Artifacts: The Aloha Shirt

When we think of casual workwear, we might think of hoodie-wearing CEOs, khaki pants, and jeans on casual Fridays. We might even have experience with “Hawaiian Shirt Friday,” the epitome of casual Friday in the United States. The Aloha (or “Hawaiian,” …  READ MORE »

Truman's aloha shirts

Artifacts: The Aloha Shirt

When we think of casual workwear, we might think of hoodie-wearing CEOs, khaki pants, and jeans on casual Fridays. We might even have experience with “Hawaiian Shirt Friday,” the epitome of casual Friday in the United States. The Aloha (or “Hawaiian,” …

READ MORE »

Join us 3/24 at 6 PM MST/9 PM EDT at bit.ly/TADLiveStream to learn about our panelist for the discussion about school redesign during a pandemic. We will hear from three educators in Asia. READ MORE »

How are teachers handling massive school closures?: A teaser for this Friday’s panel 

Join us 3/24 at 6 PM MST/9 PM EDT at bit.ly/TADLiveStream to learn about our panelist for the discussion about school redesign during a pandemic. We will hear from three educators in Asia. READ MORE »


The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educators to rapidly shift classes and coursework into online formats…but what about the other aspects of school? How do counselors, performing arts directors, and librarians support a school community that has sudden … READ MORE »

Redesigning a school (during a Pandemic): Lessons from Asia

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced educators to rapidly shift classes and coursework into online formats…but what about the other aspects of school? How do counselors, performing arts directors, and librarians support a school community that has sudden … READ MORE »


Shift Happens Flyer

Once a month we hold a design salon to discuss design-related topics that pique our interest. This month, we changed our topic to discuss how the current pandemic has been shifting our education system. The conversation raised a series of important tho … READ MORE »

Excerpts from Design Salon I: Shift Happens

Once a month we hold a design salon to discuss design-related topics that pique our interest. This month, we changed our topic to discuss how the current pandemic has been shifting our education system. The conversation raised a series of important tho … READ MORE »


Why has such a simple (and scientifically incorrect) graph become a symbol of the fight against the COVID-19? It’s about design. READ MORE »

Animated Comic-Version of the Curve

Viral Design: How “Flatten the Curve” May Curb the Pandemic

Why has such a simple (and scientifically incorrect) graph become a symbol of the fight against the COVID-19? It’s about design. READ MORE »


Shift Happens Flyer

Join us for a chat about education, design, and COVID19! Friday, 3/20, 11 AM PST, bit.ly/TADSalon READ MORE »

Join us Friday! Shift happens: Stumbling into the future post-Corona

Join us for a chat about education, design, and COVID19! Friday, 3/20, 11 AM PST, bit.ly/TADSalon READ MORE »


Process design is creating a set of actions that can be used multiple times. Join the Talking About Design team in three cheers for process design! Bonus process design tool included. READ MORE »

Cheering crowd

Three Cheers for Process Design!

Process design is creating a set of actions that can be used multiple times. Join the Talking About Design team in three cheers for process design! Bonus process design tool included. READ MORE »


The words "designing theory"

Theory is of incredible importance to scholars and researchers. Theories allow us to understand, explain and predict phenomena in the world. That said it is often difficult to say just where theories come from. READ MORE »

Designing Theory: New article

Theory is of incredible importance to scholars and researchers. Theories allow us to understand, explain and predict phenomena in the world. That said it is often difficult to say just where theories come from. READ MORE »


This case study dives into the design and redesign of the subsystems that make up each rider’s journey through the Big Apple. READ MORE »

People are sitting on a double sided bench waiting on the 34th street platform.

Case Study – The New York City Subway

This case study dives into the design and redesign of the subsystems that make up each rider’s journey through the Big Apple. READ MORE »


One day, while I was walking to my office at Arizona State University, I noticed a solar-powered cellphone charging station. As soon as I noticed it, I thought “these are a good idea”. Having a place for anyone to charge their phones is amazing, especi … READ MORE »

The good. The bad. The designed.

One day, while I was walking to my office at Arizona State University, I noticed a solar-powered cellphone charging station. As soon as I noticed it, I thought “these are a good idea”. Having a place for anyone to charge their phones is amazing, especi … READ MORE »


Design is core to my identity, to who I am. Education is the space within which I function but I try to approach everything I do as a designer. This was not always the case. READ MORE »

From Artifacts to Culture, My Journey through Design: Keynote at IDC, School of Design

Design is core to my identity, to who I am. Education is the space within which I function but I try to approach everything I do as a designer. This was not always the case. READ MORE »


smartphone clock

In which Melissa summons the courage to critique her doctoral advisor’s post, asserting that over-simplification of artifacts leads to many of the design problems in education that we are trying to avoid. READ MORE »

Fixing Clocks, Negotiating Systems: Yes, And…

In which Melissa summons the courage to critique her doctoral advisor’s post, asserting that over-simplification of artifacts leads to many of the design problems in education that we are trying to avoid. READ MORE »


Artifacts and systems have different levels of complexity and designing them require a different set of skills. READ MORE »

Banner image Design: Fixing clocks | Negotiating systems

Design: Fixing Clocks | Negotiating Systems

Artifacts and systems have different levels of complexity and designing them require a different set of skills. READ MORE »


Flea Circus, ecological design

What’s the difference between designing living systems and designing technical artifacts? “Life finds a way” to complexify things… READ MORE »

The Flea Circus Fallacy: Jurassic Park and the Perils of Ecological Design

What’s the difference between designing living systems and designing technical artifacts? “Life finds a way” to complexify things… READ MORE »


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