Design articles

Design stuff, public discourse, and notes about things we love.

Curio

From stereotypes to sovereignty: How Indigenous media makers assert narrative control

ByDannielle PiperAug 15, 2024
Darla Contois (left) and Lisa Edelstein (right) in the 2023 production of the Crave/APTN TV series 'Little Bird.'
Over the last 30 years, we have seen exponential growth of Indigenous media and Indigenous media makers, especially here in Canada which has one of…

Struggling to discuss climate change with older relatives? These three scenarios can help

ByCrystal ChokshiJul 20, 2024
An older heterosexual couple stand in the forest holding hands. Photo by Magda Ehlers.
Have you ever felt it difficult to express your climate anxiety in conversation with older relatives? You are likely not alone, as climate change is…

External link icon shortcode preference

BySherwin ArnottJul 14, 2023
photo of road signage.
There are a number of WordPress plugins that will allow you to apply external link icons automatically, but that’s not really my preference. I like…

Divorce Party, by Lisa Baird

ByPink Sheep DesignJun 27, 2023
Divorce Party, by Lisa Baird
After ripping each other apart, and your tents, to stay together, when you finally let it drop when the holes and the boat you shared become bigger than your bravest bucket…

Comics creator Sam Hester: How visual storytelling creates better health care

BySherwin ArnottJun 18, 2023
Comics creator Sam Hester: How visual storytelling creates better health care
Sam Hester is a graphic recorder and comics creator in Calgary. This TED talk is a brilliant insight into the power of visual learning. Her…

Bad beliefs: Misinformation is factually wrong – but is it ethically wrong, too?

ByLawrence TorcelloApr 11, 2023
Blurred abstract photo in shades of brown, red, orange, and yellow, by Marek Piwnicki.
The impact of disinformation and misinformation has become impossible to ignore. Whether it is denial about climate change, conspiracy theories about elections, or misinformation about vaccines, the…

In praise of water: World Water Day

ByRyan Elizabeth CopeMar 22, 2023
A hummingbird hovers beside some drops of water.
Since 1993, people around the world have been marking March 22 as World Water Day (WWD), an opportunity for everyone to take a moment and…

Rejecting science has a long history – the pandemic showed what happens when you ignore this

ByKatrine K. DonoisMar 18, 2023
A person in formal dress, carrying a large attaché, walk along a road that is being rolled out in front of them through the countryside.
Anti-vaccination groups, as well as other anti-science movements, are not new phenomena, nor are the nature of their objections. Unfortunately, because history is usually ignored when dealing with current scientific issues, people fail to acknowledge that most anti-science arguments have been around for centuries.

Research: trolls don’t just enjoy hurting others, they also feel good about themselves

ByEvita March, PhDMar 9, 2023
Illustration of a white radio host speaking hatefully into the microphone.
Results showed that gender, psychopathy, and sadism were all significant independent predictors of malevolent trolling. That is, if you are male, have high psychopathy, or high sadism, you are more likely to troll.

At Sea with the Marine Birds of the Raincoast: a review

ByRyan Elizabeth CopeMar 8, 2023
The cover art for the book, 'At Sea with the Marine Birds of the Raincoast' by Caroline Fox is overlaid on a photo of black Pacific cormorants and Glaucous-winged gulls standing on a rock.
Caroline Fox’s ‘At Sea with the Marine Birds of the Raincoast’ welcomes readers into the world of BC’s bird-filled, rugged coastline. But, her message almost gets lost in a sea of jargon.

Well designed scissors

BySherwin ArnottMar 7, 2023
Scissors, made and designed by Ernest Wright, lying in a pile before they're polished.
Sometimes things that look simple, just aren’t. It’s fascinating to me that there’s a team of putter togetherers. Learn more about Ernest Wright scissors.

How to be at home, by Andrea Dorfman

ByPink Sheep DesignMar 3, 2023
How to be at home, by Andrea Dorfman
Youtube | How To Be At Home Andrea Dorfman | provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Grief, destruction, and The Magnitude of All Things

ByPink Sheep DesignFeb 20, 2023
Grief, destruction, and The Magnitude of All Things
Lands are being changed. People were born on these lands. They live there and have families and ancestors there. These places are being destroyed. And…

Putting pages into a WordPress RSS feed

BySherwin ArnottFeb 20, 2023
An illustration of a wolf with a large full moon floating in the background.
Every once in a while I want to put pages into an RSS feed on a self-hosted WordPress site. When I do this, I prefer…

Microplastics research in the Okanagan: media roundup

ByRyan Elizabeth CopeFeb 8, 2023
A fishing vessel tows a manta trawl through Okanagan Lake during a winter day, searching for microplastics.
On World Water Day 2022, our Microplastics Okanagan team and project partners published a press release about the Microplastics In Okanagan Lake project. We were blown away by the community response!

Ongoing study of microplastics in Okanagan Lake being conducted with community collaboration

ByRyan Elizabeth CopeJun 1, 2022
A research vessel skims a manta trawl through the waters of Okanagan Lake with the William R. Bennett bridge in the background on a smoky July day.
Several community partners and Okanagan College students have teamed up to determine if there are microplastics in Okanagan Lake and Kelowna’s municipal wastewater.