I’m working on a long, big, involved writing project. Have been since January 2007. The good old fashioned way. Not in tweets, posts, or PowerPoint. In chapters. In order to do this, I split the scene and ended up in Paris and then two years later, on the Mediterranean coast, in a markedly less [...]

When you are a designer in Barcelona, you usually have your hands in many pots — it’s the most free-flowing creative place I’ve ever seen, there are no restrictions and design is a virtue — so it’s not surprising to see Julia Pelletier’s site lists her projects as including everything from costumes for Madame Butterfly [...]

I was asked the question.  I started to write an off the cuff list.  Here it is: * Crowdsourcing the solution to function and design questions. * The intelligent craftsperson is the visual world’s thought leader. * A challenge to the primacy of traditional currency – a resurgence and innovation in barter. * The most useful and most simple [...]

Patrizia Moroso, creative director of the Italian design company, Moroso, created an homage to African design at Salone del Mobile 2009 and then again at ICFF, collaborating with a slew of star designers including Ayse Birsel & Bibi Seck and Patricia Urquiola.  The work is nothing short of phenomenal. Me-Design magazine says: “2009 looks set [...]

How I went to a Mali culture and design expo and ended up befriending and creating a blog for an inspiring and charitable design co-op from Mali two days later in my apartment. Hugs all around.

I made a new friend from Mali here in Barcelona. Just around the corner from the church he has a store in bright yellow with: handmade watering cans of recycled tins plastic woven rugs in all sizes and colors a cloth patchwork map of Africa sewn on a pillowcase huge colorful straw baskets wire mobiles and best of all, these [...]

This piqued my curiosity (see post on top of this one). These are like Madonna ‘goomie’ bracelets in glorious African colors. Who were the women behind them -and how could I make them available from the artisan to your doorstep? I happened upon the story of Rose Bere, a woman from Burkina Faso, just [...]

“All garments are produced in Ghana by highly skilled tailors and seamstresses. The highest standards in garment production is an integral part of Sika’s mission. We work very closely with local traders and manufacturers to produce quality garments for the international market. By generating regular income for those involved, we are able to give back [...]

This was sent to me by my Friend Melissa Sterry of Societas. Submit! Creative Graduate Prize 2009 Launches. Founded in 2005 by web platform Medium Magazine and innovation agency and think tank Societás – the Creative Graduate Prize kick-starts the careers of talented visual arts graduates, bringing their work to the attention of leaders [...]

New York Times 1/3/09 article, Design Loves a Depression and Moss Owner’s Angry Response