Designs of all kinds

Three locals honored by Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt

June 09, 2011|By Christopher Muther, Globe Staff

The Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, has awarded three of its Annual National Design Awards to a trio of local designers, including the Cambridge type designer who will take home the museum’s coveted Lifetime Achievement Award and a Newton company behind the well-known household helper the Swiffer and an array of other products.

Matthew Carter, who has been designing fonts for more than 50 years, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in October. Carter, who has designed typefaces for Microsoft, Yale University, and The Boston Globe, said the honor was unexpected.

“I was asked to submit my work over the past 10 years, and each year I received a nice letter back saying sorry,’’ Carter said. “I had no reason to expect any other reply this year.’’

Here are a few words from the local winners:

MATTHEW CARTER, Cambridge, Lifetime Achievement Award

Q. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in fonts over the past 50 years?

A. The technology has changed dramatically. I’ve been able to make type in metal by hand, metal by machine, digital desktop, the Web, and so on. For most people who designed type, the technology stayed the same throughout their lifetime. But in more recent times, the technology has accelerated rapidly, and I’ve been able to adapt to that.

BEN FRY, Boston, winner of the Interaction Design Award, given for exceptional work in digital technology

Q. On the surface, the design work that you do is very scientifically focused. How important is design in showing the results of scientific research?

A. Design itself is a significant part of the process — the approach to problems and the way to look at and dissect problems. Graphic design gives you tools for putting information together in a way that’s hopefully clearer.

Q. Do you see any connections between design and science?

A. They were independent interests for a long time. I was doing things like designing a logo for my junior high, and at the same time I sold a game to a monthly magazine that published software.

CONTINUUM, West Newton (offices worldwide), winner of the Product Design Award. Interview with president and chief design officer Gianfranco Zaccai

Q. Are Americans more design savvy than they were 20 years ago?

A. Absolutely. We live in a much more global and connected world. I think some of it is due to some really well-designed products coming into the market from abroad. Some of it is due to people traveling more, and I think a lot of it is due to some design companies communicating to people more. It’s funny, I’ll be in some part of the world talking about some esoteric thing that we’re doing, and what people get excited about is that we invented the Swiffer. I’ve talked to renowned surgeons about some of the medical products we’ve worked on, and what they want to talk about is the Swiffer.

Q. Do you have a favorite product that you’ve designed?

A. I have a few favorites, but one is an insulin delivery product that we made, the OmniPod. I got an e-mail from a 14-year-old girl in India who said she can be a kid again because of it.

Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com.

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