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John Thackara
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Archive: July 2011


Ten Ways to Redesign Design Competitions

Design and sustainability challenges can stimulate fresh thinking on intractable problems. They can pose new questions, explore new solutions and start new conversations. They can bring positive energy to bear on situations that are otherwise bogged down in endless talk.

Can — but for the most part, don't.

READ MORE | COMMENTS (11)

Life is a Picnic in the Fertile City

If you're in Paris before July 24, a spectacular exhibition called The Fertile City: Towards An Urban Nature is well worth a visit. The show's OTT poster does not over-promise. The exhibition explores nature in the city from multiple perspectives.

READ MORE | COMMENTS (1)

Edible Architecture

Today seems to be the day when, once a year in this part of France, every spider in the region spins her best possible web at the same moment.

READ MORE | COMMENTS (3)

Knife Sharpening

Last week I was taught how to sharpen our kitchen knives by a wood carver, Howard Raybould, who's been honing his technique for 30 years. It's the most useful skill I've acquired since learning how to ride a bike.

READ MORE | COMMENTS (9)

Shoe Town to Brew Town

When Jimmy Carbone, co-creator of The Good Beer Seal, was considering running for mayor of his old hometown in Haverhill, Massachusetts, he began to ponder possible new uses for industrial buildings that had fallen into disuse.

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.
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Recent Book



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


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