I was happy to get to take part in the Stanford d.school’s first hackathon this weekend, and not just because of the high energy of the 150 designers, developers, and other creators who participated. Their ideas are great. And that’s no easy feat when the challenge brief calls for creating large-scale ways to bring design thinking to the world. Take a peak at the Lean Design Experience, d.radio and other well-considered solutions that were created in 48 fast hours.
…is no small hosting effort, but leave it to the good folks at social accelerator COMMON to make it fun to find innovative solutions to global problems. After a stop in NYC the large-scale pitch party for entrepreneurs will head to Cape Town to work with Design Indaba and renowned designer judges in awarding $25K+ (200K Rand) to people creating positive social change in Africa. I’m eagerly awaiting the applicant videos and, even more, seeing the local ideas in action.
This morning I saw a little boy, maybe three years old, walk into a coffee shop door (which would have been me on any other day). It wasn’t because he’s just getting his balance; he had a smartphone in hand and eyes on screen, making him a sort of miniature version of the distracted adults around. It has me thinking about how we design for awareness and more multimedia decision-making.
This year our d.school Design Garage team “The Presence Project” will be focusing on this issue exactly, and I couldn’t be more excited about the work. If you’re also interested in mindfulness and multitasking, the New York Times and Slate have run thoughtful pieces this week and there’s lots of dialogue at #calmingtech.
This week was a big one for TeachAIDS, the Palo Alto-based non-profit that creates HIV prevention software that’s being used in more than 50 countries. On World AIDS Day it launched educational animations with characters and content specific to Botswana as founder Piya Sorcar (pictured left, with Lisa Ling) talked at TEDxWomen about the differences between awareness (knowing that the disease exists and kills) and knowledge (understanding ways to keep yourself from becoming infected). The organization has succeeded–and been culturally sensitive while doing so–where many large-scale campaigns haven’t: helping people get smart about their own health. Sorcar’s recent talk is well worth a look, and you’ll see why the work has received San Francisco AIDS Foundation kudos.
At TEDxWomen at the Paley Center in LA this morning I was wowed–no easy feat for a presenter following a very early AM flight–by a presentation between 13-year-old Claire Sannini and Rachel Simmons about encouraging confidence in girls. (An audacious and important concept with cyberbullying, suicides, and teen pregnancy as rampant as they are.) The two talked about the Girls Leadership Institute, an organization Simmons co-founded to help girls discover their true and strong selves.
“[Our society] tells girls that they can be intelligent, but shouldn’t make others feel intimidated by their smarts,” Simmons said. “Yes, you can be active, but you better be sexy and skinny while you do it.” These messages don’t just impact girls social lives–they affect assertion and earnings in the workplace later in life.
Simmons stresses the importance of women helping girls strengthen their “inner resumes,” and Claire’s eloquence after participating in the teen leadership work is captivating. You can see their great collaborative talk in its entirety here. And while you’re at it, don’t dare miss V-Girl Busisiwe Mkhumbuzi’s reflections on raising girl consciousness and activism in South Africa.
“When City of Joy officially opened Friday, hundreds of women, most of them rape victims, thumped on drums and sang at the top of their lungs…Some even danced with the shovels and cement-encrusted trowels that they used to build the City of Joy. It was an upbeat moment in a country that has had few.” - Jeffrey Gettleman in The New York Times in February
V-Day, the international non-profit that works to end violence against women and girls, released its annual interactive program update today, and the news is nothing if not inspiring. Between projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and work with community activists ranging from teen girls to adult men, you can’t leave the experience and not feel activated about the contributions (and your own).
Upon this week’s premiere of Women War & Peace, PBS’ series examining the impact of war on those with the XX chromosome, producer Abigail Disney came to Stanford and the Clayman Institute to talk about the project’s genesis. The question of “what if you looked at war as though women mattered?” led Disney and her team to Liberia (where women stood up against Charles Taylor’s regime en masse, wearing white) and Bosnia (where 16 women boldly testified against army members who set up rape camps), not to mention Afghanistan, Israel, Pakistan, and Colombia. The result is striking, frightening, and…empowering. Watching it will make you refuse to allow women worldwide to continue to be erased from the record–and simultaneously demand more political power.
Women 2.0 recently talked with Halle Tecco, founder of health startup seed accelerator Rock Health, about picking partners and the post-business school task of selecting participating startups. The non-profit program selected from 350 applicant ideas for its first class and gives startups $20K grants, mentorship, curriculum, and operational support.
W2: You’ve just set up shop in San Francisco with 11 very active in-house startups. Why health?
HT: Working at Apple’s App Store and covering health and medical apps confirmed for me that the medical space could use some of the creativity found in other technology segments. I sat next to the woman covering games and realized how motivated the developers were by the chance to build products they love. I wanted to see those same talented developers working on ideas to improve health. more
“Have a good time saving the world. Otherwise, you’re just going to depress yourself.”
The Brower Center’s call for artist responses to founder David Brower’s inspiration yielded 500 submissions recently, and select works are soon to be gracing the gallery walls. Thursday will see the Berkeley-based opening of hello tomorrow: Bay Area Artists Envision the Future and art that ranges from installations, avant-garde and paintings. Mari Andrews, Claire Brandt and Noah Breuer are among those whose contributions are worth experiencing.
Poster by Wendy MacNaughton.
Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous.
Between the Alt Summit for design bloggers and my work at Federated Media, I’ve been lucky to work with more than a few talented publishers. Their work speaks for itself, so I won’t be too long-winded in reflecting on five who have particularly inspired me in this crazy ecosystem. In no particular order, they are:
Victoria Smith, SFGirlByBay: The work of the art director turned poster designer turned design blogger is a treat. Saying Victoria has an eye for color is a complete understatement, and she knows modern furniture like no one else.
Shayna Kulik, Pattern Pulp: While many of my favorite bloggers live in the Bay (call me localist), NY trend forecaster Shayna creates bright daily posts that I can’t stop coming by for. Her work is punchy and informative, and you’ll be glad you were sent to see it.
David Pescovitz, BoingBoing: Whether writing about Cindy Sherman posts on sale or citizen science projects, I always learn from Pesco’s work on the tech and life wonders site. A researcher at the Institute for the Future, I’d love to take a science writing class from him.
Zem Joaquin, ecofabulous: Stylishness and sustainability are the core passions of Ms. Joaquin, and I’m yet to meet anyone else who makes conscious decision making so fun. Under the creative direction of Caitlin Bristol, Zem’s ecofabulous is a great resource for safe cosmetics, home wares, and apparel (if you’ve looked at my site searches for the past week, at least). I’m lucky to learn from them.
Audrey Watters, Hack Education: The ed-tech advocate’s coverage has been my go to source as I explore more in education entrepreneurship. Her weekly news roundups aren’t like anyone else’s, and you’d be remiss not to start following her.
Don’t forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.
