Design Decoded

Redesigning The Vote

Bad design can change the results of an election. But several professional design organizations have been working to ensure that every vote counts

November 6, 2012

The Return of the Hand-Painted Sign

Hand-painted signs are making a comeback, but are they the work of artists or “mechanics”?

November 2, 2012

Why Does Dracula Wear a Tuxedo? The Origins of Bram Stoker’s Timeless Vampire

The evolution of Dracula, from the mind of a sickly youth to an iconic portrayal on the silver screen

October 31, 2012

Copyright Confection: The Distinctive Topography of the Hershey Bar

After a legal tug-of-war, Hershey’s secured a trademark for the structural design of their classic chocolate bar

October 24, 2012

Political Animals: Republican Elephants and Democratic Donkeys

Politicians and parties may flip-flop but for more than 100 years, the political iconography of the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant has remained unchanged

October 23, 2012

Designing Lives and Building Stories, Chris Ware’s Comic Book Epic

In Building Stories, cartoonist Chris Ware presents the banality of everyday life as a stunning comic epic

October 18, 2012

The Transformation of Freshkills Park From Landfill to Landscape

Freshkills was once the biggest landfill in the world. Today, it’s the biggest park in New York City

October 15, 2012

San Francisco’s Makeathon Leads the Way for Hacking the Urban Landscape

How citizens are using design interventions to shuffle social dynamics and change public space in cities

October 11, 2012

How Did the Pigskin Get Its Shape?

American football may have evolved from soccer and rugby, but it turns out that the football was never truly designed, it just sort of happened

October 5, 2012

Leatherhead to Radio-Head: The Evolution of the Football Helmet

From hand-cobbled beginnings, the football helmet has shifted to become one of the most highly designed pieces of equipment in all of sports

October 1, 2012

Making Objects: A Dispatch From the Future of Small-Batch Manufacturing

A pair of young design entrepreneurs are building a small-batch manufacturing company in Chicago

September 27, 2012

How the Football Field Was Designed, from Hash Marks to Goal Posts

The American football field as evolved over more than 100 years, and with it, the game

September 24, 2012

The Pee-Chee Folder: Illustrated by the Most Interesting Man in the World

Illustrator Francis Golden could barely remember the project that became an iconic school supply

September 19, 2012

Franchising Neighborhoods: Can IKEA Sell Urban Design?

As part of a long-term investment plan, the Swedish furniture retailer is planning to construct entire neighborhoods in England and Germany

September 12, 2012

Honoring Bill Moggridge

From designing the first laptop to defining human-computer interaction, Bill Moggridge spent his career breaking new ground in design and technology

September 10, 2012

What Public Spaces Like Cleveland’s West Side Market Mean for Cities

They are more than just a haven for foodies — markets are “fundamental building blocks of urban life”

September 5, 2012

Rebranding Amsterdam and What It Means to Rebrand a City

To help maintain its position as a popular European destination, Amsterdam embraced marketing with “I amsterdam,” a brand campaign for the city and its residents

August 30, 2012

How Chattanooga Created Its Own Font to Spur Urban Growth

Like products, cities need a brand identity. In this Tennessee city, a team of designers have created an official font

August 29, 2012

The Unbuilt High-rise Designs of Rem Koolhaas and OMA

The radical, unbuilt high-rises designed by Rem Koolhaas are witty, subversive, and surprisingly simple

August 23, 2012

How Alphonse Mucha Designed the Nation State of Czechoslovakia

When the country gained its independence after World War I, Alphonse Mucha was called upon to design an important part of any country’s identity - money

August 21, 2012