Thanks to a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Designmatters Studio co-hosted with Interaction Design, in the Spring and Summer of 2021, challenged ArtCenter students to incorporate human-centered design processes into innovative experiences accessing archival digital collections in ArtCenter’s Archives and Special Collections.
This guide gives designers, educators, and archivists specific discussion prompts and practical exercises gleaned from our Reimagining Access project at ArtCenter. It is meant to complement Human Interface Guidelines for Accessibility from major operating systems, not replace them. We offer questions and discussion to build and enrich access as a practice.
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The SINC Process book documents the fourteen week “SINC” transdisciplinary studio In partnership with the J. Craig Venter Institute.
This Designmatters studio challenged ArtCenter students to explore, conceptualize and translate scientific research on symbiosis into compelling visuals that communicate scientific discoveries to a broad range of audiences.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. IOS 1926972.
Edited By Mariana Amatullo, Bryan Boyer, Jennifer May, Andrew Shea
Published by
481 Pages, 221 Color Illustrations
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Designmatters’ Safe Niños case study featured in this publication that “… brings together critical, analytic, historical, and practical studies to address what ethics means in the practice of design.”
Edited by –
Published by – Bloomsbury Visual Arts (February 20, 2020)
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The Game On! Process book documents the fourteen week “Game On: Inspiring a Healthy L.A. for 2028” studio in which ArtCenter students explored the role of technology for a city-wide health initiative that aims to engage Los Angeles citizens in healthy activities while helping health researchers effectively gather and analyze data. Students developed apps as well as other technology-based and low-tech solutions for multiple interventions that also provide benefits for additional community stakeholders: the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP), Discovery Science Cube Los Angeles and Garmin International.
Designed by Eunice Han
Published by Designmatters
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“Designing for Kids” written by ArtCenter College of Design faculty member Krystina Castella brings together all a designer needs to know about developmental stages, play patterns, age transitions, playtesting, safety standards, materials and the daily lives of kids, providing a primer on the differences in designing for kids versus designing for adults.
Published by Routledge
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Designmatters’ partnership with NAKFI is highlighted in this publication, along with a feature on our Seeing the Unseen: Visualizing Flow Patterns of Mesopelagic Ocean Eddies project.
Published by National Academies Keck Futures Initiative
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This book documents the Imagining the Future of the Barbie Dreamhouse Studio in which a team of interdisciplinary ArtCenter students were challenged to envision innovative forward-thinking ways of reimagining the iconic Barbie Dreamhouse for 2022 by responding to the cultural and societal needs of children around the world while creatively predicting how people will live, work and play in the future.
Designed by Judy Torretti
Illustrated by Carson Brown
Published by Designmatters
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Educating the Next Generation of Social Innovators: Designmatters at ArtCenter
Written by Mariana Amatullo, Dan Gottlieb, Penny Herscovitch, and Susannah Ramshaw
This chapter is part of the SEED Networks 2017 Public Interest Design Education Guidebook published by Routledge with lead editors: Lisa M. Abendroth and Bryan Bell
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Since the 2016 Designmatters publication LEAP Dialogues: Career Pathways in Design for Social Innovation edited by Mariana Amatullo, Bryan Boyer, Liz Danzico and Andrew Shea, we have heard from many educators and students from around the world who have embraced the publication and used the content as an integral part of their studies and curricula. Inspired by these stories, Designmatters decided to create LEAP Dialogues: The Educator’s Guide, an open-source digest of some original content from the book along with new resources specifically tailored to educators.
DownloadClick here to download LEAP Dialogues: The Educator’s Guide.
Editor: Mariana Amatullo
Editor: Andrew Shea
Editor: Jennifer May
Designer: TwoPoints.Net
Graduate Research Assistant: Justine Esquivel
Copy Editor: Alex Carswell
Developed as a 30 page children’s book, “The Healing Tree” serves as a prequel to “The Healing Cloud” and follows the adventure of 2 burned children, Camillia and Lucas, on their quest to find a magical tree. Inspired by the mission and holistic practices of COANIQUEM, the story aims to capture the essence of COANIQUEM, the unique treatment departments and diverse cultures and geography of Chile into a dynamic and unique story, with details that will be instantly recognizable to the staff and long-term patients of COANIQUEM. The storybooks will be available in the lobby and other areas of COANIQUEM, and will be given to some longer-term patients to take home with them between visits.
Created by – Alvin Oei, Lori Nishikawa, and Lauren Medina
Illustrated by Belle Lee
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The Fresh Eyes Cuba publication captures the cross-cultural experience of students and faculty from ArtCenter as they collaborated with students and faculty at ISDi on an intensive and immersive workshop in Havana, Cuba in October 2016.
Book Design – Tracey Shiffman with Ricardo Imperial and Simona Szabados, Shiffman & Kohnke
Photography – Nik Hafermaas, Tracey Shiffman, Mariana Somma, Victor Artiga Rodriguez, Luisa Betancur, Tais Bishop, Karlo Francisco, Grace Haynes, Matthew Herrera, Ricardo Imperial, Ye-Eun Kim, Nicolas Ramirez, Suyu Ren, Michael Rosales, Isaac Ruiz, Eric Valez, Viviyan Zoechling and Lucia Loiso
Published by Designmatters
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The L.A. Earthquake Sourcebook is featured in this Korean publication on sustainable design for the future.
Written by Won Ho Cho
Published by Art Culture, 2017
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Mariana Amatullo contributes to this publication that serves as a useful guide on how, when and why to use design to drive change in organizations.
Written by – Joyce Yee, Emma Jefferies, Kamil Michlewski
Published by –BIS Publishers
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A Designmatters publication on the field research, design process and outcomes of the Summer 2016 ECO Research Lab Environmental Design Topic Studio, Sustainable Futures.
