Design
Eco-friendly hand sanitizer is plastic-free and moisturizes your skin
Overnight, hand sanitizer has become an essential part of our personal-care routines, but the packaging it typically comes in is exponentially contributing to the global plastic crisis. Looking for a solution, one company decided to disrupt this polluting trend with a new hand sanitizer that Read More...
New building code paves the way for more sustainable cities
Residential and commercial buildings are responsible for about 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption and GHG emissions. States and cities which approve the new 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will require new buildings to reduce their overall energy usage by 10 percent compared Read More...
This hotel proves that luxury and eco-friendliness can be a match
As people have become increasingly concerned about their environmental footprint over the last couple of years, some hotels around the world have decided it’s about high time they jump on the sustainability bandwagon and become more eco-conscious. That’s definitely the case for one of Read More...
This beautiful concrete home has trees spilling out the windows
We don’t typically publish stories about the design of individual homes, but sometimes you need to give credit where it’s due. In Ha Long, Vietnam, an architecture studio has created a stunning concrete home that has trees spilling out its windows and balconies. As Curbed writer Liz Stinson Read More...
Ikea and McCann team up to make 3D-printed home furniture for the disabled
Eldar Yusupov is a Tel Aviv, Israel–based copywriter with cerebral palsy. In 2017 he happened to mention to his bosses at McCann that the low height of the office couch made it very difficult for him to get up. He liked the Ikea couch, and if it were just a few inches taller, he told them, he Read More...
How the coronavirus is forcing us to reconsider how we measure productivity
Since the period of the industrial revolution, we’ve used one primary scale to measure productivity: hours. But is this really an effective way to gauge actual performance or output? Not exactly. Measuring productivity in hours alone can discourage workers from being more efficient with their Read More...
This series will take you to the world's most ingenious homes
We at the Optimist Daily are always curious about the latest developments in architecture and design. It came to our attention that Apple TV+ has a pretty incredible documentary series out that will take you to some of the world’s most intriguing dwellings. All the episodes in the series Read More...
This design makes social distancing at the park a beautiful thing
As city dwellers have flocked outside during the pandemic, some cities have shut down urban parks because of fears of overcrowding—at a time when people could most use the mental and physical health benefits of green space. A new design, proposed for a vacant lot in the city of Vienna, shows how Read More...
This clothing brand is turning old hotel bed sheets into tailored shirts
Sometimes, being disruptive is fashionable. As for Archivist, a sustainable clothing company, its business plan counts on being disruptive in the name of fashion and corporate responsibility. With this mission, Archivist has found unique yet luxurious inspiration for a new line of tailored shirts Read More...
Making a homemade mask? Here are some tips
The CDC recommends people wear cloth face masks when venturing out for essential shopping and increasing numbers of counties are mandating that residents follow this safety precaution. If you’re making your own mask at home, here are some essential factors to consider. Virus particles are Read More...