Design is Everywhere

This year is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and it just so happens to coincide with a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic. There’s an interesting phenomenon happening while the majority of the world’s human population is staying at home: we’re driving less, flying less, and consuming less; and as a result the earth is getting cleaner. This may be the first time in our lives that we can see how action on a massive scale can have an immediate, real impact on our environment. Perhaps COVID-19 presents an opportunity to hit the reset button on production and consumption practices that cause damage to the planet. One way designers can make an impact is by helping us move to a circular economy — an economy where our resources are in a closed loop, so we take materials once, make and consume, and then those resources are repurposed, then repurposed again and again in a closed loop. To discuss we’re joined by Bergen Hubert, Manager for Built Environment at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, a global nonprofit that certifies products within a circular economy; and Roxane Spears, VP of Sustainability in North America at Tarkett, and innovative flooring manufacturer with a number of Cradle to Cradle certified products.

https://designmuseumfoundation.org/003-the-big-reset-on-production/

Unless you’re an essential worker (thank you), you’re likely working from home right now. And for many of us, this is a whole new reality. With stay-at-home orders across the world, companies, and individuals are shifting to work remotely, at a scale we’re never seen before. How are they handling the challenges of this transition? Is the cat out of the bag on remote work, will we see more companies shift now that we’re all experiencing this paradigm? We discuss the challenges and ways forward with two experts: Tracy Brower, Ph.D. sociologist, and principal within Steelcase’s Applied Research + Consulting Group; and Richard Banfield, Vice President of Design Transformation at InVision, one of the largest, full distributed companies in the world. Plus our Weekly Dose of Good Design.

For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: 

https://designmuseumfoundation.org/002-remote-work

COVID-19 is straining our frontline healthcare workers and systems. As designers often do, they see a problem and they jump in with creativity, and they start making things. We are seeing individual designers, collectives, and 3D-printing factories all springing into action to help. We discuss the global design relief response with George White, Chief Innovation Officer at Cantina, and interview Gustavo Fontana, Founder and Creative Director at Fresco Design who is leading an effort called UShield.us to mass-produce face shields and distribute them to hospitals around the country. Plus our Weekly Dose of Good Design.

In this preview episode, hosts Sam Aquillano and Liz Pawlak introduce each other and discuss their vision for Design is Everywhere — the new podcast from Design Museum Everywhere.