Working for a better world

Nike recently adverstised a new post for a 'Code for a Better World Fellow'.

I'm enjoying watching the shift in job titles and funcations as leading organisations start to recruit the people that they know will be able to help them make a significant, sustainable shift. Here's part of the Nike spec:

"help Nike determine the steps needed to open our sustainability data to communities of data-obsessed programmers, visual designers and researchers"

"work with Nike's data managers to landscape current data and craft a desired future state; manage the formatting and release of data to the open data community; curate use of the data within the community; bring knowledge from the open data community back to Nike as actionable steps; attend conferences related to open data to grow Nike's network and profile in this space; and ultimately create/steward the creation of prototypes that demonstrate how opening Nike's sustainability data can be a force to drive change.

The Code for a Better World Fellow will work in Nike's Sustainable Business and Innovation team. As a part of this approximately 130-person-strong global team, the fellow will be working to help pave a sustainable future for the company. A future where creation of products isn't tied to scarce natural resources like water and oil; where manufacturing is lean, green, equitable and empowered; and where everyone, everywhere has access to sport"

Just go do it.

Teaching design for change

There's an inspiring TED talk from designer Emily Pilloton, describing a real change project in design-led transformation. In her Studio H design class, she's teaching the following principles:

Design through action

Design with, not for

Design systems, not stuff

Document, share, and measure

Start locally and scale globally

Build

That list makes a good start point for most projects. I particularly like the first two points on action and with not for.

Understanding Education

Thanks to Seth Godin for this neat quote from Arlo Guthrie, activist, singer, cause champion.

"You teach kids how to succeed when they successfully foil the educational system."

As the education systems seems to be teaching few of the real skills and knowledge to kick our way of thinking and doing back on track, maybe it's time for change. Let's meet in Alice's Restaurant to discuss it.