“All you need are the support of the people and a voice to bring change.”
On July 28th, Malala Yousafzai came to the Providence Dunkin Donuts Center to speak about her incredibly potent journey advocating for education rights. The conversation was moderated by NBC anchorwoman Patrice Wood and began with a musical tribute to Malala before transitioning to a Q&A. Better World by Design had the privileged opportunity to hear her wise words.
Malala’s commitment to education for all was conveyed through every answer. She stressed that education is a right, and rights need to be made accessible to all individuals. Several times during the conversation, she mentioned the importance of knowing that each and every person can contribute to society in meaningful ways. By receiving a quality education, people are more aware of this. “Education allows children to question,” Malala said. “Questioning is so important today.” When asked about how she felt about individuals being unfairly subjected to factory work in developing nations instead of going to school, she answered: “There is no shame in working in a factory. Every job has equal value. But it’s important to know that you can do anything… that anything is possible.”
She cited her father as a major influence in her life. Malala’s willingness to question and speak out against the Taliban was a part of her personality that her father encouraged. “He did not clip my wings, he let me fly,” she said during the Q&A with regards to their relationship.
A highlight of the conversation was her advice to the audience on achieving empathy, a component that every designer has grappled with when designing for a user group. She stated that sharing stories from the U.S. and from the developing world are crucial to achieving empowerment amongst individuals, and consequently, affective allyship.
The conversation closed with a question to Malala about whether she wished she had led an average teenage life instead of choosing to confront the turbulence back at home, and her answer only drew more admiration.
We’re continuing our BWxD 2016 spotlight with Maria Russo, committee co-chair and fan of all things sustainable. Maria is currently in the class of 2018 and thinking about double-concentrating in Urban Studies and Business, Entrepreneurship, Organizations. We asked her a couple questions about how she got interested in Better World, her experience being on the committee, and all things design.
How did you get interested in BWxD?
I was a freshman at Brown and I kept hearing things popping up about Better World, and I started thinking, “This sounds really cool.” I ended up applying on a whim. Last year, I was in charge of Food and Sustainability. I knew how sustainable solutions worked in our world, and I had done a lot on farms that equipped me with those skills.
How has it impacted your outlook on design? On your education?
It allowed me to see what interdisciplinary design really means. I realized that designers could design our world, and not just design things. This really encouraged me to participate in these conversations about design because I saw that design could be open to different skills.
Better World’s 2015 mission statement talks about the “tools, lessons, and discoveries” that the conference equips its attendees with. What tools, lessons, and discoveries have you gained from being a part of Better World?
These are different for every person, but one lesson I learned about design is that there are no limits. Everyone has something to contribute, and there’s no clear separation between design and other fields and within design itself.
What’s your definition of design?
To me, design has an important functionality in its intention. It ties in various elements: purpose, aesthetics, and some form of construction. There’s really no concrete definition though.
How has BWxD evolved since you’ve been a part of it, and what changes should we look forward to for next year’s conference?
Better World has definitely changed physically, meaning that the number of people who know about it and attend has increased dramatically. We are pushing on topics that we haven’t touched upon before, and we hope to continue pushing these boundaries to transform perspectives.
Better World by Design’s Spring Series: Re(Interact)
Our 2016 spring series began with a panel featuring Adriana Gallo, graphic designer at Ace Hotels; Bo Guo, CEO of Designow; Ann Chen and Nick Wong, members of the design team behind Windchimes; and Ethan Blake, a Brown student who had just spent last semester working on a GLISP titled “Creative Cape Town.” The panel was moderated by Ingrid Lange, RISD Industrial Design ’15, and focused on topics surrounding the phrase “reimagining connections.”
The panel started with the question “How can we foster a sense of community and encourage small scale civic engagement in a fast-paced networked society?” Chen mentioned the importance of recognizing less dominant cultures that have little to no access to one’s designs. Several of the panelists suggested a “bottom-up approach,” citing instances of researching by directly asking people what they needed face-to-face. They were then asked to consider what it was like designing a space for the individual. Wong and Chen talked about the significance of emotional design during that process and being mindful of “overdesign.”
During the Q&A, an attendee asked the panelists how they had successfully navigated online and virtual spaces. Gallo responded with a thought about how the online presence may enhance the experience, but that it certainly does not replace physical interaction. Blake also brought up an interesting point about online activism and whether that form of activism constitutes “real” activism as opposed to physical participation.
Re(Interact) continued with a workshop led by Greg Nemes and Nic Schumann of Work-Shop, a design and fabrication studio based in Providence, RI. Consisting of an interactive activity with a presentation about the evolution of the workplace and the development of The Design Office, the workshop challenged participants to think about their work environments. Greg and Nic spoke about the different tools available to employees today, a direct result of the rapidly advancing tech industry. Nowadays, companies try to imitate college campuses by providing amenities like gyms, cafeterias, and central meeting hubs to promote social interaction. This shift has led to a noticeable merge between work and life.
Greg and Nic encouraged everyone to make design choices about a space that promoted healthy productivity by arranging 3-D printed chairs, tables, and walls on a blueprint of a large office space. Groups were asked to create an ideal office area as an initial segway into the presentation, and later given the opportunity to make changes. During critiques, each groups discussed the alterations they had made, mentioning factors like levels of movement, sound, and sunlight in a space. Check out photos below to see examples!
The following week, Better World hosted a networking and lecture event with Yarrow Thorne of The Avenue Concept. Yarrow’s talk touched on examples of public art projects conducted by his organization and the origins of Influx, a large-scale celebration of public art via installations by local, national, and international artists throughout the city. The networking portion featured local design organizations like The Design Office as well as Brown STEAM.
Meet the People You Don’t Want to Miss this Saturday
This Saturday, March 5, Better World by Design is pleased to present the first event in our Re(Interact) Spring Mini-series. Re(Interact) will consist of a panel, a workshop, and a talk dedicated to reimagining interactions across disciplines and spaces, both personal and global. All of these events are free and open to the public. We’re kicking it off by welcoming five panelists who are doing awesome work that engages with these ideas and helps improve interactions within various communities.
Meet our Moderator:
Ingrid Lange / RISD Industrial Design
Ingrid Lange is a Senior in Industrial Design at RISD, excited by cross-disciplinary collaborations that lead to a better relationship between people and technology. She's interested in designing virtual and physical experiences that help people understand the present, or allow them to envision a better future. Following graduation in June 2016, Ingrid will be joining IBM Design in Boston, MA, designing at the intersection of cognitive computing and healthcare in Watson Health.
Find her online at: ingridlange.com
And our five exciting panelists:
Adriana Gallo / Ace Hotel
Adriana Gallo received her BFA in Illustration from RISD in 2015. She is now a graphic designer with Atelier Ace, the creative team behind Ace Hotels. She also moonlights as a freelance illustrator and designer while entertaining herself with personal and collaborative work in the spaces in between. Her style icons include the palm reader on the corner of 28th and Broadway and the fat, white dog that lives in her building.
Looking for more? Check her out on social media (instagram: @adriggallo) or at her website (adrianagallo.com).
Ethan Blake / Creative Cape Town
Ethan Blake is a junior in Urban Studies at Brown University. He founded the Brown Political Design Lab, a student think- and do-tank that employs human-centered design to address systemic social problems through public policy. Last semester, Ethan conducted a GLISP entitled “Creative Cape Town: Social Impact Design in the ‘Post’-Apartheid City,” to evaluate the ethics and effectiveness of public interest Design initiatives in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ann Chen / “Windchimes” (Finalist in NYC Payphone Redesign Challenge)
Ann has a BA from Wesleyan University and an MPS from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU, and is a media artist and researcher based in New York. She is currently a Collaborative Productions Fellow at UnionDocs where she is working on her first film about internet infrastructure in New York City. Her work has been supported by Recess, The 92nd Street Y Tribeca and NYU Gallatin Galleries.
More online at @annhchen and annhchen.com.
Nick Wong / “Windchimes” (Finalist in NYC Payphone Redesign Challenge); Cooper Union, Mechanical Engineering 2011.
Nick works at Upcycles developing human-electric cargo trikes for city streets and spaces. His primary focus is developing technologies that improves city life and systems, at the intersection of old and new technologies. Nick developed Windchimes to adapt an obsolete public infrastructure to promote environmental data as a public service, making action and responsibility more visible in improving our urban environment.
Bo Guo / Designow, CEO
Bo Guo has spent his entire life in the fashion industry — from growing up around his family’s apparel manufacturing facilities in China to executive experience in New York’s fashion center, to the current managing director of NYC Alliance. With his latest venture, Designow, Guo is introducing a digital studio platform that redefines how designers bring their ideas to market — connecting creators, consumers and industry experts to create a true fashion community.
We talked with Clare Jessey, a member of our BWxD 2016 Finance Subcommittee, about her experience at the Better World by Design Conference 2015, Square, and her passion for design in general. Here is her story!
Before I came to RISD for my college education, many people told me that I should check out Dave’s Coffee. One snowy day during my freshman year in Providence, I was freezing and decided to stop and thaw at Dave’s with a hot chocolate. I expected my hot drink to be good, granted everyone had highly recommended Dave’s, but little did I know how much I would fall in love with the design aspect of Dave’s interior.
I walked into a space that felt characterized by sleek, efficient and beautiful design. The wood, the clean use of lines in the furniture, the color scheme and even the typography of Dave’s made me instantly feel like I was a user who was facing a design experience. It was not only the space and the environment that impressed me, it was the moment I paid $2.75 for my drink.
Instead of swiping my card in a clunky black machine, the barista invited me to pay with Square. The Square cashier system is pared down to only the essentials. It was easy to pay, sign and tip, though the Square screen was only the size of an Apple iPad mounted on a minimal dock. I almost lost my composure as I marveled at this design. I am a maker who always tries to be economic, efficient and simple. Make things easy.
After my wonderful freshman year, I returned to RISD to begin sophomore year. I attended the Better World by Design conference, which—like Dave’s—never ceased to surprise me with its ideas about design. I was so impressed with the speakers who inspired me and the workshops that taught me, and I was most excited when I opened my complementary goodie bag.
As I enjoyed all the beautifully, brilliantly designed objects I was given, I noticed one thing that stood out to me: my own personal Square device. It seemed there were endless possible purposes for it, but most importantly, I could use it to sell my design and enhance the brand of Clare Jessey. I feel that objects speak to me and make me feel empowered. It amazes me that a design like Square can change how a person like myself goes about living and working. I am passionate about Industrial Design and I find that these objects are the ones that help me get to where I want and need to be. Square is a system that, I know, will change the experience of paying for an item.
This little object became a tool that I could use to sell my designed goods to friends, family and the community. It also served as a visual reminder to me to make my work and my brand the best it could be.
This spring I will start officially selling my Paper Lamp using the Square system at RISD’s Alumni and Student Sale, and I will continue to think as a designer and as an entrepreneur.
Ultimately, Square did many good things for me: it taught me to love Dave’s Coffee, it inspired me to join the Better World by Design team, and it is helping me become a stronger designer. I look forward to the future with my new favorite design object, Square.
Learn more about Square here: https://squareup.com/
But before we jump into the new year, we want to look back at 2015 one more time. We’ve got some unreleased pictures, quotes, and pictures of last year’s conference that we wanted to share with you. Check them out and reminisce with us.
“My favorite memory from the 2015 conference was getting a chance to see the presenters and attendees learn from each other throughout the weekend, from ideas in the 'classroom' to dance moves at the social events. Breaking down those barriers and bringing everyone together is one of the best parts of Better World!”
“The ‘Critical Design’ Panel. A lot of great, informative discussion and conversation during and after!"
"THE GIANT BUBBLE—also the interplay between speakers during the panel about design in the media (with the dude from Vice)"
"Honestly, I was just so happy to see the compost everywhere... Why can't this be an everyday thing?”
“...I loved getting into heated discussions with my friends about what we had just listened to.”
“Listening to the social design work and having time to talk with the speakers and talk with workshop presenters were my favorite memories!”
“I really loved the Steel Yard Social event because of the casual ambiance.”
“My favorite memory from the 2015 conference was the Friday night social event at The Steel Yard. There was a tremendous amount of people there all celebrating the start to Better World by Design 2015. We ate at food trucks, danced for hours under the tent, and ended the night sitting around the fire pit to stay warm. It felt so good to finish the first day of the conference so full of Better World love.”
Trust us when we say confidently and wholeheartedly that there is a lot to look forward to at BWxD15. We know you don't have all day, so we'll save you precious time and start the introduction to three people you can meet at the conference in September. Feel free to thank us later.
To see what these people are up to 3 months out from #BWxD15, show them some love on the interwebs!
In case you missed it:
BWxD Community Engagement’s “Access to Education through Design” Panel
Educators, students, and design enthusiasts all gathered together on April 16th, 2015 for an intimate panel discussion organized by Better World’s Community Engagement team. Entitled “Access to Education through Design,” panelists explored how design can be used to facilitate equality and accessibility within modern educational environments.
The panel offered audience members a taste of what’s to come at the conference in September, when numerous panels will be scheduled for conference-goers to attend. As the sun began to set outside, moderator and former committee member Sage Green opened the panel by offering a definition of design articulated by architect Charles Eames, who described it as “a plan for arranging elements to respond to a particular purpose…a method of action that depends on the sum of all constraints….a fluid method of inquiry.” With this definition in mind, panelists discussed their experiences as professionals within the fields of teaching, consulting, and designing.
