The folks at Design Observer recently made note of a public spat at London’s Design Museum, which has resulted (so far) in the resignation of designer James Dyson from the Board of Trustees. Having followed up on the links about this issue, I remained ambivalent about the situation: was this a case of proud resistance (by the Director, Alice Rawsthorn) in the face of plain bullying (by Dyson and Conran), or stubborn adherence to an agenda (Rawsthorn’s) in spite of persistent cajoling to be more receptive to Board Members’ input? Without any real insight, it’s hard to tell.

And then I received an email about a design competition involving the IDSA and James Dyson. It begins with the following quote:

“Good design is about making a product or design that serves a function better than anything else that has gone before it. It’s about looking at everyday things with new eyes, and working out how they can be made better.” — James Dyson

Whatever Rawsthorn lacks – at least in Dyson’s eyes – when it comes to the meaning of design, I have to say I personally find Dyson’s own definition to be peculiarly one-dimensional. Surely a foundational definition for design today must include some acknowledgement of the ethical and environmental considerations that have been a hallmark of reputable design thinking since Papanek’s Design for the Real World?

It’s sometimes called ‘public writing’ or ‘public lettering’ or ‘found type’, but whatever it is, it’s a joy to behold. The example above belongs to a lovingly restored tractor on display at a county fair in Ontario.

Here are three websites devoted to the stuff:

Public Lettering explores London;

TypoCity explores Mumbai;

Typophile gathers contributors’ examples from all over the world.

My own small, but growing, collection can be found here.