The Future: Large Format eReaders?

Whispers are increasing that Apple has plans for a tablet size computer. But, presently there are a few ebook type devices most notably the Kindle by Amazon, that are already on the market.

These devices may just alter the way we compose written material. Newspaper organization should work hard to explore the potential of moving away from the costly method of printing and distributing its product. By developing a business model that would leverage this technology could just save the news organization from collapsing.

One can remember the recent lesson of the music industry's failure to explore the opportunity to respond to customers during the early days of the Napster phenomenon. Music company rejected the opportunity to innovate, and chose to sue its customers rather than provide a means for consumers to purchase music online. And so, leaving a wonderful opportunity for an outside player, Apple Inc., to provide the tools to satisfy the public demand for sharing and purchasing music online. Likewise, Associate Press(AP)last week vowed to pull back its content from online news gathering sites like Google News etc.

My recommendation would be for the AP to develop an approach to the future that explores seriously a move to distribute their content by way of these new crop of eReaders from which they could expanded their customer base and generate new streams of revenue.

Today just before a Senate hearing on newspapers:

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said steps must be taken so the news media can stay diverse and independent.

"As a means of conveying news in a timely way, paper and ink have become obsolete, eclipsed by the power, efficiency and technological elegance of the Internet," Kerry said in prepared remarks. "But just looking at the erosion of newspapers is not the full picture; it's just one casualty of a completely shifting and churning information landscape."

NYTimes Article

Amazon Introduces a Large Screen Kindle

Article on: Kindle DX - Large Format

Three Problems with the New Kindle

Publication Design Awards 2008

Here are some outstanding examples of the creative work of Graphic Designer's who can make a magazine spread enjoyable to look as well as support the contents message.

Society of Publication Designers Website

The Finalist For Magazine Design

A Design for the Developing World

The opportunity for designer's to address real world problems with beautiful solutions is a wonderful thing when the results are as nice as the Cookstove by Envirofit.

According to Popular Science magazine, "more than half the world’s population cooks over open fires or small charcoal or biomass stoves. These burn fuel incompletely, producing carbon monoxide and smoke that cause 1.5 million deaths a year. Envirofit’s Cookstove burns the same easily found wood but does so more completely to cut emissions by more than 80 percent and use half as much fuel."

EnvroFit's Cook Stove

First Signs of a Green Revolution

Serious Materials a California based company is creating products that will place it in a leadership position within the Green Revolution. Should I say buy stock in the company, now!



In 2008 it received a green tech award from Poplar Science magazine, and today received recognition by the Obama administration by leveraging stimulus funds to expand their commitment to supporting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) weatherization program.

Serious Materials Website

Green Tech Grand Award Winner: EcoRock

Book: Change by Design

Here is a book written by the CEO of IDEO, arguably the worlds most successful design consultancy, on the subject of Design Thinking.

"Tim Brown, shows how the techniques and strategies of design belong at every level of business.

The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a process of rigorous examination through which great ideas are identified and developed before being realized as new offerings and capabilities.

This book introduces design thinking, the collaborative process by which the designer’s sensibilities and methods are employed to match people’s needs with what is technically feasible and a viable business strategy. In short, design thinking converts need into demand. It’s a human-centered approach to problem solving that helps people and organizations become more innovative and creative."

IDEO Books

Bike Design: Strida's Folding Bike

Mark Sander's graduate design thesis project has grown into a company that produces one of the smartest folding bikes on the market.

In the video below he demonstrates the the design process in the development of the Strida.



Strida.com

Selection of the New National Museum of African American History and Culture

The selection has been made on the design that will house a museum devoted to presenting the history and culture of African Americans to the world. The winning design selected from six finalist, is a structure that fits comfortably into the architectural landscape of the national mall, as well as capturing the textures of the experiences and aspirations of a people. The winning team of Freelon Group/Adjaye Associates & David Brody Bond in association with SmithGroup led by David Adjaye.

The land on which the museum will sit is situated caddy-corner to the George Washington monument. Follow the link below to view the five other finalist.