Sari Gutton, a teacher at Providence’s Jewish Community Day School, described the design lab that she helps to run, a multipurpose space at the school “to make, tinker, collaborate, problem-solve, invent, and design.”
Stacy Gale, another Providence-based educator, discussed her attempts to integrate elements of design thinking into the curriculum at the Paul Cuffe School where she is a STEM teacher. She described nature trips that were used to teach students about biomimicry, as well as projects where students had to prototype and design objects to solve problems that arose in common fairy tales.
Panelist Adrian Gagnon, the founder of Providence’s DownCity Design, discussed her design firm and its goal “to empower kids to design and build things for their communities to make them better places to live, work, and learn.” She spoke of the power of design as a tool to teach children about their own agency and potential, a quality that inspired her to create her game “Change Agent,” a set of design-based challenges for use in public schools.
Coming from Pennsylvania, panelist and RISD alumni Phil Holcombe discussed his work with PlusUS, the educational design consultancy that he founded in 2010. His work attempts “to reimagine the future of learning through design,” through a program focused on teaching, facilitating, and storytelling. He mentioned work done creating curricular inserts on design, as well as a project with NASCAR aimed at teaching high school students about the physics and design of racecars in order to give them something tangible and accessible to study.
Panelist Allison Chen is a current RISD senior in the Industrial Design department. She explained her work designing for learning and play through the creation of educational tools that will simultaneously engage with students and help teachers to incorporate design standards into their curriculums. As a current student, she offered a unique perspective that was both enlightening to professionals and relatable to the other students in the audience.
During the question portion of the panel, panelists were asked what originally brought them to address design within the field of education. Gutton mentioned how she felt that the education system hadn’t changed since the time of industrialization, painting a picture of a classroom with lines of desks and a teacher at the front that was familiar to all present. Holcombe echoed this sentiment, pointing out that design is all about disruption of the traditional and making things happen quickly, while the education system is notoriously slow to change. Gale mentioned that in her experience, STEAM-based design was a vital means of creativity to balance the increasing constraints on education as a result of standardized testing.
This subject of testing led to a discussion of productive failure centered on the fact that not all students have access to prototyping and the ability to fail and try multiple routes in their work. Gagnon stated that we need to begin to frame failure not as a flaw, but as a positive step leading to success. She pointed out the value of this mentality especially to low-income students who are constantly faced with failure and difficulty- design-thinking could help students who expect failure to see that failings do not represent an end, but an opportunity to go back and try again at whatever they hope to achieve. The repetition and modeling aspects of design could also be valuable in this process, she continued, for they would build persistence and motivation to keep trying. Gutton furthered this idea, questioning how it is possible to model failure for students when teachers are themselves subject to unreachable standards. Holcombe pointed out that students assume that adults don’t fail, thus it is important for teachers to show vulnerability and a lack of mastery over everything so that their students understand that even they don’t have all the answers, that everyone is “failing forward” in life. This topic deeply engaged the entire room, breaking the barrier between panelist and public when audience members began to comment with their own experiences of linear, achievement-based educational systems that glorified a specific model of success.
Thinking of systems of grading and quantitative achievement, panelists began to discuss markers of progress when trying to demonstrate the efficacy of design-based education and convince educators to integrate it into their curriculums. Gagnon stated that evidence tended to be anecdotal, mentioning that she looks into her students’ eyes when she wants to know how her curriculum is working. When she sees that they are excited, passionate, and engaged, she knows that her design lab is a success. Holcombe supported this qualitative method of analysis, questioning why we need to attempt to assess design thinking within the traditional culture of assessment at all. Instead, he posed, he need a cultural shift to a place where everything isn’t a quantitative measure of accomplishment. Audience members echoed this sentiment, stating that we need to challenge our own assessments about what education means, as well as what success looks like. Chen pointed out that common core requirements tend to follow a linear trajectory of success, but in reality we all have different paths. She encouraged the adoption of a “curriculum that promotes diversity and multiple, individualized paths.” Holcombe enthusiastically agreed, stating that “we need to remove the culture of influences that have formalized learning” since such rules and rigidity breed apathy among students.
In closing, each panelist offered audience members advice and thoughts to ponder going forward as students and designers. Gutton encouraged everyone to consider their conception of equality, pointing out that offering an equal opportunity is not offering everyone the same opportunity, but the opportunity that is right for them as an individual. Gagnon encouraged audience members to “go forth and be creators and educators,” a message that Holcombe reiterated as he stated that “good stuff happens at the intersection of two disciplines: make connections and make something new!” Gale encouraged everyone to “get out of your comfort zone,” while Chen addressed doubts that designers and students often feel when faced with the daunting task of changing a problematic institution. “Baby steps,” she encouraged, pointing out that even if one person cannot revamp the entire educational system, we can each make incremental progress, can each affect change.
