Because corporations often seem not to care about design, despite hiring teams of designers to work for them, designers might feel lost in a “design hostile” world. Scott Berkun argues, however, that the world is not hostile, but rather “design ignorant”; it’s not that people are repulsed by good design, but instead need to be convinced about why they should listen to designers. He suggests that instead of working on design skills, designers must instead work on winning people over. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
