Social Design Notes
http://backspace.com/notes/
en2012-01-26T14:16:21-05:00Things to Be
http://backspace.com/notes/2012/01/things-to-be.php
Happy birthday Angela Davis. The quote is from this talk of hers on how change happens. If inclined you can download the image as a PDF....john2012-01-26T14:16:21-05:00Tahrir, Revolution, and Design
http://backspace.com/notes/2012/01/tahrir-revolution-and-design.php
Stunning photos today of the millions of Egyptians out in the streets to commemorate the start of the revolution a year ago that turned out Mubarak — and to demand transition from military to civilian rule. A few things have...john2012-01-25T21:17:45-05:00Neutral and Not
http://backspace.com/notes/links/2012/01/neutral-vs-neutral.php
Neutral and Not.
“But although Wikipedia’s articles are neutral, its existence is not.… We depend on a legal infrastructure that makes it possible for us to operate. And we depend on a legal infrastructure that also allows other sites to host user-contributed material, both information and expression.”
Thrilling to see Wikipedia, Reddit, Google, Slahdot, Tumblr and other big sites mobilizing their users to take action on a public policy issue today. Once you make that first call to your representative, you realize just how easy it is to call again on another issue as well.]]>john2012-01-18T13:14:11-05:00Visualizing Slumlords
http://backspace.com/notes/links/2012/01/visualizing-slumlords.php
Visualizing Slumlords. Using social nework analysis and information viauzliation to reveal patterns of real estate ownership, kinship, finance, and a conspiracy to sidestep housing violations. The methodology was used by tenants to successfully sue absentee landlords. ]]>john2012-01-14T06:19:41-05:00Bank of America ATM
http://backspace.com/notes/links/2012/01/bank-of-america-atm.php
Bank of America ATM. Activists in San Francisco updated all 85 Bank of America ATMs in the city on Thursday with a sticker offering an alternative interface. Designed to match the existing BoA ATM interface, the new menus offered a list of things BoA customers’ money is being used for, including investment in coal-fired power plants, foreclosure on Americans’ homes, bankrolling of climate change, and paying for fat executive bonuses. More at http://bankruptingamerica.tumblr.com ]]>john2012-01-14T04:55:22-05:00I will not design chairs in 2012
http://backspace.com/notes/links/2011/12/i-will-not-design-chairs-the-year-2012.php
I will not design chairs in 2012.
A design manifesto from Finland:
“We believe that the world already has enough chairs. Designing new ones only takes time away from renovating the ones we already have. Consider this the ultimate challenge for you to rethink how sustainable design should be manifested.”
My favorite part: “Best designers think ‘how not to.’”
Added to my growing list of design manifestos.]]>john2011-12-08T07:35:08-05:00When You're in Riot Gear
http://backspace.com/notes/2011/12/when-youre-in-riot-gear.php
I thought this Tweet was poignant, so put together this sketch. Download a printable PDF or a high resolution JPG. Ordering Posters and Flyers You can purchase color posters from ShortRunPosters. 18" x 24" posters start at $3 (plus...john2011-12-02T08:16:47-05:00AIDS is Not Over
http://backspace.com/notes/2011/12/aids-is-not-over.php
Poster design by Chaz Maviyane-Davies for World AIDS Day....john2011-12-01T13:41:55-05:00David Harvey at Occupy London
http://backspace.com/notes/2011/11/david-harvey-at-occupy-london.php
Marxist geographer and critical urbanist, Harvey breaks it down hard: “You cannot solve the problem of global poverty without going after the accumulation of global wealth. Until you leave your anti-poverty campaigns and join the anti-wealth campaign, nothing is going...john2011-11-30T12:14:23-05:00Design Power
http://backspace.com/notes/2011/11/design-power.php
Hacking on a workshop plan and thoroughly appreciating Power - A Practical Guide for Facilitating Social Change: “Power can be the ability to act visibly in ways that affect others, but it is also the power to act behind closed...john2011-11-29T09:53:52-05:00Occuprint
http://backspace.com/notes/links/2011/11/occuprint.php
Occuprint.
The 4th printed issue of The Occupied Wall Street Journal was a special edition composed entirely of posters. 20,000 copies were printed and distributed throughout the movement. Since then, the project website has attracted a growing number of poster submissions from around the world, each available as a printable PDF.
The site will soon post DIY suggestions, how-to videos, and other resources for anyone who wants to open a free occupation PrintLab. ]]>john2011-11-28T00:04:37-05:00Follow the Money
http://backspace.com/notes/2011/11/follow-the-money.php
The tents have been cleared from the park, but the currency of ideas still circulate. Occupy George is a lovely Occupy Wall Street intervention that visually describes disparities in U.S. wealth on a bit of the wealth itself. It’s infographics...john2011-11-24T08:54:15-05:00Posters Against Violence in Teen Relationships
http://backspace.com/notes/2011/11/posters-against-violence-in-teen-relationships.php
This summer Artists Nicole Schulman and Tanya Albrigtsen-Frable worked with 15 young women, ages 14-18 in the in the Groundswell Community Mural Project Voices Her’d program to design a series of 8 posters for the organization Day One to...john2011-11-08T15:04:19-05:00FS Me
http://backspace.com/notes/links/2011/11/fs-me.php
FS Me.
“FS Me is [a type family] designed to aid legibility for those with learning disability. FS Me was researched and developed in conjunction with - and endorsed by - Mencap, the UK’s leading charity and voice for those with learning disability. Mencap receive a donation for each font licence purchased.”
Related: Read Regular, a typeface for people with dyslexia.]]>john2011-11-01T10:21:10-05:00What Do We Want?
http://backspace.com/notes/2011/10/what-do-we-want.php
Kind of a nerdy in-joke, I know, but I still think it works. Click through for a downloadable PDF. More Occupy Wall Street posters here....john2011-10-11T14:22:56-05:00
“But although Wikipedia’s articles are neutral, its existence is not.… We depend on a legal infrastructure that makes it possible for us to operate. And we depend on a legal infrastructure that also allows other sites to host user-contributed material, both information and expression.” 
]]>
A design manifesto from Finland: 
“FS Me is [a type family] designed to aid legibility for those with learning disability. FS Me was researched and developed in conjunction with - and endorsed by - Mencap, the UK’s leading charity and voice for those with learning disability. Mencap receive a donation for each font licence purchased.”