Design Observer

Archive
Books + Store
Job Board
Email Archive
Comments
About
Contact
Log In
Register



Observatory

Resources
Submissions
About
Contact


Featured Writers

Michael Bierut
William Drenttel
John Foster
Jessica Helfand
Alexandra Lange
Mark Lamster
Paul Polak
Rick Poynor
John Thackara
Rob Walker


Departments

Advertisement
Audio
Books
Collections
Dialogues
Essays
Events
Foster Column
Gallery
Interviews
Miscellaneous
Opinions
Photos
Poetry
Primary Sources
Projects
Report
Reviews
Slideshows
Today Column
Unusual Suspects
Video


Topics

Advertising
Architecture
Art
Books
Branding
Business
Cities / Places
Community
Craft
Culture
Design History
Design Practice
Development
Disaster Relief
Ecology
Economy
Education
Energy
Environment
Fashion
Film / Video
Food/Agriculture
Geography
Global / Local
Graphic Design
Health / Safety
History
Housing
Ideas
Illustration
India
Industry
Info Design
Infrastructure
Interaction Design
Internet / Blogs
Journalism
Landscape
Literature
Magazines
Media
Museums
Music
Nature
Obituary
Other
Peace
Philanthropy
Photography
Planning
Poetry
Politics / Policy
Popular Culture
Poverty
Preservation
Product Design
Public / Private
Public Art
Religion
Reputations
Science
Shelter
Social Enterprise
Sports
Sustainability
Technology
Theory/Criticism
Transportation
TV / Radio
Typography
Urbanism
Water


John Thackara
Essays | Biography | Public Speaking | Publications | Projects | Doors of Perception | Subscribe | Books | Contact

Archive: July 2009


From Philanthrocapitalism to An Eco-Social Economy

 We are all emerging economies now. So let’s just say that I’m troubled by the phrase “design for social impac” when the desired impact is on someone else’s turf, not on the designer’s own.

READ MORE | COMMENTS

The Internet of Things

 When addressing our desire to deploy endless amounts of technological devices across the globe, many questions arise. If we don't discuss the potential negative impacts of The Internet of Things, these questions will continue to haunt us.

READ MORE | COMMENTS
John Thackara is a writer, speaker and design producer, and director of Doors of Perception. In addition to this blog, he is the author of twelve books including In The Bubble: Designing In A Complex World and Wouldn't It Be Great If….


Newsletter


From March 2002 to September 2010, John Thackara sent out a monthly email newsletter: Doors of Perception Report. The newsletter contained short, opinionated texts about social innovation and design.
ARCHIVES >>


Recent Book



In the Bubble: Desiging in a Complex World
John Thackara
The MIT Press, 2005
More books by John Thackara >>


Design Observer Archive


2012
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2011
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2010
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2009
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February

2008
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2007
December
October
August
July
May
April
February
January

2006
November
October
September
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2005
December
November
October
September
August
June
May
April
March
February
January

2004
December
November
October
September
August
May
April
February

2003
December
November





DESIGN OBSERVER JOBS






TWITTER BY @johnthackara


Please wait while tweets load.
Follow John on Twitter

BLOGROLL


Resilience.org
Transition Culture
Feasta
Social Innovation Exchange
Young Foundation
Stockholm Resilience Centre
Agricultural Biodiversity
La Via Campesina
Raj Patel
Yale Environment 360
Free Fermentology Foundation
LowTech
Makeshift
BLDG
Edible Geography
Ugo Bardi
Leaving Babylon
Do The Math
Max Cafard
Joanna Macy
Zerohedge
P2P Foundation
Harlan Ellison — Pay the Writer

JOHN THACKARA: RECOMMENDED BOOKS


Social Venturing
Robin Murray, Julie Caulier-Grice & Geoff Mulgan

the internet and everyone
John Chris Jones

Power and Love
Adam Kahane

Just Enough
Azby Brown

Hungry City
Carolyn Steele

Agriculture in Urban Planning: Generating Livelihoods and Food Security
Mark Redwood, editor

The New Economics
David Boyle and Andrew Simms

Just Enough: Lessons In Living Green From Traditional Japan
Azby Brown

Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys
Kate Fletcher

Animate Earth
Stephan Harding