Anyone who is interested in design knows that it is Design Week in Portland. But what does design mean? And, how does it affect our lives?

According to Merriam Webster Online, design means: “to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan.” But for what purpose?

Enter Susan Szenasy, design advocate. Announcing her recent appointment as publisher of Metropolis Magazine, the New York-based publication that examines contemporary life through design – from the urban environment to living spaces, to objects we use every day – with an eye on sustainability and ethics. As Horace Havemeyer III said, in announcing her appointment, “…the design community’s obligation is to serve all of society’s needs, not just the upper two percent.”

So we wanted to know: how is design impacting the lives of ordinary people? Here is our conversation with Susan Szenasy, live at PRP.FM on Wednesday, October 8, 2014.

For information on myriad Portland events this week, visit the Design Week website.

Rebecca Webb
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