Design
The Scene of Deduction: Drawing 221B Baker Street
From pen-and-ink sketches to digital renderings, generations of Sherlock Holmes fans have undertaken to draft a version of the detective's famous London flat
August 14, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
Q&A: Jayson Musson Breaks Down Coogi Sweaters
With the '80s and '90s status-symbol clothing a bargain on eBay, the Brooklyn artist buys, disassembles and reconstructs them to make abstract "paintings"
August 13, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
As the Olympic Games Conclude, a Look Back at U.S. Opening Ceremony Outfits
The photos tell the story here, as Team USA has always had an eccentric taste in its uniforms
August 10, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The LEGO-like Building Blocks of the Olympic Slalom Canoe
How a three-time Olympic competitor designed an innovative new whitewater system using underwater bricks
August 09, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
The Swimsuit Series, Part 5: Olympic Athletes, Posing
Vintage styles cycle in and out of favor among medal-winning racers
August 08, 2012 |
By Emily Spivack
The Architecture of Memory
Memorization may seem like a brain-based skill, but it has as much to do with our bodies and our buildings
August 06, 2012 |
By Sarah C. Rich
A Modern Sherlock Holmes and the Technology of Deduction
A modern Sherlock Holmes requires a modern tool. Today, his iconic problem-solving magnifying glass has been replaced by the indispensable cell phone
August 02, 2012 |
By Jimmy Stamp
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
