazon continues to stands as a successful survivor of the dot com bust which wiped out hundreds of companies. Originally, an organization that pioneered the online shipping of books that has expanded to music and other consumer products took a calculated leap into developing its own product (Kindle)and related services in 2007.

The Kindle, also known as the iPod for books has proven to be a market success with its first year sales out pacing the first year sales of the original iPod. Well, version 2.0 is being introduced today.

Kindle's Home Page

NYTimes Review

Metropolis Article

Print in the Digital Age, Blog Post



Other Digital Books

NYTimes Article

Kindle and Niche Markets

Google Rules - New Product: Free 411 Calls

Google continues to break the rules by providing consumers free access to information. Where other companies charge or outright block technological development until they can profit from it - think of the city sponsored free internet access initiatives that have been derailed by lobbying of the telecoms.



Googles focus on giving customers a break (in this case a free 411 call) builds significant good will and value in the consumers mind which driving the traffic to their existing products. Innovative companies understand and practice giving things away such that their brand becomes so familiar and ubiquitous that it eventually becomes the standard by which other organizations must compete for market share.

Explorations in Type Expressiveness

This type exploration created by Harry Pearce for the Saks Fifth Avenue's 2008 Xmas catalog is a powerful example of how a words meaning can be expressed through its placement and organization in space.

Typographic Conundrums Explored

Graphic Designer: Paula Scher's Talk at TED 2009

Noted graphic designer and principle at Pentagram spoke recently and the 2009 Technolgy Entertainment and Design (TED) Conference.

Automotive Designer: Earl Lucas

Ford Motor Company is seeking to reassert itself in the family sedan segment that has been held by the Toyota Camary for more than a few years. Ford is banking on the 2010 Taurus designed by Mr. Lucas (pictured below) will recapture the crown as the top selling car in America.

At one time the number one name plate in America, the designer Earl Lucas was given the challenge to reintroduce this name plate at a crucial point for Ford Motor Company.

Article: Redesigned Ford Tarus

Chrysler's Ralph Giles

Website: GESTALTEN.TV

A progressive design consultancy whose digital podcast's cover a range of visual media.

Gestalten Website

Interview: Stephen Burkes

Community Based Youth Mentoring Programs

The challenge of developing the next generation of designers is being answered by grassroots organizations like Project Osmois based in Chicago and Juxaposition Arts out of Minneapolis.



Juxtaposition Arts

Project Osmosis Youth Forum

BMW Replaces its Chief of Design

The controversial American born designer, Chris Bangles resignation has allowed the raise of 45 year old dutch designer, Adriaan van Hooydonk (pictured below) to step up and chart the future design direction for BMW, Mini Cooper and Roll Royce.



New BMW Boss

Bangle Quits BMW

Interview with: Shephard Fairey

The creator of the iconic image of President Barack Obama talks about his work and creative philosophy.



NYTimes Article: Vandalism Charges

Legal Fight Over Image

New Yorker Article: Hope and Glory

Policy Debate: Developing a Broadband Infrastructure is it Worth the Investment?

Yes, the future of innovative products is tied to the government's support of policies that support the further develop of the internet. In recent years innovation has been thwarted by private industry's unwillingness to invest the resources to allow greater access to the internet.

This debate is a fundamental one that will determine how swiftly America prepares its citizens for life in the digital age. It can be likened to the development of the electric grid at the turn of the 20th century.

Personally, I think that unencumbered access to the internet will be the engine for American growth or the lack of access will be tied to the country's failure to lead. And so, innovation leader will be passed on to a country which figures out how to provide access to their citizens and thus a pipeline to the world.

NYtimes Article

FDR's Rural Electrification Administration

Smithsonian Interview with: Charles Harrison

It is good to see designers receive recognition for there contributions even when it comes late in their careers. Chuck Harrison as he is known among his friends will be speaking at the NeoCon trade show in June 2009, Chicago IL.

Smithsonian Article

Article: Intelligent Designer