Top 5 Workplace Design Terms Explained Collaboration: being in an office Benching: having to share a desk with, like, fifty other people Ideation: talking Huddle: uncomfortable, stand-up meeting Phone booth: miniaturized conference room —F. Philip Barash
Top 5 Reassuring Signs in Middlebrow Menswear Final disappearance of the elfin-toed dress shoe, accompanied by the ascendancy of the wingtip Opening of Vineyard Vines on Michigan Avenue Liberation of Lands’ End from Sears Dudes unabashedly shopping for their own clothes The triumphant return of the button fly —F. Philip Barash
Top 5 Indicators that Design is Scaling Down Microcondo / microapartment craze Fiat 500 iPad Mini and iPad Air replacing the back-breaking bulk of the old-school iPad Disproportionate popularity of the diminutive Jawbone UP Kidrobot —F. Philip Barash
Top 5 Indicators that Design is Scaling Up Big Data craze Fiat 500L Freedom Tower spire Massive scale of the America’s Cup-winning boat, matched by the scale of America’s indifference The fact that literally everything anyone ever does can now be called “design” —F. Philip Barash
Top 5 Ways to Get a Design Job in Chicago Attend an AIGA event Attend a free lecture at Chicago Portfolio School Join a co-working space Get a degree Design something —Emerson Dameron
Top 5 Fashion Trends That Should Just Stop, Now Ombre hair (You just look too poor to dye your own hair.) Fabrics and patterns described as “native,” “ethnic,” or “tribal” (Culturally insensitive, ignorant, inexcusable. Always.) High-waisted leather shorts (Who wants a wedgie?) Overalls (To complete the look, bring along your babysitter) Lucite heels (There are some things that you just can’t bring back.) —Naomi Huffman
