Featured Sites
Education
19.20.21.org “A multi-year, multimedia initiative to collect, organize and package information on population's effect regarding urban and business planning and its impact on consumers around the world.”
Added January 20, 2008
Camp Firebelly “Intensive collaboration with an awesome nonprofit client to address a social justice issue, strategize + design the solution and see it all the way through to print.”
Added July 1, 2008
Change Observer’s Resources “Regularly updated organizations, opportunities, and events related to social change”
Added October 18, 2009
Creative For A Cause “This site is a collaborative resource for educators of Visual Communications who wish to instruct their students on the importance of adopting a social and ethical approach to their work.”
Added June 1, 2008
Design Can Change “Design can change is simple. It works on the belief that our industry can make positive change by working together. Use this resource as a starting point to help bring our community together to encourage sustainable practices.”
Added June 9, 2007
Global Voices “Seeks to aggregate, curate, and amplify the global conversation online—shining light on places and people other media often ignore.”
Added February 5, 2008
HCD Toolkit “Where optimists take on our world’s challenges by practicing Human-Centered Design”
Added February 14, 2013
Making Public Policy “Center for Urban Pedadagogy's new series of fold-out posters uses innovative graphic design to explore and explain public policy. Making Policy Public is published twice a year, and each poster is the product of a commissioned collaboration between a designer and an advocate.”
Added June 1, 2008
Once Upon A School “Dave Eggers' TED wish to 'find a way to directly engage with a public school in your area and that you'll then tell the story of how you got involved, so that within one year we have 1,000 examples of innovative public-private partnerships.”
Added March 29, 2008
Osocio “Dedicated to social advertising and non-profit campaigns. It's the place where marketing and activism collide. Formerly known as the Houtlust Blog, Osocio is the central online hub for advertisers, ad agencies, grassroots, activists, social entrepreneurs, and good Samaritans from around the globe.”
Added July 1, 2009
Pangea Day “Taps the power of film to strengthen tolerance and compassion while uniting millions of people to build a better future.”
Added February 10, 2008
Responsible Design 101 “Hopes to infuse environment, ethics and economics into design conversations and consideration. This site is just the tip of the melting iceberg—a springboard to learning more, sharing best practices and finding inspiration and innovation in and out of the design community.”
Added February 1, 2009
Stock Exchange of Visions “Platform for the world leading artists, sociologists, activists, scientists and others to share their visions about the future of our planet with a broad public and let them decide if either they agree up on their thoughts or not.”
Added March 7, 2010
The Feast Conference “Gathers the world's greatest innovators from across industries and society to empower, inspire and engage each other in creating world-shaking change.”
Added July 1, 2009
The Polling Place Photo Project “A nationwide experiment in citizen journalism that seeks to empower citizens to capture, post and share photographs of democracy in action.”
Added December 31, 2007
Things I have learned in my life so far “What have you learned in your life so far? What is it that you are fairly sure about? What is it that you believe in by now?”
Added February 23, 2008
Visualizing Information “An Introduction to Information Design: "A booklet I wrote and designed to introduce advocacy organizations to basic principles and techniques of information design.”
Added March 1, 2008
Environment
Architecture 2030 “Our goal is straightforward: to achieve a dramatic reduction in the global-warming-causing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the Building Sector by changing the way buildings and developments are planned, designed and constructed.”
Added February 5, 2008
FLOWmarket “Designed to inspire consumers to think, live and consume more holistic.”
Added March 22, 2008
Green Patriot Posters “Posters for energy independence and the fight against climate change”
Added August 1, 2008
River Project “With the Danube River Project, German artist Andreas Müller-Pohle has focused on Europe's most important river, which he has portrayed above and below the water line, using photography, video and sound recording complemented by scientific analyses of water samples taken from the river. After completion of the Danube project, the focus will be on specific city/river environments and river deltas outside Europe. This site is intended to serve as an interface between those projects and the public.”
Added March 1, 2009
Superfund365 “An online data visualization application with an accompanying RSS-feed and email alert system. Each day for a year, starting on September 1, 2007, Superfund365 will visit one toxic site currently active in the Superfund program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”
Added August 1, 2008
The Canary Project “Produces art and media that deepen public understanding of human-induced climate change and energize commitment to solutions.”
Added October 2, 2011
The Design Studio for Social Intervention “DS4SI is a space for artists, activists, academics and other social interventionists to reframe, reimagine, and reinvigorate the possibilities of the non-profit sector.”
Added January 1, 2009
The Story of Stuff “A 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world.”
Added December 17, 2007
The Virtual Water project “Based on the data gathered by Hoeckstra et al. in their study 'Water Footprint of Nations' German designer Timm Kekeritz created this double-sided poster. One side visualizes the water footprint of selected nations, emphasizing the im- and export of virtual water. The other side shows the virtual water content of selected foods and commodities.”
