In her 41 years as a professional designer, Paula Scher has dealt with a lot of egos. That’s why she has become a mastermind of…
OFF THE (COLOR) CHARTS
Meteorologists are running out of colors to map extreme heat
Global warning is upending weather maps. With temperatures reaching a near-record high of 119°F (48°C) in Arizona earlier this week, meteorologists ran out of colors…
JUDGING A BOOK
Puffin has radically redesigned the covers of classic children’s books using Pantone colors
You’ve seen it in cosmetics, Starbucks coffee cups, and even hospital scrubs, and now Pantone mania has infiltrated the children’s book section. A series of…
RURAL REVIVAL
A 13th-century ruin listed on Airbnb is a dreamy mix of old and new
Sleep doesn’t come easy when you’re living in a dream. Earlier this month, I spent a night tossing and turning, overwhelmed by an enchanting 13th-century…
FRAKTA MANIA
IKEA is releasing a version of its iconic shopping bag made from potato chip wrappers
Two Egyptian women have redesigned a Swedish classic in the name of sustainability. Attendees of last week’s IKEA Democratic Design open house in Älmhult, Sweden…
SPACIOUS
IKEA designers are training with NASA’s space architect to come up with ideas for compact storage
A crew of IKEA designers embarked on a special kind of space research last week. Their mission: Explore space-saving solutions for tiny homes and extreme…
SCRIPTED
The crucial forgotten rule for thanking other people
You don’t have to be a good writer to write a great thank-you note. There’s plenty of advice about the correct way to write letters…
Apple design chief Jony Ive is the new chancellor of the world’s best design school
He’s the design genius behind the iMac, iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Apple’s new $5 billion headquarters in Cupertino, California, and he’s also been knighted by…
DESIGNED TO MOVE
Airbnb’s co-founder designed a line of furniture that snaps together like Lego
Anyone who’s ever schlepped furniture through various moves knows the challenge of getting old pieces to fit into new spaces. This conundrum has dogged Airbnb’s…
RECYCLED CONTENT
Design nerds can’t get enough of these ’70s US government brand manuals
A corporate brand manual is not a fun read. It is a litany of rigid specifications for standardizing the look of print and web-based communication,…
NEW INTELLIGENCE
The people who fight hacking and cybercrime are turning to designers for help
Not all intelligence analysts wear plain suits and grim expressions. At the IBM Design studios in Austin, Texas, a team of 30 designers are enthusiastically…
ROAD TRIP
Architects have identified the 10 most beautiful gas stations in the world
Gas stations are among the least celebrated works of architecture. While most drivers dart in and out as quickly as they can, editors of the…