Smithsonian Article

Article: Pursuing Public Space...Studies of David Adjaye

"In accepting the commission, Mr. Adjaye described it as “the dream of my career” and said that the group’s concept for the building — an elevated “mound” dominated by a two-tiered structure that he called a “celebration crown” — focused on the idea of a canopy or porchlike setting for people “to come as a respite, to come and view, to learn.” He said he believed that the primary spirit behind the building, whose interior will be open to skylights at its top, would be one of praise.

“Throughout the history of African-American struggle and celebration, there are these moments of praise,” he said. “It’s for us a deeply spiritual and powerful culture.” NYTimes



Audio: Interview with David Adjaye

Article: Man with a Plan

Not Talking about Race in Acrhitecture

The Future of the Printed News: What will it Look Like?

The conversation around the failing printed newspaper industry is another demonstration of the impact of technology causing disruption within an industry. The loss of the journalist as challenger/investigators of truth for the public good is thought to be in danger as well. I am not sure that is the case, but that question I will leave for another to explore. But, what comes to mind is the other industries that have faced similar challenges as a result of the pace of technological advances in the past thirty years

The auto and music industries are other examples that come to mind, and whose failure to adjust their business models to accommodate emerging opportunities afforded by new technology advances left many companies little choice having ignored the early opportunities to respond.These examples are also mark by successes, companies who were not asleep to the opportunities but used them to expand their markets by providing the consumer greater value perceived or real. (i.e.Toyota with their Hybrid technology; Apple in terms of distributing music digitally through their iPod/iTunes products; Goggle with its ever expanding digital products).

In each case of failure, the focus on short term markers, seems to have cost many of the organizations and in some cases entire industries from prospering during the last thirty years of massive technological evolution.




Fast Company Article: Will NPR Save the News


NYTimes Article: News Without Newspapers

The Framing Document for the Internet (aka: Request for Comments)

Drafted forty years ago this week the document known as Request for Comments (RFC)
contains technical and organizational documents about the Internet, including the technical specifications and policy documents produced by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

NYTimes Article

RFC Webpage

Bruce Mau: Designs a Cultural Event- In Good We Trust

Bruce Mau can best be describe a big thinker in Design. This Canada based designer has been known for his philosophical thoughts on Design, but also on the scale of and his approach to design problem solving.

His latest undertaking is the design of a Western cultural event planned for Denver in 2010. Check out the video and links below.



In Good We Trust

Bruce Mau Website

Shephard Fairey Designs for Saks' Campaign

Its amazing to see how fast Shephard Fairey has become the face of a new generation of graphic designers. In less than a year since producing Obama's Hope poster, he has become a media darling with an exhibtion of his work at the Musuem of Contempary Art in Boston, corporate clients and on the downside lawsuits.

In this case Saks Fifth Avenue has hired his firm to design its latest campaign - Want It!
NYTimes Article

Another NYTimes Article

Design of the Year Winner

Fairey's Firm: Studio One

Fashion Design Icon: Valentino

A movie "The Last Emperor" looks at the life and loves of the designer Valentino providing insight into what led to his decades of prolific and sought after designs. The film also touches on the changes in the fashion industry itself from which Valentino retired from in 2007.

NYTimes Article

Movie Trailer

An Online Interior Design Tool: Project Dragonfly

Here is a nice tool to develop ideas for those with the inclination to doddle on a napkin, now they can translate simple ideals of an interior space into 3D renderings.

Project Dragonfly

Innovation Google Style: Google Voice

Google has introduced a product that answers the question: How to manage your various phones, phone calls and voice messages all from a single number.

Unlike, the big telecoms (that do not address the needs of the consumers if a direct profit isn't graunteed), Google seems to explore the potential of new business models that have the potential to change the direction of an entire industry even if the financial benefits are long before there obvious.

NYTimes Article 1

NYTimes Article 2

Wired Article

Mark Newson - Industrial Artist/Designer

Few designers get to operate on the breathe of projects Mark Newson has worked on, but the following series of videos allows a peek into the process of a this "rock star" designer's work.



Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Interview with Newson

Interior Design: SunkenTubs

I like the idea of a sunk tub so much more interesting than the tradition above the floor model in most American homes.

Kaesch Inc.

