An Illustrated Weekly of World Design, 27 March 2012

James Cameron, director of blockbusters such as Titanic and Avatar is also an explorer. Cameron recently journeyed alone 11 kilometers down in the Mariana Trench. The last people to do this were US Navy lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard in 1960. Cameron has secretly been building the Deepsea Challenger, a vertical submarine in partnership with National Geographic and Rolex. The director/explorer took not only soil samples but also filmed the event which he hopes to launch as a 3D movie. He also tweeted the deepest tweet ever.

Tsai Design Studio, based in Cape Town, South Africa, has built high school student Marshaan Brink's design for a schoolhouse. The multi functional space is based in rural Cape province and houses 25 students. The design uses a shipping container - not a novel idea in itself - but adds an amphitheater and an extra roof that regulates the high summer temperatures. Via DesignBoom. 

Our favourite high-risk entrepreneur, Elon Musk, fully intends to go big and not go home. Tesla Motors is betting everything on the launch of the Model S, a $50 000 all electric car that will compete with Audi and BMW mass luxury models. Fast Company reports that Musk started out selling the Roadster, an expensive sports car to finance the Model S and when that is in full production he hopes to launch a cheaper car. This is the business plan in Musk's own words:

1. Build sports car
2. Use that money to build an affordable car
3. Use that money to build an even more affordable car
4. While doing above, also provide zero-emission electric-power generation options

On the other hand, the naysayers point out the risks; "...launching a major new electric automobile company is certifiable. You might as well light a bonfire in downtown Palo Alto and burn a billion dollars." Great article, well worth the read. 

The d.school is launching an experiment in design thinking, they are encouraging people to participate in the virtual online Crash Course, which aims to:

• Grow your own capacity to innovate.
• Allow you to experience something different than how you normally work.
• Encourage collaboration with interdisciplinary teams; unraveling new perspectives on approaching solutions.
• Give adults back break time. Participants work with arts & crafts supplies as a way to understand the value of rapid prototyping.
• Help you put Design Thinking to work immediately following the video via half-day long guided tours through some of our methods, called “mixtapes.”

If you are interested in design thinking, the 90-minute course takes you step-by step through videos and exercises to complete a specific design process.