What is design policy? The idea of design policy can be traced back to the late 1800s from projects such as Frederick Law Olmstead’s Campaign for Public Health and the design of inner city parks including Prospect Park and Central Park in New York City, and Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts. Who Designs America, a conference held at Princeton University in 1966, included the topics of the social influence of design and the impact of political and social forces on design in America. In 1973, a meeting of designers from various disciplines convened in Washington, DC, the first National Design Assembly, to discuss the ideas of a national design policy, and documented “The Design Necessity.”
Over the decades, the path of design policy was being mapped, and moved toward what we understand it to mean in today’s complex world of sustainability, accessibility, conservationism, urbanism, and the new creative economy. Many aspects of current public policy have benefitted from the definition of design policies including housing, urban planning and the world wide web. Design Policy is currently understood across the European Union, the UK and Asia through the establishment and activities of national design councils. The intersections may have gone unrecognized for periods of time, but now the map is clearly drawn for this generation of designers to travel.
Stephanie will be moderating a panel at ABWxD '14 titled "Design Policy in Context" that will include Lynn McCoramack, Director of Art, Culture and Tourism for the City of Providence; Jeff C. Davis, Principal Planner, Rhode Island Statewide Planning Program; and Carol Strohecker, Vice Provost of the Rhode Island School of Design. This panel explores how designers can take on the role of 'policy makers' and asks questions such as: how can designers find and apply design processes, methods and strategies compatible with existing constraints?
image credit: Rhode Island Statewide Planning Program
(or, how Kris Clover plans to escape a deserted island)
Kris Clover is a design manager for new business platforms at 3M. He will be leading a workshop titled Signals: Building Active Environments at BWxD '14. We got in touch with him in Minneapolis to hear more about materials science, 3M, the future, and of course, his love for Better World.
First things first, what will be covered at your workshop this weekend?
The 3M Design workshop at Better World by Design introduces innovation processes for developing transformative user experiences through material science. Every day, our lives are becoming more and more centered around mobile devices; the challenge there, however, is that in this process we are also becoming more disconnected with the outside world. I love this year's conference theme, "Wayfinding," because it provokes creative thinking around new ways to blend the digital and physical worlds. We all need to look up to see what's really going on around us, be in the moment, and participate in that experience.
What are some of the most important things to consider when designing a user's experience?
There are so many factors. First, I would say empathy for all the human senses; for design to be effectively focused on human experience, you really have to think about the five senses -- touch, sound, feel, smell, taste -- all of these considerations have impact on the relevance you are creating. Also, design and user experience need to address emotion. We need to understand the emotional journey associated with life experience...this could be on an obvious level of how we feel/respond, but also on a more subtle or intuitive level to bring efficiency or simplification to the user experience.
How do you see materials science evolving over the next 15 years?
Speaking from the perspective of a designer, I believe we are in the midst of a revolution for materials science; as the world becomes "smarter" and more connected, there is a greater need for more systems thinking around materials development. Everything will become more integrated and connected, so we have to understand and augment not only how materials connect with each other, but also with other technologies and, of course, the human experience as a whole.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could have access to one material (beyond sand/water/palm trees), what would it be and why?
That's not an easy one to answer. As a 3M designer, of course I would want to choose something from the vast array of materials and technologies we're lucky enough to interact with every day. I suppose being on an island I would want to have access to our Nonwoven material, like Thinsulate insulation, because it would be soft and comfortable, but also keep me warm at night as a thermal insulation. I'd also want to use some of our films...maybe from the solar encapsulant category for protection against UV rays and management of light transmission. On the other hand, the point is really to get off the island right? So in that case, I may choose 3M VHB Tape to hold materials together in constructing a boat, or perhaps some of our reflective film to capture the attention of airplanes flying over the island.
What makes 3M jazzed about working with A Better World by Design?
This is our second year here and we're so excited. It's great to interact with students and hear their creative ideas. To me, A Better World by Design is really a celebration of the future....the next generation of leaders and creative thinkers who will make a positive impact on our world and society as a whole.
How does 3M Innovation aim to be socially and environmentally conscious?
Sustainability is a huge priority for 3M...we weave this mindset into all aspects of innovation, not least of which includes design. 3M has always been a company that puts values first in all things we do, and this translates across every aspect of how we bring solutions to the marketplace, whether it's the character of our employees, the responsible use of our materials and technologies, or the problems we strive to solve for the environment and world around us.
