Design can make you happy.

Replacement graphic for NYC subway signage by True

While trying to find an appropriate post to begin my blog on design and how it pertains to the human lifestyle, it seemed most fitting to distinguish the reasons behind my choice of concentration. Instead of choosing a topic on politics or business or sports – like newspaper divides that cater to the interests of the general public – I decided to do something different. For instance, sharing information that is often unseen and unheard, but still interesting and relative to the daily lives of society, became a theme that I wanted to introduce to my potential readers.

Plainly put, I love design. It is something that is innovative, unrestricted, and exists as a solution to improve the way we live. It is something that makes me happy.

Two years ago, I was introduced to something called TED.

“TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.”

Beginning in 1990 (although founded in 1984 by Richard Saul Wurman and Harry Marks), TED has held annual conferences in Monterey, California, with a mission to share “ideas worth spreading.” For each conference, TED invites “the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers” to sum up their lives in a span of approximately 18 minutes. As of June 2006, these lectures or “talks” have been made available to the public on the TED website, and are broken down into themes of:

Technology
Entertainment
Design
Business
Science
Culture
Arts
and Global issues.

Of the 377 talks listed on the site, it is worth it to take a look at Stefan Sagmeister’s search for the source of happiness in his life and how design can make you happy (like it makes me happy).

Links: TED website and YouTube

Thus, by sharing what makes me happy will hopefully make my readers happy as well. Enjoy.