Collaborative Platforms Empower Citizens To Shape Their Communities [My Ideal City] - PSFK Participatory online platforms and visual tools are lowering the barriers to participation and empowering citizens to design their communities. These crowd planning systems facilitate an open dialogue between city agencies and the people they serve, establishing a structured process for collaboration and encouraging a higher level of participation at the civic level. By seeking input throughout the development process, these crowd-planned systems help ensure greater transparency and buy-in that ultimately results in an end solution that meets the actual needs of the population. Winka Dubbeldam, celebrated architect and principal of Archi-Tectonics, has most recently lent her expertise to a crowdsourced plan to revitalize Bogota, Colombia called MyIdealCity. She told PSFK.com that the future of urban planning is in crowd planning: Initiatives of governing institutions that tap into the local intelligence will greatly enhance the public’s participation, and will help get a much more direct , real-time response that can adjust to the new directions of peoples’ needs. This demands an understanding of the word intelligence in the wider sense and a real commitment of the governing bodies in actually giving immediate feedback, and executing all.

 Collaborative Platforms Empower Citizens To Shape Their Communities [My Ideal City] - PSFK

Participatory online platforms and visual tools are lowering the barriers to participation and empowering citizens to design their communities. These crowd planning systems facilitate an open dialogue between city agencies and the people they serve, establishing a structured process for collaboration and encouraging a higher level of participation at the civic level. By seeking input throughout the development process, these crowd-planned systems help ensure greater transparency and buy-in that ultimately results in an end solution that meets the actual needs of the population.

Winka Dubbeldam, celebrated architect and principal of Archi-Tectonics, has most recently lent her expertise to a crowdsourced plan to revitalize Bogota, Colombia called MyIdealCity. She told PSFK.com that the future of urban planning is in crowd planning:

Initiatives of governing institutions that tap into the local intelligence will greatly enhance the public’s participation, and will help get a much more direct , real-time response that can adjust to the new directions of peoples’ needs. This demands an understanding of the word intelligence in the wider sense and a real commitment of the governing bodies in actually giving immediate feedback, and executing all.

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“IBM on Brand” by Jon Iwata (by VSA Partners)

Capturing the character of the IBM brand

In this two-minute tour, the roots of the IBM brand are traced to the company’s management of its character. Narrated by Jon Iwata, IBM Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, “IBM on Brand” draws from VSA’s longstanding collaboration with IBM, which now spans nearly 20 years and encompasses our work as brand agency of record.

“_____ on Brand” is a series of short films created by VSA Partners to capture the current thinking behind leadership brands—specifically, their origins and intent, audiences and ingredients, and business or societal impact.

vsapartners.com/design-agency/capturing-the-character-of-the-ibm-brand/

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The point of transmedia is to get out a story that fosters connections

Purposeful Storytelling: How Designing With, Instead of For, Promotes Understanding |Technology on GOOD

My theory is that storytelling in the 21st century has an opportunity to be transformative in a way that enables those formerly known as the audience to become collaborators. Thanks to the democratization of tools to create and distribute media, the formerly top-down entertainment industry is now bubbling up with new stories and business models.

So at Columbia, we are working to build a Story Design lab that mixes narrative design, game mechanics, and design science to tackle social problems. Last week, we concluded a pilot for the Story Design lab. Columbia students and former foster kids (one being filmmaker Lydia Joyner) worked together to build an immersive storytelling experience. Participants came to realize that this was not just a sci-fi tale, but a story rooted in the experiences and feelings that our collaborating foster kids went through when they aged out of care. By designing with instead of designing for, the students and former foster kids built an experience that created emotional connections and empathy for those who age out of care.

— Lina Srivastava

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In Eye Control, A Promise To Let Your Tablet Go Hands-Free : All Tech Considered : NPR The open-source software produced by the Gaze Group uses infrared light to track the pupils of users’ eyes, allowing them to control the cursor on a mobile or desktop computer.

In Eye Control, A Promise To Let Your Tablet Go Hands-Free : All Tech Considered : NPR

The open-source software produced by the Gaze Group uses infrared light to track the pupils of users’ eyes, allowing them to control the cursor on a mobile or desktop computer.

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  Belgian Hackers Let You Build Circuit Boards on the Web | Wired Enterprise | Wired.com The rise of low-cost, hacker-friendly electronics is fueling a new wave of hardware hobbyists. Using programmable boards like the Arduino and dirt-chip computers like the Raspberry Pi, you can build everything from your very own supercomputers to an internet-connected beer fermentation refrigeration system. But Belgium startup called Circuits.io wants to take this trend even further. It wants to give you the power to build your own custom circuit boards. Historically, that’s been expensive and difficult for hobbyists to do, but Circuits.io wants to change that by offering a web-based circuit board design system made especially for hobbyists complete with library of open source component designs. And soon it will also offer a CafePress-style print-on-demand service for circuit boards.

  Belgian Hackers Let You Build Circuit Boards on the Web | Wired Enterprise | Wired.com

The rise of low-cost, hacker-friendly electronics is fueling a new wave of hardware hobbyists. Using programmable boards like the Arduino and dirt-chip computers like the Raspberry Pi, you can build everything from your very own supercomputers to an internet-connected beer fermentation refrigeration system.

But Belgium startup called Circuits.io wants to take this trend even further. It wants to give you the power to build your own custom circuit boards.

Historically, that’s been expensive and difficult for hobbyists to do, but Circuits.io wants to change that by offering a web-based circuit board design system made especially for hobbyists complete with library of open source component designs. And soon it will also offer a CafePress-style print-on-demand service for circuit boards.