What's going on at 3M right now that you're excited about?
Honestly, we constantly have so much going on at 3M...our culture revolves around idea sharing, so new opportunities are popping up every day. As a designer, I can't think of a more exciting time to be working here. We're developing our creative competencies and expanding our teams around the world. When you have a company with this many technologies and touch points, new challenges are never-ending.
Thanks, Kris! We can't wait to see you this weekend.
Connect with Kris @3MDesign - check out more cool pictures and projects here.
The Better World crew took a trip over to Pneuhaus' studio a few days ago. We juggled some balls, saw some familiar faces, snapped some snaps, and, of course, spent some quality time in a bubble. Check out our interview with the Pneuhaus lads below.
How did you get interested in inflatables?
Matt Muller: I got interested in inflatables when given an assignment to create a kinetic sculpture in my freshman year at RISD. The transformation of a pile of trash bags into a defined sculpture really captivated me. I started making organic shapes and it wasn't until years later that I discovered the harmony that comes from combining controlled geometries with the organic nature of inflatables.
Levi Bedall: The first time I learned about inflatables was in a history class in architecture school. Right away they stuck out as sort of radical. Inflatables are easy to make, portable, and flexible. Large spaces can be created in the matter of hours. Spaces which respond to outside forces such as wind, sunlight, and noise in very different ways than more permanent buildings we are used to being in.
August Lehrecke: I first became interested in them as objects that could exist in two states. Coming from a Furniture design background, I focused around objects that involve a tactile relationship. Inflatables to me offered a rare opportunity to create responsive objects that could reflect its user in some way. When we started to reach the architectural scale with our projects, I was surprised to find that they offered a very visceral experience, similar to the ways I was thinking about objects.
Do you view the bubbles as sculpture, building, performance or something entirely different? Or a combination of the three?
AL: It is a combination of the three most of the time. I would say that I start off thinking about a project more sculpturally, stressing the experience one would have, before the form takes shape. If it is going to be a space that someone will be able to walk into then it naturally has to be designed like a building. All of them have performative qualities just in the inherent nature of their inflation.
MM: When we design an inflatable or bubble we try and find harmony between an experience we want to have ourselves and whatever construction technique we happened to be pushing in the previous project. I see our work as explorations of space and each project feeds off the construction and experience of the last. I see these structures as experiments in new ways to experience space.
LB: I think we should specify the use of the word “bubble” instead of “inflatable.” A inflatable is anything that can be inflated--a sphere, a bounce-house, an eiffel tower replica, or a frog’s throat. A bubble on the other hand represents a more specific shape--a sphere. As seen in soap bubbles, the sphere is caused by equal pressure on all points of the surface. Therefore, bubble is the most ideal shape for an inflatable. We use bubble forms because of this inherent inflatable quality. So in terms of bubbles, we see them as forms of buildings--when we see three tiny soap bubbles sitting in group in the sink, we picture ourselves inside and what it might be like to experience that space.
What made you decide to take your thesis project and turn it into a company?
AL:Our thesis was based around bridging this tactile gap that Matt and I believed to exist between objects and architecture. Trained more towards the considerations involved with designing objects, we wanted to bring that sensibility to the space around us. I think that a major factor that pushed us into continuing with the inflatables were the responses we were getting from the people who were interacting with them. I guess its easier to attract attention to a 40 ft dome than it is to a chair, but I think the same design elements are used. Another reason that we decided to continue with it was because of how largely uncharted the craft of making inflatables is: we were sort of inventing our own way of making as we went. This was especially motivating coming from the rigid structure of traditional woodworking.
MM: That’s exactly what I would say.
How would you describe your process? Has it evolved over the past few months?
MM: My process is very much lead by my hands. I like to play with materials that illustrate basic concepts of pneumatics on a small scale. I mostly play with restricting balloons with nets and stretchy fabric. These experiments hardly ever lead to the form we end up making, but they greatly influence the way I think about the structural forces at work in our projects.
LB: I’ve had the most passion in my work when I become interested in an idea in the project. A sort of mantra during the process is “what do I find interesting about this?” Finding interesting parts of a project is always happening during the process, but a big change recently has been the focus on inflatables. While much of my thinking in architecture school applies to the thinking now--turning an idea into a space--the final product is much different. Instead of having freedom to design any building, our designs now are strictly inflatable. I now ask myself: “what do I find interesting about inflatables?” In other words, my process revolves more around a final product then it did before. The other huge part that I didn’t mention at all is the fabrication aspect of the process now which was never present in architecture school: we have to build it.
