Feed Editor 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT The Eye on Design provides industry-specific news and information to leaders in the interior design industry. Delivered weekly, the publication keeps professionals abreast of topics that impact the daily operation of their business. http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/asid/design.xml en Interior designers are often called upon to give input about lighting in residential environments. However, many solutions specified in kitchens and baths waste energy and do not get light where it is needed, but are repeated again and again because people are not sure how to light those spaces well. Here are nine common lighting mistakes to avoid. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7cc5607da 1 More than 20,000 people poured into the Los Angeles Convention center last weekend to check out the state of the art in modern design. Sustainable design, both indoor and outdoor, was front and center. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7b9c2089b 2 The National School of Design in India (NID) will add new courses to focus on eco-friendly and inclusive design modules that touch upon all aspects of designing and are more responsible and sustainable with a global perspective. At the same time, the school's director has pledged to maintain the institute's identity and systems of traditional culture. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7d7f46d0f 3 In an effort to help people understand indoor air pollution and the simple ways they can combat it in their homes, the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) has launched an interactive animated house tour online, which allows users to take a virtual "walk through" of a family residence while learning about common sources of indoor air pollution. The computer-generated, two-story home features a fully-equipped kitchen, living room, den, bathroom, master bedroom, and nursery, as well as an basement that's undergoing renovation—each furnished with common household products and materials that are known to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Once a user "enters" a room, he or she can scroll over the various products to learn more about their chemical emissions, as well as other sources of indoor air pollution, and discover straightforward solutions. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7c47457f0 4 The human brain is a simple piece of complex technology. It works on expectation, not perception. It is easy to trick the brain if you have the right conditions and the wrong circumstances. Consider this real-life example of what happens when the brain expects one thing even though reality does not support the expectation. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7d9fa5bef 5 Housing has turned the corner of the worst downturn in more than 60 years, but the market is still grappling with high unemployment and sharply lower home prices, according to "The State of the Nation's Housing 2010," which was released by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University on June 14. "The strength of job growth is now key to how quickly loan distress subsides and how fully markets recover," the report says. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7d42d7609 6 When it set out to enter the classroom seating market, as a newcomer to the market, Steelcase, with help from design shop IDEO, looked not at how classrooms are generally equipped, but at how teaching has evolved. The result is node, a stand-alone desk/chair on wheels (making small group work easier) with built-in backpack storage in the base. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7b571158b 7 This year's Metropolis Conference at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, in New York, featured a cast of "design entrepreneurs" who are reinventing their practices through creative approaches to the new economy. Even if you couldn't make it to the daylong conference, you’re still in luck: video of the complete event is now available, including opening remarks by ASID President Sari Graven. ASID sponsored the event, along with Dornbracht and Interiors from Spain. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7c7f0c5cb 8 Author Steven Guarnaccia has updated the classic tale, "The Three Little Pigs," to model the familiar piggy homebuilders on Frank Gehry, Philip Johnson and Frank Lloyd Wright. Although the book is intended for children ages 4 and up, Guarnaccia plays to design fans, decorating the pigs' homes with objects by the likes of Noguchi and Starck. Children will need a design history lesson to appreciate this retelling. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7d0b70bb1 9 In the words of its founders, "the Living Principles for Design website aims to guide purposeful action, celebrating and popularizing the efforts of those who use design thinking to create positive cultural change." Drawing from decades of collective wisdom, theory and results, the Living Principles framework weaves environmental, social, economic, and cultural sustainability into an actionable, integrated approach that can be consistently communicated to designers, business leaders, educators and the public. 1 Jul 2010 12:01:44 CDT http://multibriefs.com/ViewLink.php?i=4c2b7be327286 10