Early in January 2011, Kimberly Voigt and I saw the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s Fourth Design Triennial, called “Why Design Now?” I have seen the Triennials in 2000 and 2006 as well, and the 2010 version represented a notable shift in emphasis. This iteration focuses on designs that “address social and ecological problems.” The agenda was heavily skewed towards green, sustainable, and low environmental impact designs. Like several other recent design exhibitions, t