inspiring the inspiration: lines: black, white and gray

A big part of this blog is about inspiration.  I add elements as I come across them to the sparks section several times a day. While  these works, designs, buildings etc are definitely inspirational in their own right, I realized something last week.  A group of the work that I added to the sparks collection share a common feel.  Light, airy, linear, black, white, gray.

I didn't select these pieces all at once and definitley not purposefully to work together as a unit but in looking back at them as a group it is clear to me, that perhaps something else insprired me to be drawn to these pieces. Inspiring the inspiration.  

Anyway, I liked them so much as a group I decided to do this quick post.  I really love to see similar asesthetics spring up across different mediums.  

So here you have it.....lines: black, white and gray. Click on images to enlarge and for full information.

 

design to solve

As any good designer will tell you, "good" design is not purely defined by something looking nice, it must be a good solution to the problem or task it addresses.  A well-known quote by Charles Eames reiterates this definition:

Design is the appropriate combination of materials in order to solve a problem

Some of us look at the immediate design problems while others go further.  How can design solve larger problems such as global social and environmental problems?  Here is a small and growing list of groups, projects and networks *(and books) that use the creativity of design to empower change for the greater good.  Feel free to add any others you may know of in the comments section or via the contact form, I would love to keep this list growing.

Seeing design as a solution to large scale issues is inspiring to me.  It fuels a life-long goal/mission of mine, as a designer, to work in and bring awareness to the importance of socially and environmentally conscious design. Wanna help?  Check out links to what I have so far. (pages link to sites)

1. architecture for humanity:

2. open architecture network [by architecture for humanity]

3. Design 21

4. design incubator [pratt institute for sustainable innovation]

5. rural studio [auburn univerisity]

 6. design ignites change

7. social designer: goods for the greater good

 8. project h design

9. book: do good design by david b. berman

10. book: a design revolution:100 products that empower people by emily pilloton [via GOOD]