Creative Direction – James Meraz
Editorial Design & Photography – Stella Hernandez
Additional Photography – James Meraz, Emily Nyburg, Erin Kawagushi
Published by Designmatters
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This prospectus documents and celebrates 15 years of social impact design projects with a small cross section of case studies and testimonials that illustrate the breadth and impact of the Designmatters initiative.
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This book documents the two term Safe Niños project in which students reimagined the 6-acre campus of COANIQUEM, a nonprofit pediatric burn treatment facility in Santiago, Chile.
Designed by Leonardo Santamaria
Published by Designmatters
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Written by Chris Fabian & Mariana Amatullo
This article is part of Nesta’s 2016 Innovation for International Development Publication with lead authors Ben Ramalingam and Kirsten Bound
LEAP Dialogues is a first of its kind book that explores the new career pathways in social innovation for designers, with contributions from 84 thought-leaders from across disciplines and sectors. Leap Dialogues will be in bookstores through Distributed Arts Publishers Fall 2016.
Lead Editor – Mariana Amatullo
Editorial Team Members – Bryan Boyer, Liz Danzico and Andrew Shea
Managing Editor – Jennifer May
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This dynamic Toolkit engages undergraduate students from a range of disciplines in hands-on exercises in design thinking for social impact. Originally created by ArtCenter College of Design Associate Professors Penny Herscovitch & Dan Gottlieb for their award-winning Safe Agua educational initiative, they collaboratively adapted methodologies for the University of Southern California and other entrepreneurial educational programs. The Toolkit supports educators applying design principles within their courses and frames a term-long process of design education for social impact. Exercises help guide interdisciplinary student teams through the process of conducting field research; identifying key opportunities; co-creating with communities and partner organizations; and prototyping innovative products, systems, and social enterprises to address challenges facing local and global underserved communities.
Creation: Penny Herscovitch & Dan Gottlieb (Associate Professors, ArtCenter College of Design / Co-Founders, Padlab)
Development: Stella Hernandez (Instructor, ArtCenter College of Design and University of Southern California)
Adaptation: Abby Fifer Mandell (Executive Director, Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab and Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship, Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, USC Marshall School of Business)
A volume documenting the challenge to design accessible, affordable, life-improving tools for girls in diverse cultures the world over.
Designed by Adriana Crespo
Published by Designmatters
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“Connective Tissue” documents a collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation to create a multimedia campaign and contemporized brand strategy.
Designed by Sean Adams
Published by Designmatters
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The Safe Agua Initiative is featured in this publication showcasing top designs from the Core 77 Design Awards.
Edited by Allan Chochinov (Editor), Eric Ludlum for Core 77.
Mariana Amatullo contributes to this publication that charts the emergence of collaborative design approaches to innovation in public policy.
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An interview with Designmatters Vice President Mariana Amatullo in the Social Innovation Issue of Design Management Institute’s quarterly publication.
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This book documents the third iteration—in Altos del Pino, Bogotá—of the award-winning Safe Agua project addressing water poverty.
Designed by Adriana Crespo
Published by Designmatters
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Designmatters leadership contributes a Safe Agua case study to this volume on worldwide innovation and best practices.
Published by Information Today, Inc.
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A thorough and insightful look at social impact design, produced by Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the NEA and the Lemelson Foundation.
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The Uncool Process Book follows the 2011 Uncool Project through two phases, which culminated in the development of the LAUSD “Where’s Daryl?” Educational Program.
Published by Designmatters
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The “Where’s Daryl?” Teachers Guide is one of the outcomes of the Nathan Cummings Foundation funded Uncool Project. The teacher’s guide was created to contain everything a teacher needs in order to spark critical thinking and discussion about the real negative impact guns can have on the lives and goals of young people.
Published by Designmatters
The UNCOOL Book project is one of many creative outcomes of Uncool: The Anti-Gun Violence Project. Students from Art Center’s Illustration Department developed four children’s books as a viable vehicle for anti-gun messages:
Mark and the Jelly Bean Monster by Ariel Lee
My Imagination Book by Juan Marco
Zoarmax 133′s Big Question by Kin Lok
Amos’ New Life by Vivian Shih
Published by Designmatters
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A brochure developed in a Graphic Design studio, Project Coastal Crisis, focusing on public education and action strategies to address rising sea levels.
Published by Designmatters
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The Teen Art Park Book, chronicles the two-term Environmental Design-led class, in which students addressed the day-to-day challenges and aspirations of greater Pasadena’s at-risk teenagers by designing an art park to foster safe, artistic expression.
Published by Designmatters
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This book captures a groundbreaking collaboration with the Chilean-based NGO, Un Techo Para Mi Pais, focusing on water innovation solutions for slum dwellers in Chile.
Published by Designmatters
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This book documents the processes and outcomes of a multifaceted cervical cancer prevention campaign for Latinas in Los Angeles.
Designed by Maria Moon
Published by Designmatters
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A comprehensive companion piece published in conjunction with The Great Southern California ShakeOut.
Designed by Stefan Sagmeister
Published by Designmatters
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A chronicle of the Mpala Integrated Health Mobile Clinic for Remote Communities in Kenya project.
Published by Designmatters
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This book documents a project to explore digital story-sharing in the developing world, with field projects in the Philippines and the Caribbean.
Published by Designmatters
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The Nyumbani Village Concept Cards were developed to document research, findings and outcomes of the Nyumbani Village: Kenya project.
Published by Designmatters
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This book documents concepts in enhanced mobility design as developed in the Johnson Controls-sponsored “Driven Environment in 2015” studio.
Published by Designmatters
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This book presents the outcomes of an emotional studio addressing the stigma often associated with differences stemming from mental health, and other, issues.
A collaboration between The Agency @ Art Center and The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
Published by Designmatters
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