Global innovation firm frog design released a special edition of its award-winning design mind magazine, devoted exclusively to TEDGlobal (the twin conference of the annual TED conference in Long Beach, California), which took place from July 21-24, 2009 in Oxford, England.
Sixty speakers and performers as well as 700 attendees from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and cultures came together to explore, discuss, and celebrate the conference theme, "The Substance of Things Not Seen."
frog design, a TEDGlobal partner, also produced the official program guide for TEDGlobal. The special edition of its design mind publication captures key moments of the conference - among them talks by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, author and philosopher Alain de Botton, and Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - and features interviews with and essays from many of the most intriguing TEDGlobal speakers and attendees. Furthermore, the magazine contains behind-the-scenes impressions of "the making of" TEDGlobal as well as observations from the social gatherings and adjunct events at the conference.
Highlights include:
- Icarus Unbound: Adventurer Bertrand Piccard prepares for the first solar-powered flight around the world.
- Behind Closed Doors: Photographer Taryn Simon captures "America's Hidden and Unfamiliar Places."
- Hiding in Plain Sight: Journalist Misha Glenny investigates the underworld of organized crime.
- A New Way to See: Scientist and installation artist Beau Lotto envisions a synesthetic model of education.
- Eyes Can Hear: Pop singer Imogen Heap visualizes her music.
- 21st-Century Medievalism: Political scientist Parag Khanna describes the new global powers in a multi-polar world.
- Small World: Willard Wigan's micro-sculptures fit within the eye of a needle.
- Sitopia: Architect Carolyn Steel proposes a new model for feeding the world's expanding cities.
- The D in TED: Journalists Andrian Kreye and Antonia Ward examine the changing concept of design.
- The Wounded Man: Writer Andreas Salcher explains why early childhood traumas break some but motivate others to greater achievements.
- The Invisibles: Writer Becky Blanton reviews her trip to homelessness and back.
- Public Diplomacy 2.0: Digital governance expert Evgeny Morozov argues that governments need to upgrade their social media outreach.
In addition, the magazine includes a special TED bonus session on "The Meaning of Business" with contributions from Beth Comstock, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of GE; Henry Tirri, senior vice president and head of the Nokia Research Center; as well as Dev Patnaik, founder and principal of Jump Associates, and author of the book Wired to Care.
design mind was the first publication invited to fully document a TED conference. Granted unlimited access to TEDGlobal in Oxford, the frog design team returned home with thousands of photographs, as well as books full of notes, sketches, illustrations, and many insights and fascinating encounters.
"Our goal was to turn the ideas presented at TEDGlobal into rich content that extends the dialogue between speakers and audience beyond the conference," said Sam Martin, editor-in-chief of design mind. "It's an opportunity to experience the conference in a different medium and at your own pace. Both those who were there and those who weren't can delve more deeply into the passions and ideas shared at TEDGlobal, and learn more about the topics and the people who took part on-stage and off."
Bruno Giussani, European director of TED, who curated the TEDGlobal 2009 conference and served as the guest editor for the design mind issue, said: "The design mind magazine is a beautiful and compelling publication that provides a new perspective to everyone who follows TEDGlobal. It is both a souvenir and a conversation starter, offering Oxford attendees and the broader TED community a look at the conference that goes far beyond the events it chronicles."
Tim Leberecht, frog design's vice president of marketing and communications, and the publisher of design mind, said: "For a design and innovation firm such as frog, TED is a wonderful gift. TED's philosophy is a perfect match with frog's interdisciplinary approach to creativity and innovation. With the design mind magazine, we hope to add value to the global TED community while at the same time benefiting from first-hand access to some of the world's most remarkable ideas and thinkers. We're very excited about this unique partnership."