Hasta La Ideas

Ralph Caplan, former editor-in-chief of I.D. magazine sheds light and reflects on the 55 years of the magazine in an article for the AIGA. The January issue will be the last printed version of the magazine and will be missed. To read the entire piece go here.

From AIGA article:
…I.D. got off to a better start in life than any child has a right to expect. My impression—and it is only that—is that the magazine went through a difficult middle period, when both it and the professions it served were unstable, unsure and unsurely perceived. There were the usual weight problems, acne, confusion about identity, uneven growth and flashes of brilliance. During that period I sometimes felt pangs of disappointment, even going so far as to ask, “Where did we go wrong?” My impression—only that—is that today the magazine has an enviable inner strength, self-confidence and direction. I don’t know that I have any right to take pride in that, but I do.

This spring the Cooper Hewitt museum in New York will host an exhibition called “Design for the Living World” that will showcase innovative designs commissioned by the Nature Conservancy.

Ten designers were each given a local sustainable material to create new products with. Seven of them got the opportunity to travel to the material’s place of origin. The image above is of NYC based designer Steve Burks.

For a sneak peak on what to expect go to I.D. magazine.

“We wanted to bring out a whole gamut of responses to the idea of engagement with materials and communities,” Miller explains. “We didn’t want to insist upon full-on product designs with guaranteed markets of some kind.” Lupton adds