http://backspace.com/notes/ en 2010-03-15T22:18:36-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/2010/03/the-news-aesthetic.php Very funny meta-newscast breaking down the style of truth in TV journalism: With nearly a million and a half views, you may have already seen it. But it’s news to me so I thought I’d share.... john 2010-03-15T22:18:36-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/03/flow-lamp.php Flow Lamp. A self-powered lamp post for illuminating public spaces in developing countries, this bamboo wind turbine charges LEDs, and is both cheap and recyclable. What started out as a graduate thesis will be going into production soon.]]> john 2010-03-15T21:53:17-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/03/green-patriot-posters.php Green Patriot Posters. A call for poster designs to be included in a forthcoming book on contemporary graphic design promoting sustainability and the fight against climate change. Deadline is March 27th! ]]> john 2010-03-15T21:41:27-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/02/death-penalty.php Design Against the Death Penalty. The death penalty will be the next focus of Poster for Tomorrow, an international, collaborative poster project. The project will culminate on October 10, 2010, the world day against the death penalty coordinated by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty. Posters are intended to be used by campaigners around the world and will be chosen in part for their reproducibility. The call for entries will open on April 10 with posters due in June. The project is run by 4tomorrow an independent, non-profit organization based in Paris that promotes active citizenship through the medium of design. ]]> john 2010-02-25T13:12:25-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/02/always-wear-your-seatbelt.php Always Wear Your Seatbelt. Stunning short video from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. The whole ad is one a simple, slightly surreal scene, but touches a deep, emotional place — a similar place to the recent Google ad, another simple, powerful video that’s surreal in its own way. Nicely done. (Via)]]> john 2010-02-19T00:15:41-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/2010/02/free-business-card-printing.php Fans of this blog, Next Day Flyers got in touch to offer free printing of 1,000 standard business cards to one lucky reader. These are glossy, full color, double-sided and would make a nice subversive palm card for a... john 2010-02-18T10:32:48-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/02/job-loss-to-recovery.php Job Loss to Recovery. The Obama administration has posted an infographic to bolster claims that a year after its signing, the Recovery Act is working wonders. I get the point, but the y-axis label is confusing: wouldn’t negative job loss be the same as job creation? Regardless, I had a different picture of the recovery.
]]> john 2010-02-17T12:18:28-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/02/when-fear-turns-graphic.php When Fear Turns Graphic. “Switzerland stunned many Europeans, including not a few Swiss, when near the end of last year the country, by referendum, banned the building of minarets... A poster was widely cited as having galvanized votes for the Swiss measure but was also blamed for exacerbating hostility toward immigrants and instigating a media and legal circus.” ]]> john 2010-02-15T10:27:11-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/2010/02/three-little-words.php Artist Unknown. Via. Happy Valentine’s Day!... john 2010-02-14T11:33:45-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/2010/02/nonprofit-design.php How does one make design for social change sustainable and scalable? To build a replicable model and an enduring momentum? As someone who’s worked with non-profits for many years, I’ve occasionally thought about perhaps starting a non-profit of my own... john 2010-02-12T09:59:41-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/02/impact-design-for-social-change.php Impact: Design for Social Change. This summer SVA will hold a six-week intensive workshop on design for social change in New York City. Sessions will focus on developing a collaborative project as well as your own non-client-based project — and funding it.]]> john 2010-02-11T16:24:44-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/2010/02/tracking-the-recovery.php Sources: CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics.... john 2010-02-01T10:30:31-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/2010/01/howard-zinn.php Yesterday, Howard Zinn passed away. A former World War II bombardier turned life-long activist, teacher, and radical historian, Zinn inspired and touched the lives of many. His watershed book A People’s History of the United States told the stories of... john 2010-01-28T13:04:33-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/01/font-aid-iv.php Font Aid IV. The Society of Typographic Aficionados is calling for designers to submit a black and white "ampersand" icon to build a collaborative font that will be sold to raise funds for relief efforts in Haiti. Previous Font Aid fonts have benefitted UNICEF to help war and disaster refugees, victims of the September 11 tragedies in the US, and relief efforts in countries affected by the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis.]]> john 2010-01-25T17:27:34-05:00 http://backspace.com/notes/links/2010/01/26-well-designed-websites-that-help-haiti.php 26 Well Designed Websites that Help Haiti. Maps and large photos of suffering children are a frequent motif, but the sites do present a modest range of development approaches. I’m also interested in what’s happening at CrisisCommons, rapidly developing open source community technology projects for humanitarian relief.

Update 3/21/2010: the open source project Ushahidi has had some good press lately about its role in the Hatian and Chilean earthquake relief efforts, mapping the crisis and response with text-messages.]]> john 2010-01-25T17:19:36-05:00