LivingClimateChange.com
Review by Erin Weber
Issue 2 Winter 2009
The creative team at IDEO has taken on a new challenge: climate change. In September 2009, the company launched a new blog called LivingClimateChange.com. The mission of the site is to apply design thinking to the development of solutions surrounding the complex challenges of climate change. One of the unique features of Living Climate Change is its thought-provoking, animated videos, which depict possible scenarios for life in the future. Videos and posts touch on the topics of community, play and transportation, to name a few.
The freshness of this blog stems from its optimistic perspective to an often overwhelming issue. The curators challenge visitors to become active players in the discussion by submitting resources and concepts for a more sustainable future. The hopeful perspective is also found in the recognition that design can create opportunities for an improved future. IDEO suggests that design thinking empowers us with the ability to innovate solutions instead of waiting for the politics of regulation to dictate change. Furthermore, the authors encourage non-designers to use creative problem solving and ideation techniques to help visualize sustainable possibilities. After all, a global issue deserves a global mobilization of perspectives and mind power.
IDEO is respected not only for the quality of its insights, but also for its willingness to share those insights and best practices with the outside world. It is not everyday that one of the strongest companies in an industry is willing to share its perspective and techniques. Maybe your visit to their blog will inspire a game-changing solution to climate change!