Howstuffismade

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Howstuffismade (HSIM) is a visual encyclopedia that documents the manufacturing processes, labor conditions and environmental impacts involved in the production of contemporary products. It is a free, independent, academic resource published by engineering and design students, who research and produce summative photoessays describing the life cycle of the product, with a view to improvement.

Academic faculty are responsible for ensuring that appropriate standards of evidence are upheld, and guide the students in collaborating with interested manufacturers. Faculty incorporate this visual assignment into engineering and design curricula to introduce students to real-world issues involved in developing feasible innovations, and to faciliate increased transperency in manufacturing sector. Although these do not preclude a full life cycle analysis, the visual representations produce are legible to a more diverse audience. Because information and innovations move through open information realms more efficiently, this project is intended to explore the benefits of increasing transperency accountability production, distribution and

This curricula has been used in the Faculty of Engineering and School of Management at Yale University; in the Sociology and Visual Art and Art Professions, NYU and at UCSD Visual Arts Deptartment. It is currently part of the Honors Seminar series NYU, under the title Writing in the Inforamtion Age.