Research around the world shows a consistent pattern of failures in public sector policy and project implementation. Yet we continue to embark upon implementation built on bias and faulty logic.
Size and distance are difficult for the brain to work out at the same time.
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Optical illusions appear when our brains have trouble moulding raw sensory data into shapes and patterns. Designers have been exploiting this process for centuries.
Architect and designer Florence Knoll Bassett poses with her dog, Cartree, in this photograph circa 1950.
Courtesy Knoll Archive
Margaret Re, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Knoll is best known for transforming the design of America’s corporate offices. But she was also on the front lines of a State Department effort to promote American ingenuity and capitalism abroad.
For businesses to make a success of design thinking, they must exercise common sense by being clear about their goals and setting realistic targets.
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Design thinking isn’t a cure-all for every organization, nor is it a dying fad. But in the right circumstances, it can bring great value to a business.
Researchers studied whether subtly being exposed to different colors could change tipping behavior.
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Studies show a weak relationship between tip amounts and quality of service. But the color gold seems to have a way of making diners feel wealthier – and more generous.
Parent uplifting ceremony at Squamish Nation’s Totem Hall.
(Nadia Beyzaei)
A design team at Emily Carr University worked with families from the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation to support the development of healthy environments for children.
Portrait of Ruby Lindsay, published in The drawings of Ruby Lind, 1920.
Often overshadowed by her famous brothers, Ruby Lindsay found ways to challenge the restrictive gender roles of early-20th Century Australia.
Senior leaders need to move beyond design thinking as it’s often introduced in non-design-savvy settings, like business schools, and get to deep design thinking that inspires and ultimately produces results.
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The lamps that once lit London’s streets have come to symbolize a certain time and place in British history.
Record companies released stereo demonstration albums that showcased how sound could move from left to right, creating a sense of movement.
From the collection of Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder
Sixty years ago, stereo promised to forever change the way people listened to music. But how could record companies convince customers to buy a new record player, speakers and amplifier?
This wine label referenced bikinis and beaches. Thankfully, things have become a little more sophisticated since in our understanding of place.
Author provided
There is nothing to prepare us for the shock to the senses in the National Gallery of Victoria’s latest exhibition combining the works of M. C. Escher with Japanese design firm nendo.
Researchers have found people use the ‘like’ button on social media posts for many reasons.
Worawee Meepian
The cities we build in turn shape our society. So when so many of us feel lonely, we should aim to apply what we know about the social impacts of design to help people connect with each other.
Tiny Paley Park, surrounded by skyscrapers in New York City, introduced the concept of a ‘pocket park’ in dense urban centers.
Aleksandr Zykov/Flickr
Research shows that access to urban green space makes people and neighborhoods healthier. But parks can’t work their magic if their design ignores the needs of nearby communities.
Design is now being lauded as a much-needed mindset for business leaders – those seeking a customer-centred approach to innovation, reimagining operations and rethinking supply chains and financial models.
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New design executives are making the case that integrating design across an entire company will have a positive impact on employees, customers and the bottom line.
Famously feminized by the Nazis – and later used in prison cells to limit aggression in inmates – the color pink toes a shaky line between social psychology and gender stereotyping.
The on-paper designs for furniture belong to the designer, just like any other artists. But things get more complicated when designs become physical objects.
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