Design Council Magazine issue 3

If I fall asleep on the flight, can you take my socks off? It stops me snoring                

The beauty of service design.

Read this and other articles, first published in Issue 3 of Design Council magazine, Winter 2007, or download a PDF of the entire issue.

Unconventional wisdom

A cloud over the Beijing Olympics, comfort for harassed logo designers and a way to quantify hunches.

Mission statement

Isn't it time to stop designing stuff that destroys the planet? Global warming is the ultimate challenge for designers but, Paul Simpson says, it reopens a debate about socially responsible design that dates back to William Morris.

Milestones

Events, launches and design landmarks from 1830-2006.

Making over the ambulance

The UK is about to call time on a scattergun approach to vehicle design in the emergency healthcare services, says David Cottrell.

A horse galloping on a tomato

Visualisation isn't just for painters, it's used by atheletes, designers and conference speakers. Here are ten examples of visualisation at its finest.

The karaoke economy

China's products are popular, but rarely original. That must change, says Rhymer Rigby, if it is to prosper in the long run.

Working Knowledge

Take a closer look at China's vital statistics.

Designs to be ashamed of

Richard Seymour, co-founder of product design agency Seymourpowell, identifies eleven terrible creations that blight our everyday lives.

The sustainability debate

Issues don't come much bigger than the future of the planet and the survival of humanity. David Kester interviews leaders from industry and design about the challenge of building a more sustainable future.

Five new ways to view the world

How does the earth look by carbon emissions, patent applications, internet usage, Olympic success and migrant populations?

Social networking

New technology and old-fashioned curiosity have made social networking so hot that everyone is cashing in. Nico Macdonald helps you sort the tweets from the bots.

What does a designer actually do?

Designer Rachel Abrams argues that creativity alone can't protect British design from global competition. The industry needs to establish a new role and a new mindset.

What Virgin Atlantic did next

How Virgin Atlantic rewrote the flight attendant's handbook, satisfied customers and, Michaela Bushell finds, started a long overdue revolution in service design.

It's tough being innovative

You need more than a good idea to launch a successful high-tech business. Harnessing the power of design, British firms are discovering, can make the difference.

Case studies

Five firms transformed by the power of design.