USA | Design Indaba

Transparent solar panels: Any surface could be a power source

Researchers are developing a completely transparent solar panel and it’s set to be a game-changer. >
A smart inhaler helps prevent asthma attacks

Gecko Health, an MIT spinout, has designed a smart inhaler that links to an app and helps asthma sufferers monitor their prescriptions and prevent attacks. >
Empowering young African women through menstrual hygiene management

Brooklyn-based social enterprise Be Girl has designed two solutions to help rural girls to take control of their monthly cycles. >
Steven Heller: Design to entertain, illuminate and advocate

We sit down with Steven Heller to discuss the designer’s role in society and his perspective on different forms of design. >
Francis Kéré Architecture's installation introduces the value of an African gathering in Chicago

Place for Gathering doubles up as a meeting place and a space that encourages cultural exchange. >
Sun tracking cell inspired by ancient Japanese art

Researchers have tapped into the past to find solutions to energy problems in the modern world. >
Caress of the Gaze: Clothing that responds to your eyes

Behnaz Fahari imagines a garment, inspired by feathers and scales, that responds to the gaze of another. >
VizSnap: Facilitating photography for the blind

The visually impaired take photos too, says Dustin Adams, the designer of VizSnap. >
Bar game takes the mystery out of urban planning

“Cards Against Urbanity” pokes fun at the pains of urban planning in a cynical, yet educational way. >
MIT’s bacteria-powered material, bioLogic, will literally make your skin crawl

BioLogic is an innovative second skin with an automated ventilation system that is powered by living organisms. >
Ants inspire the super material of the future

A 10-year study into the properties of fire ants has put researchers on a path to a self-healing material. >
Takeout container turned mini-greenhouse makes growing food a snap

Homegrown’s Takeout container makes the perfect mini-greenhouse for growing organic food. >
Amanda Williams: Colour(ed) theory and the urban palette

Architect-cum-artist Amanda Williams uses her experience in colour theory to design an urban colour palette for historically black neighbourhoods in Chicago. >
Exclusive: Artist Adejoke Tugbiyele on giving voice to the voiceless

Nigerian-American artist and activist Adejoke Tugbiyele uses mixed media to give voice to the LGBTI communities of Africa. >
A pocket-sized flashlight powered by body heat

This inventor's flashlight is powered by body heat and is expected to be a step towards living without batteries. >
Are crickets in cocktails a viable solution to food shortage?

Graduates from the School of Visual Arts, Lucy Knops and Julia Plevin have co-founded Critter Bitters, a cocktail bitters made with toasted crickets. >
Jonathan Lee gives us insight into Google's rebranding

Google's rebranding is a step towards tackling the world's complex problems with simple, accessible design. >
An app-assisted home vegetable garden

Edntech hopes to inspire sustainable indoor gardening with its educational planter unit. >
Dror Benshetrit: Crossing the boundaries between design disciplines

Designer Dror Benshetrit tells us what drives his New York-based studio’s holistic approach to design. >
A wearable translates sign language into English

Researchers are working on a high-tech wearable to bridge the gap between the deaf and those who don’t understand sign language. >
The ReMotion Knee is a low-cost prosthetic for developing countries

D-Rev, a company focusing on providing quality healthcare to low-income populations, is launching the ReMotion Knee. >
Smart baby tech gives parents a jump on their kids’ education

The Starling is a smart-wearable for babies designed to early language skill development. >
UNICEF's Kid Power wearable saves lives

UNICEF have brought out a wearable that encourages kids to get active in exchange for points that save the lives of starving children in developing countries. >
This trashcan-inspired home is the future of urban living

From its smart home features to its mobile glass-cube structure, the Kasita is a new kind of home. >

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