Themes Design That Matters

These speakers celebrate the power of design to unravel social stalemate and to save and enrich lives.

Inventor Dean Kamen's moving first look at a new prosthetic arm for maimed soldiers emblemizes the spirit of designing to do good. IDEO founder David Kelley's thoughtful talk advocates human-centered design -- transforming consumer interactions with products into meaningful cultural experiences. And architect William McDonough insists that a designer must have humility to meet the needs of all people, and offers a revolutionary strategy: cradle to cradle design.

Mechanical engineer Amy Smith speaks out for conscientious design: cheap, low-tech devices that use local resources -- and save millions of lives. In the same vein, Nicholas Negroponte lays out the details of his One Laptop Per Child project, which will provide millions of Third World kids with wirelessly connected computers and, more importantly, the means of education. Cameron Sinclair, meanwhile, outlines his plan to implement an open-source platform for architecture and connect designers to builders and communities throughout the world.

Don't miss the 2007 Talk by Paola Antonelli, design curator at MoMA: she's on a mission to spread appreciation of design around the world.