contemporary Isotype descendant

by way of a post in the GOOD Magazine blog, http://www.good.is/?p=13752

The post indicates that this is a public service video released in order for the Japanese to deal with the emerging food cost/import/use of oil crisis. The execution and intent I notice are very similar to that of Neurath's ISOTYPES, simplified images and primary colors are used to create symbols which represent quantities and relationships between sets of data which might otherwise be complex, but whose comprehension by the majority of society is nessecary in order to resolve a current issue. Obviously the major difference is the dimension of time, which I think was used beautifully, showing how time affects the data as well as using time to narrow which data the audience learns in which order. The clip of two people sitting at a table and the food presented in front of them, is in itself a representation of a certain piece of data, and this is cemented in the viewer's mind each time the clip is repeated (even though the food changes). The two people sitting at the table with food in front of them is a universal communication that these people are going to consume this food.

The blog post also directs one to the US government's public service database, which at minimal investigation is filled with mostly live-action tapings about things the majority of society neither has any interest in, or even knows what is. Interesting.

John Bielenburg

Potential interviewee, John's work exhibits a strong commitment to the idea that designers have the potential and perhaps a responsibility to affect positive social change. Beginning with work produced in the early 1990's exhibiting this train of thought, his ideas were (hopefully) circulated around the design community by placing in design annual contests. Most recently his thinking and efforts have been channeled with what he calls "Thinking Wrong" in which we must ask ourselves to examine every possibility in order to move forward with the best solution. The definition as posted on the Project M website reads:

The human brain tends to think along pre-determined linear thought pathways. Such linear thinking can inhibit true innovation and creative exploration. Project M will encourage, and provide techniques for, “thinking wrong” to generate new ideas and design directions to challenge the status-quo.

He manifests this, primarily for young, fresh-out-of-school designers with a studio program he began running in 2003, called Project M.


http://www.projectmlab.com/



The outcome of these workshops are design pieces that function to promote awareness, raise money, but best of all, stimulate thought.

www.thisisnotgrass.com




www.buyameter.org

Examples I've come across

Freitag Bags: various handbags, computer bags, luggage ect. made from recycled materials that feature the previous life of the material as a selling point and a design element. http://www.freitag.ch/

Fabrica: Communication research at Fabrica services a wide variety of social causes and disciplines such as economics, social or environmental sciences. Fabrica’s aim is to grasp the future by giving innovative exposure to cultural or scientific projects which open a window onto tomorrow’s world." www.fabrica.it

xDesign Environmental Health Clinic: A seminar whose goal is to use design for environmental good. An example of their work is a product design: a lamp that comes with plants which are good at eliminating air toxins which come from the products in our home. http://www.nyu.edu/projects/xdesign/

Good Magazine: use a well designed magazine format to spread information www.GOODmagazine.com
>In particular their Transparency Section, and their new GOODsheet distributed at Starbucks

One Laptop Per Child: laptop.org

Impact Teen Drivers Campaign: Designed system includes website, videos, interactive web boards, posters featuring infographics and booklets. http://impactteendrivers.org/

American Apparel perhaps?