Welcome to Future Craft! This is a course concerned with exploring the social impacts of product design. This introduction touches on the major themes we will be exploring over the course of the semester (see the syllabus)
Global
Political
Global trade routes created centuries ago shape the materials and services available to designers. How can we understand and engage in the global impacts of product design? We will look at political and environmental forces shaping our products and the most promising ways to engage them.
Free and Open
The WHIRLWIND WHEELCHAIR project
Material
Food
Local
Sustainable
The MAGNO wooden radio: an example of design that considers the natural and social resources of a community
The OLPC and Design for Dissassembly
Rich Fletcher’s SOLAR PRINTER: a radically de-technologized solution
Personal
Ergonomic
AIMEE MULLINS and the CHEETAH PROSTHETIC
Enabling
OPENPROSTHETICS.ORG and the FISHING POLE PROSTHETIC
Introduction
Welcome to Future Craft! This is a course concerned with exploring the social impacts of product design. This introduction touches on the major themes we will be exploring over the course of the semester (see the syllabus)
Global
Political
Global trade routes created centuries ago shape the materials and services available to designers. How can we understand and engage in the global impacts of product design? We will look at political and environmental forces shaping our products and the most promising ways to engage them.
Free and Open
The WHIRLWIND WHEELCHAIR project
Material
Food
Local
Sustainable
The MAGNO wooden radio: an example of design that considers the natural and social resources of a community
The OLPC and Design for Dissassembly
Rich Fletcher’s SOLAR PRINTER: a radically de-technologized solution
Personal
Ergonomic
AIMEE MULLINS and the CHEETAH PROSTHETIC
Enabling
OPENPROSTHETICS.ORG and the FISHING POLE PROSTHETIC
Disruptive
Paris’ VELIB bicycle sharing system
AMANDA PARKES’ electricity-generating dress PIEZING