The Shape of States
byUS States are sometimes identified by their shape. The shape becomes an icon for the State. Sometimes one see them on plates. Some states…
Cross-Cultural Design
Sleep Taboo
byWe somehow do not like people who sleep in some public places (the street, workplaces, libraries, shops) during office hours. Sleeping is (somewhat) tolerated…
Too many choices? Strategic responses!
byAfter most calls, Skype requests its users to fill in a questionnaire concerning the quality of the last call. The questionnaire has the declared…
Who is your favorite person in history? Who knows?
byMany websites use “secret answers” to reinforce security. A secret answer is an answer that only the user knows – it belongs to…
My chairs are not original
byIn the pictures above: my Eames Chair and my two Barcelona chairs. Please hold on a minute before congratulating me, as you…
One book, one hundred types, two titles
bySomeone once said: “I buy books as if I am going to live a thousand years in a world without the internet”. That’s me…
Hidden premises
by(Picture by Roberto Casati, Paris Orly Airport, August 2013) “Save time and use your credit card to pay at the car park exit”…
Mangrovia Collective’s Organic Multiplication Table
byMaths teaching in the secondary school uses cartesian representations, i.e. diagrams centered on an origin, with the upper right quadrant occupied by positive numbers….
Who writes operating manuals? Engineers or lawyers?
byToyota’s Prius pioneered mass use of hybrid vehicles. One of us owns one and drives it to his and his family satisfaction. A recreational-educational…
Architecture and Exemplarity
byArchitecture can take the experimental path; experiment means that new solutions can be found; the public availability of architectural work, their sheer…