AL: In terms of material processes, we are constantly evolving. A huge hurdle we had to overcome while we were starting out was figuring out what materials would work and where we could get our hands on a lot of it (for as little as possible). With every new project, we try and do something with the material that we have not yet done before, to try and keep progressing with what we can do.
What is it like to live and work together at your studio? How does it influence your work/process?
AL: Talk about finding balance with your home and work life. It definitely can be taxing at times, but I think that the productive energy you get from being around so many different perspectives is only comparable to when you are in a really diverse class at college... except you aren’t in them all the time. We are constantly pushing each other and offering different ways of looking at problems, which generates a lot of ideas both individually and as a group. When the most mundane dish duties get mixed in with drawing and making, it creates a very holistic view of living for me.
LB: There is very little alone time, which is really space to think and parce-out ideas. But living together also makes work together extremely well, since we learn about each others personalities, we can communicate effectively. Living together causes our work process to be a non-stop process. Instead of working on something creative for one or two hours together, it is always happening. Although our work schedule might not be the most efficient right now, we are always together when inspiration strikes.
MM: Living and working together works out pretty well for us. We work out ideas when we are hanging out and we can push each other to work when the deadline is approaching. It is just really important for us to get out of the space regularly so we don't get stuck in ruts.
How did you go about designing the spaces for Better World?"
AL: I started thinking about the constraint of wayfinding as a good opportunity to try and bring attention to very basic elements in our daily lives and challenge people to spend some more time thinking about it. Color seemed to be a good choice, as it is something that we constantly utilize every day. With that, the challenge was figuring out how to give form to the experience of color, both isolating them as well as showing how they begin to interact.
LB: We were asked to advertise and to create a cool-down structure--attract attention and provide peace--while still responding to the prompt of “wayfinding.” Color stood out as a way to attract attention, for example a red pin in Google maps or brightly colored signs along a highway. But color can also create a peaceful atmosphere: stained glass in cathedrals. Color, and how people perceive it, is the focal point for our design--from the structure to the placement.
What's your dream bubble scenario? Where would you like to see this go?
LB: Recently, we’ve been toying with the idea of making a hot-air balloon solely out of black plastic. The black plastic absorbs enough heat from the sun to create a hot-air balloon,removing the necessity for clunky and dangerous flame devices. The dream would go something like this: drive out to the desert; slowly be lifted into the sky; sail for days; land somewhere in midwest America; grab a cheeseburger and pop and go home. The idea is kind of magical.
AL: My dream bubble scenario would have to be a solar powered airship studio. The surface area required to lift such an operation would be so perfect for an array of flexible solar panels. The thing about airships is that, unlike planes, they require no energy to keep aloft, only the buoyancy of the gasses inside. This allows for more energy to be spent on the motors and tooling. Completely uprooted from a specific place we could manufacture our next projects en route to the location where we would be setting them up. In a nutshell, it would be my life now, but constantly flying through the air.
MM: I have many dream bubble scenarios. But my grandiose dream is to start an entire floating city on the water that floats around the world, powered by experimental energy sources. As of now I am calling this “Waterworld inspired dream Pneu Venice.”
Kevin Cadena - master poster-maker, begrudging Apex enthusiast, sushi-fashion fuser, hex code enforcer, and all-around nice guy- serves as the branding coordinator on the 2014 Planning Committee. Besides teaching us about lockup and making our words pretty, Kevin also was responsible for the design of our 2014 theme logo. You remember, this one:
Like most logos, this one was only realized after a long process of visual research and distillation. We wanted to hear more about exactly how Kevin arrived at this final product (which we are pretty jazzed about), so we sat down with him and went over how he pictured wayfinding.
Where did you start when you found out the theme would be wayfinding? What did it immediately make you think of, and how did that evolve as you did more research?
The first thing I did when I heard the theme was wayfinding was what I do with all branding projects- research. This quickly brought me to a wikipedia page where wayfinding is defined as "encompassing all of the ways in which people and animals orient themselves in physical space and navigate from place to place" and spanned fields as diverse as urban planning, architecture, experiential graphic design, psychology, etc.
I then started to look at certain patterns within wayfinding systems and how they themselves tend to be branded. Originally I thought of incorporating the pin dot. Yeah you know, the one EVERYONE uses.
We all have to start somewhere...
I also looked into using a map of the Providence landscape. But I felt that these approaches were a little too generic and that I could think of something better. I really wanted to think of wayfinding in more abstract terms The real breakthrough came when I found "The Pittsburgh Wayfinder System".