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

Slide Show below:

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

Museum Design: National Museum of Africain American History and Culture

Six design teams will compete for two months to design a national black history museum on the National Mall.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was granted a prominate position on the national mall between the Washington Monument and Capitol.

Museum director Lonnie Bunch, who will lead a jury to make the final selection, is looking for a design that "speaks about resiliency, optimism and spirituality".

In early April, the six design proposals will go on display at the Smithsonian Castle for the public to help choose a winner by April 10.

Press Release

NYTimes Article



Washington Post Article

What Managers Could Learn from Steve Jobs

Looking at the tenure of Steve Jobs the founder and CEO of Apple is a study on how to develop successful technology products that few companies have mastered.

* Consider the users needs/desires

* Embrace the potential of new technologies

* Use design to simplify the product and its interface

* Integrate all three into a viable business model


NYTimes Article: Steve Job Timeline

Type Designer: Wim Crouwel

As I make preparations to teach the Spring semester course: Lettering, Typography and Layout it is helpful to reflect on historical figures that have contributed to the body of knowledge, and whose work helped to legitimize the role of a type designer. Wim Crouwel is one such person, his work is not only outstanding and spans the formative years of the discipline but he still is producing works worth noting.



Resource: Thinking with Type

Exhibition: Green Community

Interaction design is on full display at the Nation Building Musuem here in Washington DC.

The exhibition produced by Potion, a design and technology firm specializing in interactive installations.

Fashion Designer: Marc Ecko

Over the holidays my search for a youth friendly gift for a teenager led to the discovery of a line of clothing that was noticeably well made, with a unique urban aesthetic and funky edge.

The Marc Ecko lines of clothing have grown out of the urban underground during the past two decades, arrive today on the most fashionable avenues with out me even recognizing it. Go figure the godfather of the Hiphop mogul Marc Ecko (pictured with Kanye West) a New York based entrepreneur led the pack of those who have defined "the urban aesthetic".

Marc Ecko's Site

As in the image on the left he successfully mixes great fabrics, uses bold colors, unique details, mashing up peepy and street styles that work really well.

Jobs Ranked: Industrial Design in Top Ten

Ranking 200 jobs from best to worst is no easy feat. To compile this year's report, researchers relied on five criteria to compare jobs as different as librarian and sheet metal worker. Those criteria: stress, physical demands, hiring outlook, compensation and work environment.


Top Ten Jobs

Documentary on Industrial Design: "Objectified"

Coming in 2009 from the same director, Gary Hustwit, that give us Helvetica delivers a documentary on Industrial Design.



The Gary Hustwit Interviewed

Objectified the Film

Documentary on Typography: "Helvetica"

PBS's Independent Lens will be airing the landmark film on type this season. Check your local listing for the time.

PBS Independent Lens

Quiz: What Type of Font are You?

Wim Crouwel speaks on the value the type face Helvetica has for him as a graphic designer.

Design History: The Burham Plan

The Burnham Plan, named for its principal author, the Chicago architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham, was formally unveiled in 1909 and proceeded to transform Chicago, then one of the ugliest cities in the world, into one of the most beautiful.

I describe Chicago as the best run city in America, whenever I am asked my opinion of the city, which is a result of a passionate and design conscious mayor but also because of the comprehensive blueprint for smart growth proposed over a century ago in the Burnham Plan.

The newest chapters to the regions length story will added in the coming months in the form of The Metropolis Plan: Choices for the Chicago Region.

The Future of the Chicago Region Looks Green

The Chronology of the Burnham Plan

SamSung: Using Design to Change a Company

Samsung is a company that has committed significant resources in the last five years to leverage design as a strategy to better compete with in the international consumer electronics market, including mobile phones, printers, televisions etc...

The image to the left is an example of the integration of multi-media and interaction technologies being applied to the vending machine. The article linked below describes how Samsung approached redesigning the laser printer. As a company Samsung is demonstrating design leadership in the same way Apple has been for the more than two decades, by identifying innovative ways in which technology can be successfully applied to support user needs, create new business opportunities as well as build attractive products.

Article: Rethinking the Printer Business

The Year Ahead... Whats a Designer to Do?

