Acoustic, verbal, and visual communication from a distance -- whether it be a foghorn, a cell phone for toddlers, or reflective inserts in a jacket for use in a Nordic country -- must be effective. The foghorn must be powerful, the cell phone easy enough to be used by a child, and the inserts stylishly cut so as to make the jacket wearable in any situation.

Included in the exhibition are such diverse products as the Therapeutic Felt-tip Pen, the Corporate Fallout Detector, which informs customers at the supermarket on the ethical record of the companies that manufacture the products for sale in the aisles, as well as a commentary on surveillance, the cameras that are meant to protect us but must invade our privacy to do so. Awareness often comes at the price of a loss of innocence. On the other hand, once achieved, awareness can neutralize fear of the unknown and unexpected.

Awareness Highlights  Click images for larger view in a new window.

Communication design encompasses both high and low technology, but the emphasis here is on whether and how information reaches its destination, rather than on the type of technology involved in the delivery. Good design is measured not only by the elegance of the object but also by how well it accomplishes its task: