physical interface

That design is money!

Holger Struppek — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:53:47 GMT

Holger Struppek shares some design insights that went into Wells Fargo’s touchscreen ATM interface—a product freed from a major hardware-imposed restriction of the past.

Watershed Protection as Functional Art

Michael Beavers — Sun, 04 May 2008 18:56:28 GMT

Daniel McCormick’s watershed protection installations are beautiful—even inspiring—because they blend in with the environment while serving an important engineering function. Can we extend his lessons to large-scale construction projects?

Modular kit housing

Michael Beavers — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:00:08 GMT

Building homes from kits has been popular as early as the late 1800s when Sears Roebuck & Co sold and shipped plans, pre-measured materials and hardware to any point in the country served by a rail line. Here’s a look at a modern take on kit housing.

Apart from the aesthetic, has anything really changed?

Living large with warning signs

Michael Beavers — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:37:56 GMT

Sometimes we can witness great design thinking in the most quotidian of media. Here’s a short exploration of a locally famous warning sign from the wilderness of Northern California.

Supporting multiple transportation modes

Michael Beavers — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:51:49 GMT

In the United States, we growl about having freedom of choice about how we travel and then ironically opt a single mode of transport (usually a large car), clog the interstates and arterials, and complain about how poorly the transportation system works. Finite spaces can support a surprisingly large number of transportation modes and keep everyone moving efficiently toward their destinations.