TED Talks and Design

NEMO’s conference table is home to a sticker which reads ‘design like you give a damn’. I like to think of this sticker as shorthand for the passion, deliberation, creativity, usability, and innovation we put into NEMO products.


Tangentially related, the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference is just wrapping up for this year. TED defines its mission as “ideas worth spreading” and has made its lectures (Ted Talks) available to watch online. We call them “videos worth watching”. In these talks, speakers (whose job titles range from “maestro” to “sculptor” to “astronaut”) are challenged to give the 18-minute talk of their lives. The talks are arranged according to themes (which helps somewhat to sort through the overwhelming number of compelling videos), including ‘Design Like You Give a Damn’. Even if you’re not a design geek, it’s worth hearing Segway inventor Dean Kamen's talk about designing for good, IDEO’s David Kelley’s discussion on human-centered design, Bill McDonough’s cradle to cradle design strategy, etc.

In this year’s TED talks, a favorite of mine has been Elizabeth Gilbert’s moving discussion on creative genius. Sit down, get a snack, and turn up the volume.



-Connie