Added June 10, 2008
Organizations
Architecture for Humanity “A volunteer non-profit organization founded for the promotion of architectural and design solutions to global, social and humanitarian problems.”
Added May 21, 2002
Relief and Development
61 Unite For Children “60 artists and designers from the whole wide world gather together through a book dedicated to UNICEF's actions. The totality of the profit concerning the book's sell will be given to UNICEF.”
Added November 4, 2007
Architects / Designers / Planners for Social Responsibility “ADPSR has a sixteen year history of educating design professionals and the public about critical social and environmental issues. Although established with a disarmament focus, during the last nine years ADPSR has expanded its concerns to include the protection of the natural and built environment, and the promotion of ecologically and socially responsible development”
Added February 9, 2003
Architects For Peace “A humanitarian, not for profit professional organisation for architects, urban designers, engineers, planners, landscape architects and environmentalists, seeking urban development based on social justice, solidarity, respect and peace.”
Added March 8, 2008
Bloggers Unite “An initiative designed to harness the power of the blogosphere to make the world a better place.”
Added January 5, 2008
DESIGN 21: Social Design Network “Mission is to inspire social activism through design. We connect people who want to explore ways design can positively impact our many worlds, and who want to create change here, now.”
Added February 3, 2008
Designers Without Bordersx “For designers, by designers. We are here to give artists like us opportunities to create, to promote themselves and to better society by contributing designs for apparel that can be purchased on our site. A portion of the proceeds from each item sold will go to a charity of the buyer's choosing. A cause for design, plain and simple.”
Added December 11, 2007
Designgive “For designers, by designers. We are here to give artists like us opportunities to create, to promote themselves and to better society by contributing designs for apparel that can be purchased on our site. A portion of the proceeds from each item sold will go to a charity of the buyer's choosing. A cause for design, plain and simple.”
Added December 28, 2007
Dutch Design in Development “A matchmaking platform between professional Dutch designers and on the other hand exporting companies (and design academies) in developing countries.”
Added February 6, 2008
Earth Architecturex “Dedicated to exploring ideas about better living in modernist family homes that are affordable, efficient, healthy, environmentally responsible and available today.”
Added January 26, 2008
Future House Now “Dedicated to exploring ideas about better living in modernist family homes that are affordable, efficient, healthy, environmentally responsible and available today.”
Added January 26, 2008
Groundswell Blog “Dedicated to clever and innovative trends of art and design in activism.”
Added February 3, 2008
InSTEDD “An innovation lab for technologies designed to improve early disease detection and rapid disaster response.”
Added February 5, 2008
Lets Evo “An innovation platform focused on Ideas that surround design, collaborative strategies and technologies that help shape our surroundings.”
Added February 5, 2008
One Laptop per Child “The mission of OLPC is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child.”
Added January 5, 2008
OrangeTree Projectx “An open-source food-activism project in which you may already by participating. To place unwanted leftovers, typically in a doggie bag, on top of the nearest trash can so they don't go to waste.”
Added December 28, 2007
Project H Designx “An open-source food-activism project in which you may already by participating. To place unwanted leftovers, typically in a doggie bag, on top of the nearest trash can so they don't go to waste.”
Added November 1, 2008
Replate “An open-source food-activism project in which you may already by participating. To place unwanted leftovers, typically in a doggie bag, on top of the nearest trash can so they don't go to waste.”
Added November 11, 2007
SocialDesignSite.com “A non-profit organisation that aims to foster a discourse on social design through our international online platform and the organization of and participation in projects, exhibitions, conferences, lectures, etc.”
Added April 18, 2008
The Designers Accord “A coalition of design and innovation firms focused on working together to create positive environmental and social impact.”
Added January 23, 2008
The Open Architecture Network “An online, open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design.”
Added December 11, 2007
Working Proof “Besides showcasing emerging artists and great artwork, the intent of the Working Proof is to promote a variety of charities and to expose them to new supporters through the appreciation of art and creativity.”
Added June 27, 2010
Worldstudio Foundation “A not-for-profit organization whose primary goals are to stimulate, coalesce and channel social activism in the design and fine arts industries; to encourage discussion of the fields' ethical assumptions; to promote professional practices sensitive to ecological and humane issues; and to expand the global consciousness of individual artists, architects, designers, and the businesses they serve.”
Added September 19, 2001
Designer’s Quest(ionnaire)
Seven questions focused on the hard-working design practitioner—whether independent or in-house.
Design Thought Leader
Blog dedicated to fielding compelling ideas in the practice and theory of design—whatever the discipline. Read more.
