Author Archives: By ALICE RAWSTHORN

Rays of Light Amid the Gloom

Thanks to his latest book, the Vinex Atlas, Joost Grootens was awarded the Netherlands’ most prestigious design award, the Rotterdam Design Prize.


Design: Designing for Humanity

Emily Pilloton, author of the book “Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People,” founded a nonprofit company rooted in action.


Design: Winning Ways of Making a Better World

The breadth of the winning projects of a biennial prize illustrates the dynamism of the fast-expanding field of humanitarian design.


Design: Fiddly, Fussy or Just Plain Ugly Kettles

The trusty, simple kettle doesn’t seem like the toughest of design tasks, but the latest models suffer from designers trying too hard to find something new.

Honoring the Heady Days of ‘Design-Art’

An exhibit in London ignores the modernist goal of making decent products for as many people as possible at the lowest price in favor of unique objects that tell a story.