Just as cubicles took over our lives in the 80's and 90's, the open office plan is the interior design model for 'innovative' companies in the 2000's. But do people really work better when they have no privacy? Or are we just on a rebound from our cubicle ex-boyfriend, now basking in the company of his complete antithesis? I'd argue that the next generation of office space has to strike a balance between these two worlds. Read

This January was a big food month for me thanks to my attendance at the Winter Fancy Food Show and the Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco. While many attend these shows to find the newest trends in food, we go to these trade shows to see how design can benefit the industry. Here's what we found.  Read

Is Sell, Baby, Sell becoming the new Drill, Baby, Drill? Are the most forward thinking companies trying to sell more by selling less? In an age where every company is 'green' and has the challenge of showing that they care, it seems that the ultimate show of compassion is helping consumers regulate their own consumption. Read

The biggest problem with the Cradle to Cradle model of design is that it requires considering factors that are so often outside of your control. Things like different recycling systems and predictably unpredictable customers are enough to make a sustainable designer throw their hands up and start printing everything in metallic ink. Solution? Focus on what you can control. Read

When Toyota first rolled out the Prius, my reaction was the same as many others; Wow, that’s an ugly car! I assumed this hybrid metal snot rocket would see poor sales until the makers redesigned the car to be less space-pod-esque. Ten years and over 1 million sales later, I have come to the sad conclusion that the eco-movement has popularized ugly design. This is my plea for it to stop. Read