China Dolls

Genetically engineered plants, computer-generated children and artistic prosthetics in this week's look at the web

Mattel’s iconic Barbie doll—with her long blond hair and impossible body proportions—isn’t the popular kid in China. In a country where educational success is one of the most highly prized values, a Barbie doll would only cause distractions for children and take precious time away from studying. In an attempt to woo over this important international market, Mattel—as well as other major toy manufacturers like …

Grow Your Own…

Genetically engineered plants, computer-generated children and artistic prosthetics in this week's look at the web

As unsettling as it is interesting, “Grow Your Own…” is celebrating the ultra-designed life of the future. The exhibition—on display until 19 January 2014 at Trinity College, Dublin—explores the art and science behind “synthetic biology,” an emerging approach to genetic engineering. To give you a sense of the new field, one project investigates life-saving organs that combine human, leech, eel and snake tissue, and another …

Tokyo Designers Week Highlights

Genetically engineered plants, computer-generated children and artistic prosthetics in this week's look at the web

As usual, the projects at this year’s celebration in Aoyama upstaged all preconceived definitions of art and design. From giant cosmic babies to fantastic metallic origami cases, expertly refurbished shipping containers, haunting sculptors and ghostly projections, The Verge has dozens of great photos that offer a peek into what the TDW experience was like this year. The Japan-based designers mastered all matter of ultra-practical, pristinely …