Posted on 10.14.11

CUSP Conference 2011: Joy’s Top Takeaways (Part 1)

by Joy Burke

“Everybody is a designer. It’s a basic human trait.” I couldn't agree more. That's why I was thrilled to attend this year's CUSP Conference.

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
- Robert Heinlein

What is CUSP?

The CUSP Conference is an event about “the design of everything.” Created and hosted by design firm smbolic, the event is held annually at the Museum of Contemporary Art Theater in Chicago. I had the exciting opportunity to attend the 2011 CUSP Conference a couple of weeks ago as a guest to a friend and speaker at the event, Christopher Simmons of MINE, San Fransisco. His talk, along with the other presentations I saw over the course of this two-day event, were all some of the most inspiring words I’ve ever heard.

The group of people who make CUSP what it is don’t wait for opportunities to happen, they rise to occasions with vim and vigor. Below I’ve summed up five of my favorite presenters’ talks and what I took away from them.

MIKE IVERS

Giving his whole talk blindfolded, led around stage by volunteers, Mike’s main message to the audience was, “Do not be afraid to be afraid!” Fear, he said, is the ability to recognize danger and have the ability to choose whether you run from it or confront it. It’s important to be scared. Fear is a process, not a one-time event, so get out there and mingle!

DR. RICHARD SATAVA

This world-class surgeon opened with a quote by Yogi Berra, “The future is not what it used to be.” He showed us prototypes for operating rooms where the only human present is the patient, as well as new procedures where only natural orifices are used for surgeries that used to require an incision. They cause less pain and are smaller. He closed by asking us, “What will you choose to be the species that follows humans?” Just thinking about that concept blew my mind.

JÉRÔME WALDISPÜHL

This French designer told us all about Phylo: a game to help genetic research. Knowing how much time people spend on their phones, specifically while commuting, he and his team realized they could kill two birds with one stone by making a fun game or puzzle for people to play that would also help solve the Multiple Sequences Alignment. And so they did. Since its start in November 2010, they’ve already seen a 40% improvement after re-insertion of the data. Play the game yourself and join the cause!

MERT ISERI

This animated designer from Turkey is one of the founders of Design for America, an organization that brings people together to solve specific social problems. It was incredibly inspiring to hear him tell us all about the work they’ve done so far, and how rapidly the organization is growing. Mert said he had this dream, then it became his job, and then he realized that he had created his dream job!

One successful example of theirs came from their search for a solution to prevent hospital-acquired infections. After vast amounts of research and getting involved with the environment they were focusing on, they came up with a super easy way for everyone to keep their hands cleaner: a device that straps to your belt and squirts out hand sanitizer as your hand swipes downward upon it. Instead of wiping your hands on your pants, you use the same motion to wipe them on something that cleans them!

EMILY CUMMINS

This young, British inventor was one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever seen. She’s been finding creative ways to fix things since she was little, and all of those years of practice have greatly paid off. She’s known for identifying real world problems and finding sustainable, practical ways for people all over the world to make these solutions workable for them, even after any grants or anything like that dries up.

She firmly believes that when creating a product there should be a distinct need for it. She designed a water carrier for people in Africa that uses practical materials already available to them and can easily be adjusted based on a person’s height and how many buckets they can transport. This is just one of the products Emily has designed that’s greatly enhanced the standard of living for those in Third World countries.

More to Come

There were too many amazing presentations at this year’s CUSP Conference for me to fit into one blog post.  So be sure to stop back for Part 2 of this post where I review the talks of five more of my favorite presenters and share with you what I learned from each.