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Politics and Activism

Spotlight: Better World By Design

Want to live in a better world? Start design yours from here.

Charlene Wang

Oct 10, 2016

Brown University

Charlene Wang

Better World By Design

There are always something happening on campus. One of the well-known conferences is Better World By Design, an annual three-day conference organized by RISD and Brown.

Before I came to Brown, I received a fancy newsletter talking about future and design thinking. As soon as I opened the link, I was struck by the well-designed layout (thanks to the amazing design team!). Though I had no idea of what Better World By Design was actually doing, I still applied for volunteering out of immense curiosity. At the end of September, I finally joined these beautiful people and experienced the great impact of BWxD16.

Interplay

“The way in which two or more things have an effect on each other when they happen or exist together.”

The interplay of ideas sparked a great conversation among object, city, and the global community. One of the special parts about BWxD16 was the variety of workshops. There were always four or more workshops happening at the same time. Starting from Friday, we explored the micro level of Object, People, and Personal Space.

Meso: Community, City, System

"Our environments are the envelope that contain the inner workings of our society." - Craig Dykers

By focusing on the diversity, awareness, and engagement of studio habitat, we analyzed a lot of great human-centered buildings throughout the keynote speech.

Digital Literacy

To understand the systems of the built world is to know, in your bones, something powerful.

Lunch & Startup Fair

STEAM Pavilion

At the intersection of art and technology, great things will happen. #Cybernetics

Macro: Global, Context, Network

When design involves virtual reality and touches upon social issues, really impact will be made.

"Our world is made of crystallized imagination" - Cesar Hidalgo of MIT Media Lab @cesifoti pic.twitter.com/aOiHxalKi4
— BetterWorldxDesign (@betterxdesign) September 25, 2016

Better world challenges us to approach the design in a more human-centered way. I am so grateful to learn from the congregation of ideas and start designing my better life.

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Recommended for you

Spotlight: Better World By Design

Want to live in a better world? Start design yours from here.

Interplay

Meso: Community, City, System

Digital Literacy

Lunch & Startup Fair

STEAM Pavilion

Macro: Global, Context, Network

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I'm technically an adult, so I'm legally required to live a little, right?

1. Watch an R-rated Scary Movie in a Movie Theater

2. Buy a Lottery Ticket

3. Vote in an Election

4. Participate in a Run (or a Walk, Realistically) for Charity

5. Go on a Road Trip

6. Start a Savings Account

7. Get a Credit Card

8. Sign up for Spotify Premium

9. Go to a Club

10. Start a Meditation Routine

11. Go to a Yoga Class

12. Treat Myself to a Dinner for One

13. Volunteer for a Charity

14. Participate in a Research Study

15. Bake Something (That Ends Up Being Edible)

16. Go Skydiving

17. Be Called for Jury Duty

18. Figure Out What I Want to Do With my Life

The holiday classics that shaped my life

1."But what would happen if we all tried to be like Santa and learned to give as only he can give: of ourselves, our talents, our love and our hearts? Maybe we could all learn Santa's beautiful lesson and maybe there would finally be peace on Earth and good will toward men."

"Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

"If you won't use your heart, who cares if it gets broken? If you just keep it to yourself, maybe it'll be like my rollerblades. When you do decide to try it, it won't be any good. You should take a chance. Got nothing to lose."

"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."

"Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it."

"If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find a that love actually is all around."

"Sometimes things look good on paper, but lose their luster when you see how it affects real folks. I guess a healthy bottom line doesn't mean much if to get it, you have to hurt the ones you depend on."

"'Maybe Christmas,' he thought, 'doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.'"

"Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to."

"There's room for everyone on the nice list."

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

1. Why are towels considered dirty when you get out of the shower clean?

2. Who closes the bus door once the bus driver gets off?

3. Why is there a "d" in "fridge" but not in "refrigerator"?

4. If you drop soap on the floor is the floor clean or the soap dirty?

5. Is the "S" or the "C" silent in the word "scent"?

6. Does expecting the unexpected make the unexpected the expected?

7. Would Lightning McQueen buy car insurance or life insurance?

8. Who put the alphabet in alphabetical order?

9. What color are mirrors?

10. If 2 mind readers read each other's minds whose mind are they really reading?

11. Is there a synonym for "synonym"?

12. If your shirt isn't tucked into your pants, are your pants tucked into your shirt?

13. Why is it called "quick sand" if you sink slowly in it?

14. If I try to fail, but succeed, which one did I do?

15. If Cinderella's shoe fit perfectly, why did it fall off?

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

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