We all know the plight of the typical industrial designer: make (more) stuff; repeat. But with the nexus of vast technical abilities and support systems to deliver ideas, where does responsibility and “design sensitivity” come into play? How will we be able to design with an understanding that every design decision is connected in some →
Spring came early this year for the MASD program. Although Minneapolis is shattering historical records for extreme winter weather without any sign of spring in sight, we are tickled to announce the rebirth of the MCAD Sustainable Design blog in all of its colorful glory. For us, our blog redesign is like the first intrepid →
Arlene Birt (MDes) is an information designer who is dedicated to sharing the ‘visual stories’ of companies’ sustainable products and services. We recently caught up with her to discuss her career with Background Stories as well as her new Summer 2014 fully online course devoted to the subject of how to communicate sustainability stories, Visual →
Curt McNamara is an experienced engineer, biomimicry educator and Buckminster Fuller scholar. We recently caught up with him to discuss his career as well as his fully online course devoted to the subject of nature-inspired design and Bucky Fuller’s work called, Nature’s Design Rules for Sustainability. This is a 10-week course that is a core →
With increasing focus on sustainability, companies are eager to tell their customers how they are working to preserve the environment. At the same time, consumers are demanding transparency from companies. Traditionally, eco-labels or similar “stamps of approval,” have helped bridge communications between companies and consumers about environmentally friendly products. But as the movement toward sustainability →
Classes just ended. Final grades have been submitted. Final meetings have taken place. The calm after the storm of the semester is beginning to descend upon the school. Take this between-semester breather to slow down, hit the brakes a bit, relax, recharge, unwind, reflect, and play. We wish you and yours much peace and happiness →
Have you ever noticed that there always seems to be a dearth of one commodity in particular? It’s intangible yet the most precious thing we have. TIME. During my recent cycling trip across 4 states (Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota) to raise money for the students of MCAD’s MA in Sustainable Design, the luxury →
The desire to tackle all efforts from a sustainability perspective has been growing for some time. From protests causing major manufacturers like Mattel and Lego to rethink their purchases from old growth forests, to the rise of Fair Trade and Certified Organic goods, to the severe punishments doled out to wrongdoers in China over issues →
Last month a new app quietly appeared on the Apple app store. Created by engineers and designers at Nike for apparel designers and driven by their cradle-to-gate Materials Sustainability Index (MSI),[1] The Making App represents a new development in sustainable design.[2] One that is designer-focused and user-friendly. Intended as an educational tool that works using →
The design studio has essentially remained unchanged for the last century. Seasoned designers, no matter how progressive, are oft quick to declare, “how it’s done” following a workflow and studio model they were trained to follow, without ever wondering why. Most studios operate using a top-down management model similar to the one illustrated below. Orders →