Designs On— is a printed series put out by IDEO, with new design concepts by IDEO's designers that "aim to raise awareness about a particular issue or topic." The book was started in 2007 in response to a challenge by I.D. Magazine's 2007 Annual Design Review to create concepts that bring awareness to the topic of global warming, resulting in a collection of 15 projects, collected into one booklet. IDEO's publication persisted—addressing time, then food, and now, birth.

Concepts examined include paternity, baby booms, comfort, the man's struggle, c-sections, natural selection and more. Light my Life by Nicholas Zambatti is about celebrating the ephemeral nature of life, from birth. Life is time, and time is precious. Birthday celebrations cast light on both of these basic principles. So, if each passing year is marked by a 24-hour period of revelry and reflection, perhaps newborns ought to be presented with a lifetime set of birthday candles? Think of them as "personal insight lights." As children grow older, they can monitor or make note of their diminishing number of candles--and consider the fleeting and ephemeral nature of life. It might just provide the necessary impetus for them to seize the day, take initiative, or exploit opportunities to maximize life itself. Too heady? Well, at the very least, the lifetime set would save recipients from ever having to buy their own birthday candles.

Men in Labour, by Andrea Mallard and IDEO Munich document, well, just that:

Mothers receive (and rightfully take) the lion's share of credit for childbirth. Fathers are quite often sidelined, overlooked, or relegated to the status of wincing, passive observers during the physical act. But are modern dads really so detached? We think not.

A video from Andrea Mallard and the fathers on staff at IDEO Munich explores the emotional journey and the unmet needs of fathers going through the experience of birth. Yes, big strong men can and do cry.

Labo¨r, by Barbara Franz, attempts to make parenting as simple as putting together IKEA furniture (which is maybe not so simple, after all):

Life is complicated, even moreso when you're pregnant. Why can't parenting be as simple as putting together furniture as those Scandinavians make it seem?

Maybe it could be.

What if pediatricians provided parents-to-be with a standard, the process and series of events to come? The instructional book could reduce anxiety, inject a bit of levity into the journey, and promote communication without introducing more complexity.

The very thought of such a thing almost makes us wish those Nordic folk designed everything.

The publication will soon be available in pdf form directly from the Designs On— site.