There’s been a lot of talk lately about design’s power to do good and foster change on a mass scale. Sure, I drink that Kool-Aid, serving it up to my clients and students, too. Sometimes, though, the best “good” design is for a small audience of the people closest to us. Pentagram partner Eddie Opara mentioned recently that he thought design wasn’t “about solving problems. It’s about making people happy.” There’s no doubt in my mind that David Laferriere’s design project has made his kids happy, and what isn’t “good” about that? 

Print is dying. Print is dead. The publishing business is toast. I can’t believe you don’t have a Kindle/iPad. Isn’t that bag too heavy with a hardcover book in it?

Common refrains these days, especially here in the tech innovation center of the world: the Bay Area. And, wonderfully, the cool cats at McSweeney’s just keep on ignoring these doomsayers, continuing to produce printed matter that rarely disappoints those of us who still relish a reading experience that doesn’t require a charger. That McSweeney’s does this is probably not news to most of you. I was surprised, then, that their packaging design (with help from Jessica Hische) for Dave Eggers’ latest novel, A Hologram for the King, wasn’t fawned over more in the press, design or otherwise.

I was listening to NPR when I heard about Warby Parker co-founder Jeffrey Raider launching his second startup, called Harry’s. Since Warby Parker has been a model of doing good and being socially responsible, I was eager to hear more about Harry’s. During the interview, Mr. Raider spoke about paying over $20 for a small pack of razors and questioned why an everyday product should cost so much. From there, Harry’s was born. The company designs, manufactures and distributes its products itself, essentially creating its own unique supply chain. By doing this, the company is able to offer a higher-quality product at a lower price.

An innovative business that converts waste heat into electricity—and integrates environment, people, economy and culture from The Living Principles for Design framework—is BioLite.

BioLite, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, was founded by Jonathan Cedar and Alex Drummond and has received numerous awards for their innovative CampStove. What’s so great about it? Well, it turns heat from fire into electric energy and can charge cellphones and LED lights. I am surprised no one had thought of this sooner, but it’s pure genius.