Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (via Smithsonian) Launches ePublishing Initiative
The following is a derivative summary from the Cooper-Hewitt website:
"The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design
Museum last year announced the launch of DesignFile, a new line of e-books
on design writing and research published in consortium with academic and
institutional partners."
"DesignFile features a wide range of books, from short, text-only
works to full-length illustrated publications. The text-only books releases specific ideas and research to a special audience, while
the illustrated books will treat broader subjects and offer
enhancements such as embedded audiovisual and multimedia files."
"In Design Cult, Heller reaches into the most contemplative recesses of his mind to offer an entertaining new collection of ruminations on the nature and future of design. A renowned designer, author, critic, co-chair, MFA Design Department, School of Visual Arts and National Design Award recipient, Heller expounds on such disparate topics as Milton Glaser, Japanese masks, velvet touch lettering, anthropomorphism and people in glass apartments."
"The Miser’s Purse, originally written by Camerlengo as a thesis for the Parsons/Cooper-Hewitt Master’s program, tells the compelling story of how a small, decorative purse became deeply embedded in 19th-century Victorian popular culture. Known at the time as long purses, gentlemen’s purses or simply purses, they came to be called miser’s purses because their diminutive openings made it difficult to retrieve coins. The e-book contains 29 images and a video of the author demonstrating how to use a miser’s purse."
"Originally written by Rajagopal as a thesis for the School of Visual Arts Master’s of Fine Arts program in design criticism, Hacking Design examines both common histories and persisting misunderstandings between hackers and designers and uncovers shared ground on which the two creative communities can work together. Rajagopal nimbly skips between the computer and design communities, from Makerbot to the Hacking Ikea site, from 3-D printing to DIY, providing 23 illustrated examples."
DesignFile is the latest addition to a robust series of initiatives and partnerships undertaken to broaden digital access to the collection and transform the National Design Museum’s website into a leading design research and educational resource. In 2012, Cooper-Hewitt announced the release of its collection dataset, becoming one of the larger contributors to Google Art Project, contributed collections to Art.sy and launched the Object of the Day website feature.
Cooper-Hewitt Launches DesignFile Publishing Initiative
At the time of it's inception it was reported that this initiative will release between six to 12 annual titles during its first three years (2013-2015). Most publications are scheduled to be sold at a very low price, for example the first three publications released in February 2013 were Design Cult by Steven Heller, The Miser’s Purse by Laura Camerlengo and Hacking Design by Avinash Rajagopal, all of which were priced at $2.99. DesignFile is the latest publishing initiative of Cooper-Hewitt, following the establishment of an independent publishing imprint in 2006. You are able to get all titles in an iPad, Amazon and Nook format. If you go to the publishers website (which I am including direct links below) you are able to find whatever format you may need.
"In Design Cult, Heller reaches into the most contemplative recesses of his mind to offer an entertaining new collection of ruminations on the nature and future of design. A renowned designer, author, critic, co-chair, MFA Design Department, School of Visual Arts and National Design Award recipient, Heller expounds on such disparate topics as Milton Glaser, Japanese masks, velvet touch lettering, anthropomorphism and people in glass apartments."
"The Miser’s Purse, originally written by Camerlengo as a thesis for the Parsons/Cooper-Hewitt Master’s program, tells the compelling story of how a small, decorative purse became deeply embedded in 19th-century Victorian popular culture. Known at the time as long purses, gentlemen’s purses or simply purses, they came to be called miser’s purses because their diminutive openings made it difficult to retrieve coins. The e-book contains 29 images and a video of the author demonstrating how to use a miser’s purse."
"Originally written by Rajagopal as a thesis for the School of Visual Arts Master’s of Fine Arts program in design criticism, Hacking Design examines both common histories and persisting misunderstandings between hackers and designers and uncovers shared ground on which the two creative communities can work together. Rajagopal nimbly skips between the computer and design communities, from Makerbot to the Hacking Ikea site, from 3-D printing to DIY, providing 23 illustrated examples."
DesignFile is the latest addition to a robust series of initiatives and partnerships undertaken to broaden digital access to the collection and transform the National Design Museum’s website into a leading design research and educational resource. In 2012, Cooper-Hewitt announced the release of its collection dataset, becoming one of the larger contributors to Google Art Project, contributed collections to Art.sy and launched the Object of the Day website feature.
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