Design
Packing List Series, Part 2: An Artist’s Illustrated Guide
With a watercolor sketchbook guide, Adolf Konrad drew on his talents to record his belongings
August 01, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Sherlock Holmes and the Tools of Deduction
Sherlock Holmes’s extraordinary deductions would be impossible without the optical technologies of the 19th century
July 31, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
When LBJ Ordered Pants From the White House
Johnson liked his Haggar slacks slack—and colorfully described a special custom-cut
July 30, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Deerstalker: Where Sherlock Holmes’ Popular Image Came From
The literary detective's hunting cap and cape came not so much from the books' author as from their illustrators
July 26, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Long Journey of Chief Joseph’s War Shirt
Important Native American artifact seen in Smithsonian portrait fetches $877,500 at Nevada auction
July 25, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Q&A: Archaeologist Unearths 600-year-old Bra in Castle
Though in tatters, the undergarment looks thoroughly modern. But was it comfortable!?
July 23, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The History of the Olympic Pictograms: How Designers Hurdled the Language Barrier
Infographic design first appeared at the Olympics in 1948, when the games were last in London.
July 20, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Mystery of 221B Baker Street
Our series on Design and Sherlock Holmes begins with an investigation into the location of the famous detective's London flat
July 18, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The End of Swimsuit Design Innovation
Design innovation often seems like a path with no end, but in competitive swimwear, we've found the point where ingenuity fundamentally changes the nature of the sport
July 16, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Why TED Founder Richard Saul Wurman Thinks TED Is So Last Century
The creator of the popular speaker series spent Friday at the Smithsonian talking about the next step in his prolific design career
July 16, 2012 |
By Leah Binkovitz
Remembering Bloomingdale’s Chairman, the Dearly Departed Martin Traub, 1925-2012
The department store chain's visionary executive beat the competition in exotic fashion flair
July 13, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
An Architect-Turned-Barista Draws a Fine Line Between Brewing and Design
As the finale to our coffee series, we talk with Yeekai Lim, an entrepreneur from Los Angeles, about coffee, design, and the common ground(s) they share
July 13, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Packing List Series, Part 1: Joan Didion
In 1979, "The White Album" gave smart women a straightforward guide to what to bring on a trip
July 11, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Swimsuit Series, Part 3: Is Today Truly the 66th Anniversary of the First Bikini?
The two-piece bathing suit got skimpier and more scandalous in 1946 Paris
July 05, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
How Maker Culture is Reshaping Retail Design
A San Francisco coffee shop pulls back the curtain to expose the process behind each cup served in their expansive warehouse space
July 05, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
Wearing Wool, All Summer Long
Layered, corseted summer garments kept women proper and fashionable, if not cool
July 03, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Swimsuit Series, Part 2: Beauty Pageants and the Inevitable Swimsuit Competition
In the latest chapter of the series, we look at how bathing suits came to be an integral part of the Miss America competition
June 28, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
Coffee Pods, An Instant Classic
Single-serving coffee pods are the most recent form of instant coffee. Its history is much shorter than the espresso shot, though in its own way, just as inventive
June 27, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
The Indelible Mister Rogers
Besides how to be a good neighbor, Mr. Rogers taught us other lessons, especially about the impact of a comforting change of clothes
June 25, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Once and Future Coffeehouses of Vienna
Coffee is one of Vienna's legacies, but how will the city hold onto its past while adapting to the changing culture? New furniture may be the answer
June 21, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
