Came across this site with journal articles on graphic design. Below is an abstract from one that seemed to cross over into our territory. Somewhere in Connect we should speak to how gd people are involved in the solution for “wicked problems”.

Socially responsible design: thinking beyond the triple bottom line to socially responsive and sustainable product design

As the focus of product design has shifted from exclusively commercial to sustainability and social concerns, design education in this area has endeavoured to keep pace. Victor Papanek’s book Design for the real world, crystallised many of the systemic social, economic and environmental concerns into an argument for change through eco-design, inclusive design and, in business and corporate contexts, a triple bottom line of social, environmental and economic factors. Simultaneously, design has developed and evolved participatory and co-design approaches, with high-profile consultancies such as IDEO proving that early involvement of designers with ‘wicked’ social and environmental problems is possible. This position paper revisits Papanek’s agenda for industrial design, and examines the link with participatory approaches, and existing socially responsible design agendas and examples. Identifying eight critical features of socially sustainable product design, this paper suggests that Papanek’s original agenda for socially responsible and sustainable design has been partly fulfilled and must be developed further through the changed role of the designer as facilitator of flexible design solutions that meet local needs and resources.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15710882.2011.630473

Great article on how MICA and other schools are taking on a interdisciplinary focus.

Wednesday, 8 Aug 2012
http://www.cnbc.com/id/48568520

“This fall, name-brand schools like Hopkins, Northwestern University, the University of Michigan and Parsons School of Design are launching cross-disciplinary masters programs meant to make students more competitive in a changing economy.

While colleges have always tweaked their offerings, the newest crop of programs seems particularly designed for the times: They are multidisciplinary, job focused and often influenced by private industry. They typically involve mixing creativity with management; data-crunching skills with industry-specific content and science with business and management skills.”

“As Google revamps its New York City headquarters, TIME takes a look at its quirky new digs, complete with office-lounge slides, subway-themed conference rooms and free food.” Aug 7th 2012

The pages of 2wice, the performing arts publication designed by Pentagram’s Abbott Miller, have always provided a unique and innovative venue for dance. Now Miller has designed “Fifth Wall,” an interactive app for 2wice that transforms the iPad tablet into a new kind of performance space. Created in collaboration with the choreographer Jonah Bokaer and 2wice publisher Patsy Tarr, the app takes advantage of the unique spatial and physical parameters of the iPad.

http://new.pentagram.com/2012/06/new-work-2wice-fifth-wall-app/

Powerful fusion of performance art, poetry, history, and activism. Not related directly to GD but demonstrates an impacting way to get your message out.