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Redesigning Highway Signs, To Talk To Your Smartphone | Co.Design But the most radical components of Manual’s redesign can be found when you’re getting off the highway. The group’s proposal calls for every exit sign to be fitted with a wireless transmitter, connecting it to a smartphone app provided by the Department of Transportation. As drivers zoom down the interstate, the app would update dynamically with information on restaurants, gas stations, and local points of interest found at the exits ahead.

Redesigning Highway Signs, To Talk To Your Smartphone | Co.Design

But the most radical components of Manual’s redesign can be found when you’re getting off the highway. The group’s proposal calls for every exit sign to be fitted with a wireless transmitter, connecting it to a smartphone app provided by the Department of Transportation. As drivers zoom down the interstate, the app would update dynamically with information on restaurants, gas stations, and local points of interest found at the exits ahead.

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Of Bears, Bats, and Bees: Making Sense of the Internet of Things | Blog | design mind The Internet of Things (or IoT) is finally going mainstream. Not only do I read about it frequently online, but I’m now talking about it with clients at frog. Unfortunately, as it has become popular, it has also grown to the point where it can span everything from home Wi-Fi networks to smart cities. Much like the story of the three blind men describing an elephant, the essence of IoT depends on your point of view. What we need is a simple breakdown, both physically and functionally, so we can discuss the many facets and challenges ahead. The simplest is to start by device category as there is a huge range of devices that can be thought of as being part of the Internet of Things. Fortunately, there are really only three broad physical categories: Bears, Bats, and Bees.

Of Bears, Bats, and Bees: Making Sense of the Internet of Things | Blog | design mind

The Internet of Things (or IoT) is finally going mainstream. Not only do I read about it frequently online, but I’m now talking about it with clients at frog. Unfortunately, as it has become popular, it has also grown to the point where it can span everything from home Wi-Fi networks to smart cities. Much like the story of the three blind men describing an elephant, the essence of IoT depends on your point of view.

What we need is a simple breakdown, both physically and functionally, so we can discuss the many facets and challenges ahead. The simplest is to start by device category as there is a huge range of devices that can be thought of as being part of the Internet of Things. Fortunately, there are really only three broad physical categories: Bears, Bats, and Bees.

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Innovation Excellence | The Rise of Social Innovation Many different flavors of social collaboration explained in this paper provide an overview of the possible, the probable and the actual from a somewhat theoretical perspective. One interesting take-away: Social Innovation includes two directions, partnerships and revised value chains as well as “user integration” into product design.

Innovation Excellence | The Rise of Social Innovation

Many different flavors of social collaboration explained in this paper provide an overview of the possible, the probable and the actual from a somewhat theoretical perspective. One interesting take-away: Social Innovation includes two directions, partnerships and revised value chains as well as “user integration” into product design.

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Growing A Museum by F. Marek Modzelewski — Kickstarter

Growing (Literally) A Contemporary Art Museum 

Overview

For this project, I will plant a field of wheat that will be harvested, turned into strawbales —a safe, green, and proven construction material — that will be used to build a museum of contemporary art.  The field  that supplies the wheat, will in turn become the grounds for the museum. 

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A ‘Vertical Greenhouse’ Could Make a Swedish City Self-Sufficient The future of urban farming is under construction in Sweden as agricultural design firm Plantagon works to bring a 12-year-old vision to life: The city of Linköping will soon be home to a 17-story “vertical greenhouse.” Check out the story on GOOD.is→  via good:

A ‘Vertical Greenhouse’ Could Make a Swedish City Self-Sufficient

The future of urban farming is under construction in Sweden as agricultural design firm Plantagon works to bring a 12-year-old vision to life: The city of Linköping will soon be home to a 17-story “vertical greenhouse.”

Check out the story on GOOD.is→ 

via good:

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Contour Crafting is a construction technology that potentially reduces energy use and emissions by using a rapid-prototype or 3-D printing process to fabricate large components. Comprised of robotic arms and extrusion nozzles, a computer-controlled gantry system moves the nozzle back and forth, squeezing out layers of concrete or other material to fabricate a form. The ultimate goal is to print a house in a day while drastically reducing material and energy consumption.

Why Design Now?: Contour Crafting (by cooperhewitt)

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BOXX electric bike: two wheels, four corners, all-electric transport for one — Engadget Has bicycle design reached its pinnacle? Or are electric bike manufacturers just not trying hard enough? The YikeBike begs to differ, and here joining it is BOXX Corporation’s diminutive BOXX. Coming in at just under a meter (or 36-inch inches) long, the 120 pound aluminum “bike” has a top speed of 35 miles per hour and can even haul up to 300 pounds of heft. Yet, despite that compact footprint, the company hasn’t skimped on tech, as it boasts traction control, anti-lock brakes and yes, even LED lights. Available in one of ten colors, $3,995 nets you a base 40-mile range model, which can optionally be doubled to 80 by ticking the $599 CORE 2 box.

BOXX electric bike: two wheels, four corners, all-electric transport for one — Engadget

Has bicycle design reached its pinnacle? Or are electric bike manufacturers just not trying hard enough? The YikeBike begs to differ, and here joining it is BOXX Corporation’s diminutive BOXX. Coming in at just under a meter (or 36-inch inches) long, the 120 pound aluminum “bike” has a top speed of 35 miles per hour and can even haul up to 300 pounds of heft. Yet, despite that compact footprint, the company hasn’t skimped on tech, as it boasts traction control, anti-lock brakes and yes, even LED lights. Available in one of ten colors, $3,995 nets you a base 40-mile range model, which can optionally be doubled to 80 by ticking the $599 CORE 2 box.

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