KateAndrews is a Writer / Consultant living in London, UK.
Kate Andrews is an independent British design writer on social, ethical and ecological responsibility and practice in design. She writes for Inhabitat.com, has written for Eye Mag, Design21 and others. Working as a communications consultant Kate has facilitated projects for the likes of Greengaged, The Real Work Experience, Project H Design and the Affluenza Exhibition, and promoted, advised and contributed work to and for the New Economics Foundation, Do Good Design, the Feast on Good, Social Design Site and others. Kate is currently studying an MA in Design Writing Criticism at London College of Communication.KateAndrews’ website:
http://kateandrews.wordpress.com/
Filmed during the inaugural year during London Design Festival 2008, and featuring the voices of co-founders Sophie Thomas, Sarah Johnson and Anne Chick, and the UK Design Council’s Chief Executive David Kester, here’s a short film about Greengaged – the sustainable design hub.
Read & Discuss
On Sunday 28 June 2009 at London’s Conway Hall, Alice Rawsthorn (design critic of the International Herald Tribune, columnist for the New York Times and a leading authority on contemporary design) will host a ’sermon’ at The School of Life entitled “Alice Rawsthorn on Good Design”.
ABOUT the talk:
Read & DiscussThe numbers seem nutty. There are 6.5 billion people on this planet, 90 percent of whom can’t afford basic products and services. Half of them don’t have regular access to…
Last month I visited Oslo’s Design and Architecture Centre “DogA” and met with Karsten Gjefle of NorksForm and non-profit Design Without Borders. During our meeting he showed me some beautiful products from ZUMOS.
ZUMOS is a team of Maya Tz’utuhil weavers from San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala, who have been working with norwegian designer Heidi Strøm, creating innovative textile products.
The collection contains low volumes of unique, handmade pieces, carefully controlled to ensure high quality, exclusive designs. A collection of tablerunners, ties,…
Read & Discuss
Originally published on Design21.
London based Communication and Public Service Design agency thinkpublic and The Ideal Government Project are inviting everyone to help design better public services, in a competition called Mind the Gap.
The competition is an exciting collaboration between thinkpublic’s Real Work Experience – launched last November, and The Ideal Government’s “Wibbipedia”.
So, if you are a designer or someone who has an idea for improving public services, submit an idea! All you have to do is describe a…
Read & Discuss
Filmed during the inaugural year during London Design Festival 2008, and featuring the voices of co-founders Sophie Thomas, Sarah Johnson and Anne Chick, and the UK Design Council’s Chief Executive David Kester, here’s a short film about Greengaged – the sustainable design hub.
Read & Discuss
On Sunday 28 June 2009 at London’s Conway Hall, Alice Rawsthorn (design critic of the International Herald Tribune, columnist for the New York Times and a leading authority on contemporary design) will host a ’sermon’ at The School of Life entitled “Alice Rawsthorn on Good Design”.
ABOUT the talk:
Read & DiscussThe numbers seem nutty. There are 6.5 billion people on this planet, 90 percent of whom can’t afford basic products and services. Half of them don’t have regular access to…
Last month I visited Oslo’s Design and Architecture Centre “DogA” and met with Karsten Gjefle of NorksForm and non-profit Design Without Borders. During our meeting he showed me some beautiful products from ZUMOS.
ZUMOS is a team of Maya Tz’utuhil weavers from San Juan La Laguna, Guatemala, who have been working with norwegian designer Heidi Strøm, creating innovative textile products.
The collection contains low volumes of unique, handmade pieces, carefully controlled to ensure high quality, exclusive designs. A collection of tablerunners, ties,…
Read & Discuss
Originally published on Design21.
London based Communication and Public Service Design agency thinkpublic and The Ideal Government Project are inviting everyone to help design better public services, in a competition called Mind the Gap.
The competition is an exciting collaboration between thinkpublic’s Real Work Experience – launched last November, and The Ideal Government’s “Wibbipedia”.
So, if you are a designer or someone who has an idea for improving public services, submit an idea! All you have to do is describe a…
Read & Discuss
A simple, but ethically effective initiative was launched this week from NPO Project H Design.
‘The Hippo Roller is a simple rolling barrel device that allows the millions whose livelihoods depend on the daily fetching of water to more easily access and transport their daily water supply. The roller holds 3-4 days worth of water for a family of 7 [approx 5 times that of traditional methods].’
To read more about the project and get involved…
Read & Discuss
Design21 is indeed a marvellous initiative; for me it acts as a perfect platform in bridging design thinking with the worlds greatest social challenges.
Speaking to members of the Network team, they do assure me the community is steadily growing. I do however, continue to question how powerful individuals, as creatives, feel when they sign up to such online communities – are we really making a difference and using our individual creative skills to help make change, by merely being members to such communities? I feel frustrated as such a passionate communications designer that little “design” or thinking, comes from “signing up” to all these projects.
I have a plentitude of Social Design resources, but here is another one to add to this comment feed:
Sarah,
I really enjoyed ready this short note and then following your links to your website. With utopian visions, I often get criticised for dreaming and believing that I can make a difference; so truly I bathe in voices like yours… when I find them.
“Sometimes, all it takes is opening yourself up to opportunity – daring to dream – and having the faith to believe that it will happen regardless of the circumstances that surround you. When you focus on that destination and dream, anything can happen.”
Kate Andrews
Research Driven / Idea Centric
Great image find Andrew, it strongly reminded me of William Longhauser’s AIGA article Beyond Small Medium and Large, I quote;
“Mathematical perfection,.. ignores the fact that the visual world relies on imagination and illusion. The graphic designer needs a foot in both worlds and must reconcile these polar opposites. In a world where information about virtually everything is available instantly, it is rewarding to discover things that exist but remain hidden, invisible, unless perceived through observation. As we move forward, it is important to preserve the valuable human component to the process of making and visual thinking. While technology expands its influence on traditional means of thought and design, the role of the graphic designer will continue to evolve in new and unpredictable directions.”