How did you narrow down your associations with the theme to a few that could work for a logo? What did your first drafts look like?
These are some drafts of how the logo was going to look in the early stages. I didn’t start thinking about it more abstractly until a little later in the design stages- I started out with the pindot, the topography of Providence, and colors inspired by Rhode Island. Though I began by sticking closely to Providence's actual street layout, as I made more drafts I started seeing new ways of simplifying it.
How did you narrow down your choices and select the final one? What was the process of refining the finished logo?
After thinking more abstractly about wayfinding, I rethought my initial drafts and narrowed my focus to Providence topography.I decided to look specifically at the College Hill area where the conference takes place. I divided it into two parts representing the two schools.The blue would represent Brown University, the red would represent RISD, and the yellow would represent the streets that run between the two campuses.
I started with a top-down point of view. While I thought I was getting closer to an end, I was still missing the right element- the weight felt wrong so I tried several configurations.
It still didn't feel right. I tried a second approach- looking at the hill from the side instead of the top. Eventually this was chosen to be the direction to go in.
Our committee convened and was set on the following draft:
However when we talked about it at the final meeting, one of the committee members suggested taking off the dots to see how it would look:
All of us decided that this looked better. I then got some final refining advice from a fellow RISD student and it became the logo we have today:
To what extent did you involve the rest of the BWxD committee in your design process?
They give me a good perspective on how someone who isn’t as caught up in the design world thinks. Usually they tend to think more about function, while I enjoy thinking more about the form. This helps create a nice balance to my work.
What role do you think the logo plays in participant's experience of the 2014 conference and the concept of the theme? Why do you think it is important?
I think the logo synthesizes, in a visual sense, what this conference is all about. Just how the red, blue and yellow pieces come together to create the logo, different people from different locations come together with their different paths (represented by the lines) to create the amazing experience that is Better World. The wayfinding logo embodies this idea and lets everyone know that they are a part of this conference and that we’re happy to have them be a part of it.
I first heard about Pneu Haus in an open meeting for Brown’s Light Lab, a project-focused design collective put together by graduate students in the Digital Media department. I had attended the meeting with the intention of securing a “projector gun” to use at A Better World by Design. I’d had my eyes on it for some time, but courting its designer wasn’t going quite as planned. It turns out some people are hesitant to rent out very delicate and expensive equipment that they painstakingly assembled piece-by-piece. Psh, creatives... (right guys?)
The visit was was looking like a bust and I was nearly ready to sneak out, my dignity intact but not totally unscathed. It seemed as if my bubble was burst, and only a team of highly-trained pneumatic technicians could re-inflate my spirit.
Luckily for me, across the table sat two highly-trained pneumatic technicians.
After some diligent eavesdropping, I learned that Augie and Matt were furniture students at RISD working on a joint thesis involving large-scale inflatable installations. One carefully crafted Facebook message later, I’d begun what would turn out to be quite a fruitful relationship with these burgeoning wonder-architects. The group has since expanded, adding two members and taking on the moniker Pneu Haus. In the last six months they’ve taken over RISD’s museum, saved a wedding, and taught the Providence youth to juggle.
This year, they’re teaming up with BWxD to bring you something beautiful (the details of which we can’t fully disclose, but we might be convinced to leak a few hints). We sent a few questions their way to get a peek inside their creative bubble.
What's your square one and how do you build from there?
The square is more of a circle for us: there is no real starting point. Our new ideas grow as we work both individually and as a group. When our ideas and ways of working are put next to each other, they begin to filter themselves into the basis of the next project. Once involved within the process of making, each of us continue to generate new inspirations from manipulating material and form. The one thread that holds all these disparate thoughts together is discovery: what can we do or make that we have not yet done before? It is a constant cycle.
What's the last great article you read or exhibit you went to?
Augie- A circus tent that I came across in Berlin: I got to see so many different ways people play with gravity.
Matt- Piano smashing: watching a meticulously created object be obliterated by a sledge hammer.
Levi- Venice Beinnale: Effects of modernity around the world.
Hunter- “The Sound of The Birds” by Richard Allen, October Magazine Fall 2013.
Write us a haiku.
I heard a guy made
an app to navigate malls
who never came back.
Stay tuned for more from our friends at Pneu Haus… This week we’ll be taking a field trip to their studio and reporting back on our findings.
BWxD PSA: Watch out for these guys, they’re kind of blowing up.
John is in his second year at Brown University and this is his first conference on the committee. He had quite a few "a-ha!" moments at BWxD last year, and he recommends you attend this year's conference to see what he's talking about.
