Design Observer

If you missed—or want to watch again—Nonlinear: Navigating Design with Curiosity and Conviction is available to stream. This insightful conversation explores how curiosity and conviction can lead to transformative design journeys. Whether it's your first viewing or a thoughtful revisit, there's plenty to spark your creativity. 👇 Watch below, and let us know what you think in the comments!

There’s no silver bullet to eradicate poverty. But, connecting to the digital economy is a strong start and a first step in the right direction.    It was great to speak with Ellen McGirt at Design Observer about Community Pass and how Mastercard is connecting farmers in remote communities with all the players in the agricultural ecosystem, including harvest buyers, seed sellers, and banks and financial institutions. Access to these networks can give smallholder farmers more autonomy in harvest production and pricing, which can ultimately lift families and communities out of poverty.   We want our work to be commercially sustainable. That's why we launched the Mobilizing Access to the Digital Economy (MADE) Alliance in Africa, which brings together cross-sector public and private partners such as Microsoft, Equity Bank Limited and African Development Bank Group to capitalize on each other’s strengths to build the infrastructure and connectivity that will help rural agricultural communities thrive.    Listen to the podcast to learn more about our journey.   #CommunityPass #DigitalInclusion #EconomicOpportunity

Imagine working hard to raise livestock, only to have no control over its price. Tara Nathan recalls meeting a smallholder farmer in Southeast Asia who had a pig to sell but no way to determine its value. “The guy tells me the price,” the farmer said. This is the reality for millions of smallholder farmers who lack access to markets, pricing information, and fair trade opportunities. In this episode of DBBD, Tara explains how Mastercard’s Community Pass is helping farmers gain agency in the digital economy. 🎧 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/gW4yRwgy #Agritech #DigitalInclusion #FairTrade #FinancialAccess

What does it take for a smallholder farmer to thrive? It’s not just land, it’s banking, markets, ID, and connectivity. In this episode of Design of Business | The Business of Design, Mastercard’s Tara Nathan shares how Community Pass is connecting farmers to the tools they need to participate in the digital economy. By bringing together governments, NGOs, and the private sector, Community Pass is creating real impact for millions. 🎙️Listen now: https://lnkd.in/gW4yRwgy #Agritech #Finance #SustainableDevelopment #fintech

How can digital tools transform agriculture and help alleviate poverty? Mastercard’s Tara Nathan has some answers. On the latest Design of Business | Business of Design podcast, Nathan joins host Ellen McGirt, and shares how Community Pass is connecting smallholder farmers to the digital economy, helping them access markets, financial services, and even something as fundamental as authentic seeds. “There’s an obsession with finding a silver bullet to solve poverty. If there was an app for that, it would have been done,” says Nathan. Instead, her work focuses on building ecosystems that connect all the necessary players- governments, NGOs, private sectors, to create lasting change. Listen now 🎧 https://lnkd.in/gW4yRwgy #DigitalInclusion #Agritech #FintechForGood #Podcast #DBBD #SmallholderFarmers

As climate change fuels more devastating wildfires, how can our built environment help protect communities? On the latest episode of DBBD, architect and urbanist Michael Eliason explores how Tokyo’s firebreak architecture, designed to prevent historic urban conflagrations, could inspire new approaches for wildfire-prone cities like LA and Seattle. Listen now to hear how cities can become more climate-adaptive: https://lnkd.in/etHby8iT #UrbanPlanning #ClimateResilience #SustainableCities #Architecture #design #DBBD #futureofcities

For the last 50 years, we’ve designed cities that don’t fully support people or prepare them for an uncertain climate future. How can we shift from piecemeal solutions to truly comprehensive urban planning? In the Season 12 premiere of The Design of Business | The Business of Design, host Ellen McGirt sits down with architect and urbanist Michael Eliason as he shares how we can rethink housing, mobility, and community spaces to build climate-adaptive, resilient cities. Listen now: https://lnkd.in/etHby8iT (and be sure to follow The Design of Business | The Business of Design on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app) #UrbanPlanning #ClimateResilience #FutureOfCities #DesignThinking

As the Academy Awards approach, we take a deep dive into the craft of award-winning makeup artist Mike Marino. From Colin Farrell’s Penguin to Sebastian Stan’s A Different Man, Marino’s work is a masterclass in transformation. He shares his approach to designing realistic, story-driven makeup and how it shapes performances, alters perception, and enhances a film’s emotional impact. Read the full interview by Alexis Haut here: https://lnkd.in/e7kMfAtg #MikeMarino #Oscars #FilmMakeup #Storytelling #Design

What does it mean to be a good ally now? Ellen McGirt asks Kevin Bethune this crucial question, and his response is simple yet profound: true allyship begins with seeing each other beyond titles, recognizing full humanity, nuance, and value. Watch this clip and stream the full conversation on our YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e_nTvAQr #DesignJuiceLive #Nonlinear #Allyship #Leadership #Inclusion

What does it take to create a career on your own terms? To build a world where authenticity and artistry thrive, even when the mainstream isn’t ready for it? In 2020, Janelle Monáe joined The Design of Business | The Business of Design to discuss her journey as an independent artist and entrepreneur. She spoke with co-hosts Jessica Helfand and Ellen McGirt about choosing courage over conformity, creating spaces for marginalized voices, and making art that shapes the future. Five years later, in a world that’s grown more hostile to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and creative independence, her message resonates even more deeply. This episode is a reminder that our voices, choices, and communities matter. It’s an invitation to build the future we believe in. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e78WhQt7 #JanelleMonae #Design #Leadership #Courage #Authenticity #QueerCreatives