Master of Advanced Studies in Interaction Design in Lugano, Switzerland

"Arduino is partnering with SUPSI (the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland) to collaborate on the Master of Advanced Studies in Interaction Design:
Students applying for this program will attend courses on physical computing and interaction design held by co-founders of the Arduino project such as Massimo Banzi; furthermore, they will have the opportunity to develop the master thesis in collaboration with Arduino and spend a whole term working with the Arduino platform in order to create innovative projects."

from the Arduino Blog

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

some links:

http://www.arduino.cc/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino

http://www.massimobanzi.com/

Hitotzuki in Australia

New works in Australia for the Backwoods Gallery and Melbourne Central by the Japanese Artist duo Hitotzuki

Aaron De La Cruz

Incredible patterns by Aaron De La Cruz

Architectural Fantasies

Some images from Iakov Chernikhov's seminal 101 Architectural Fantasies, published in 1933.

Inventables

Inventables is a webstore where anyone can buy samples

of innovative materials for experimental design.

"We sell materials that designers, artists, and inventors use to develop new products and push the boundaries of what's possible."

some examples:

Shape-Retaining Plastic

Form-Holding Sheet

Temperature Sensitive Flexible Sheets

Gerd Arntz

If you're interested in pictograms
I think this book is a must:

a collection of the works of Gerd Arntz:
"As a politically engaged graphic artist and designer Gerd Arntz (1900-1988) portrayed the world in wood and linoleum cuts. During the 1920s, he conveyed his vision on social wrongs and the rise of Nazism in Germany in his prints. He did this in such a simple, direct style that anyone - regardless of their education and nationality - was able to understand his images."
(from the editor's website)

there's also a Gerd Antz memory application for iPhone.

The Uniform Project

How a daily routine can kickstart a social movement

the case:

"The Uniform Project™ started in 2009 when a young woman realized she was drowning in the doldrums of an advertising career. To counter the uninspired demands of the corporate world, she came up with an unusual creative challenge; to wear the same dress for an entire year – but, and this is where the real challenge came in, she'd have to make it look unique every single day and do so without buying anything new. The challenge was also designed to be an online fundraiser, raising money to send underprivileged kids to school."

the mission:

"Revolutionize the way people perceive ethical fashion and place social responsibility at the center of consumer culture. Use fashion as a vehicle to make acts of charity more inspired and playful, enabling individuals to rise as role models of style, sustainability and social consciousness."