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From Project H Design
Adaptive eyecare glasses from Project H design
DIY Soccer Ball Tape- Marti Guixe
SpiderBoot anti-landmine footwear- AllenVanguard/Gad Shaanan
"DESIGN REVOLUTION ROAD SHOW"
MILLENNIUM PARK APRIL 5–6
Whether you''re just a hopeful soul looking to save the world or a designer pondering the general relevance of your industry, run-- do not walk-- to the Design Revolution show at Millenium Park. It's the real deal.
San Francisco-based design nonprofit Project H Design is bringing the Design Revolution Road Show, an exhibition of 40 items that utilize design as a tool for problem-solving and social action, to the Chase Promenade South of Chicago's Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph Street, April 5–6. Hosted by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), the exhibition features items showcased in SAIC alumna Emily Pilloton's (MFA 2005) critically acclaimed book "Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People." The exhibition is free and open to the public 10 a.m.–4 p.m. both days.
One of the New York Times' T magazine's (2009) up-and-coming "household names," Pilloton is touring the country to spread the word about design for the greater good. This SAIC stop will feature a lecture and conversation with Pilloton on Monday April 5 at 6 p.m. in the SAIC Ballroom, 112 S. Michigan Ave. The presentation is free and open to the public. The Design Revolution Road Show's mobile exhibition is housed in a 1972 Airstream trailer, which is pulled by a biodiesel-powered truck. Each product is a smart design solution to one of the following eight issues (as identified in Pilloton's book) that impact life: Water, Well-Being, Energy, Education, Play, Food, Mobility, or Enterprise. Products will be on view for visitors to experience, use, and touch.
The displayed products range from "Spiderboots"—footwear specifically designed to enable landmine detection teams to traverse dangerous areas—to the "Mobee," a toy designed specifically for children with cerebral palsy. Other items on display include the "Lifestraw," a portable handheld water filter that prevents common diseases, even when used to filter stagnant water; "Adaptive Eyecare," inexpensive liquid filled eyeglasses that individuals can adjust to their own prescription without assistance from a doctor; the "Solio," a solar-powered charger for handheld devices; and much more.
Each product is an example of how design can enable and improve life, rather than simply take up space as a commodity or accessory. "As some creative professionals and designers have begun to rethink their traditional consumer-based practices, prioritizing design as a tool for problem solving and social action remains an urgent priority," says Project H founder Emily Pilloton and project manager Matthew Miller, who are traveling the nation with the tour in hope of enabling and empowering the next generation of creative problem solvers to apply their skills to the world's most pressing problems and improve life on a global scale. "We believe design can change the world, and we're taking the show on the road." "We are very proud to bring alumna Emily Pilloton back to Chicago with this fascinating and inspiring exhibition, and the opportunity to hear her speak about her projects firsthand is not to be missed," says Wellington Reiter, FAIA, President of School of the Art Institute of Chicago. "Her work with Project H, which focuses on design and how it can make a difference in the world, has our attention."
In all, The Design Revolution Road Show will visit over 30 design universities and high schools nationwide. By bringing the Design Revolution Road Show to students, Project H hopes to make a stronger connection between education and design, both as provocative and socially relevant subject matter and as a way to learn and teach problem solving through design thinking and creativity. The Design Revolution Road Show is a Project H Design initiative and has been made possible through the support of the Adobe Foundation, Sappi Paper's Ideas That Matter Grant Program and C2 LLC (Creative Capital).
For more information please visit: Design Revolution Road Show
I love the soccer ball tape. I bet that would be fun to play with in South Africa right now.
Posted by: Todd @BinaryHaiku | 2010.06.18 at 03:46 AM