Objects
Why Familiar Objects Can Still Be Hard to Name
Why familiar objects can still be hard to name: see how habits, settings, and shared visual conventions shape…
The reading room
All stories
Explore writing on the objects, images, spaces and ideas that shape design across places and cultures.
Visual Culture
Printed Posters and Digital Images Change How We See
Printed poster or digital image: compare scale, setting, and circulation to choose how a visual meets its audience and…
Design History
From Courtyard to Atrium: The Changing Life of an Open Centre
Courtyard and atrium design shapes light, movement, privacy, and shared life; learn how to read an open center through…
Making
How to Read a Souvenir Without Treating It as a Whole Place
Learn how to read a souvenir’s maker, materials, display, and context so you can describe what it tells you about a…
Spaces
A Gallery Visit with One Material in Mind
A gallery visit with one material in mind turns a familiar material into a way to compare light, scale, and…
Our point of view
Design makes the world legible
A small detail can tell a bigger story about use, place and culture. We slow down to notice the choices behind designed things.