With all of the hope of progress being assigned to the incoming Obama administration ,there also looms a palatable sense of dred as I read between the lines of many noteworthy commentaries on the year 2009.

Economic downturns have a specific impact on design related services and opportunities, but what are they? This is the question that is on my mind and that I will certainly be exploring in the coming weeks and months.

Designing Through a Recession

NYTimes Article: Design Loves Depression

A Response to "Design Loves Depression"

Design History: Russel Wright

An influential Industrial Designer during the post depression years, 1930's, whose career if studied could reveal insight into opportunities for designers facing simuliar economic challenges today.

"Wright was notable for introducing modern functional forms, simplified shapes, and cheerful colors in furniture, appliances, ceramics, fabrics, and many other products used in daily life. He was largely responsible for the popularity of furniture of modern industrial design made with light-colored wood, and for the use of spun aluminum as a decorative material. His simple, sturdy forms in china, glass, and flatware were widely used and imitated. Manitoga, the Garrison, N.Y., estate and grounds he designed and once occupied, is open to the public."

Russel Wright Biography

The Russel Wright Design Center

Article: The Man Who Was Martha Stewart Before She Was

What if Music Instruction was Designed with Visual Supports

In my many attempts to study and learn a musical instrument: trombone, piano and guitar all were less than successful. I ever mastered the skill of reading musical notes and relating them to the instrument and sound.

And so, after coming across this image of a keyboard with colored keys, I wondered what if music instruction was designed with additional visual supports like color associations between the page and the instrument would I had a better chance of getting it?

Oh well, I will leave this opportunity for someone to research and develop if it hasn't been done already. The one thing I know is that it would help those like myself whose ears aren't as useful as our eyes?

Conversation: The Business of Design

Video Link

Bruce Nussbaum of BusinessWeek discusses community and co-creation. This panel will explore what happens when consumers become producers and ask what impact this shift will have on the future global success of corporations. Panelists: Bob Greenberg, R/GA Marissa Mayer, Google, Inc. Amy Radin, Citi.

Video: Examining American Masculinity by Byron Hurt

Here is another example of a viral video. It looks into the concepts that have shaped masculinity in America particularly Black masculine imagery.

The challenge of using video media is selecting appropriate images and words to construct a cohesive, believable and persuasive story, which is not as easy as it appears. When it comes to motion graphics the key element a designer must learn to control the pacing/ timing of when various elements enter and exit the frame.



Wired Article: How YouTube Changes the Way We Think

The Green Revolution: According to Thomas Friedman

Tom Friedman on how America can regain its international stature by taking the lead in alternative energy and environmentalism.

Video: The Green Revolution

Video: How Flat is the World

A Business Plan to Provide Free Internet Access to 95% of Americans

To be better positioned to press his case, M2Z chief executive John Muleta -- former head of the Federal Communications Commission's wireless bureau has set up shop in Virginia.

The opportunity to address the divide between the have and have not's, in regards to the internet, has been a subject of great interest to me ever since discovering the potential a few year ago. While working on a solution my graduate thesis project I became aware to the role of governments in managing public spaces. The public space of this generation is clearly the virtual spaces that are controlled by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

This new startup's proposal states that it would provide internet access to 95% of the American population. So time will tell if this vision of opening the internet gets traction among the policy makers in Washington.

M2K Website

PC Article

Washington Post Article

A Better Place: A Company Building a New Model of Sustainable Transportaion

The innovative America spirit is alive and well and reflected in companies willing to tackle the opportunities that seem more possible as the traditional models of business are collapsing before our eyes.

Best Place Website

NYTimes Article

Video Short: Obama Keeps it COOL

Video shorts animations are gaining in popularity and influence in creating viral messages which can be shared through peer networks. This SNL short is interesting in how it uses the visual aesthetics defined during the jazz age, most notably by the Blue Note record label.

UK Designer: Thomas Heatherwick

Architects are designers too!

The separation of architecture from the other forms of design (graphic, interior, product...) is more about history and perception than it is about the process of creation which is shared by designers without regard to how they may label themselves.

This curious situation is one Thomas Heatherwick is looking to turn it on its head, or like his most notable project the folding bridge, its a gap he is willing to cross.

New Yorker Article