Hospitals "desperately need designers" to improve everything from the way they tackle coronavirus to the layout of operating theatres and the design of medical charts, according to a senior US doctor. More about Lack of design input in healthcare is putting both patients and doctors at risk, says physician
Coen Car is a concept design by Nendo that envisions children playing with a fleet of autonomous vehicles that function as pieces of mobile and interactive playground equipment. More about Nendo designs self-driving mobile playground equipment for children
Daily coronavirus briefing: today's architecture and design coronavirus briefing includes a medical isolation hood, Milan's post-coronavirus plans and rainbow art to raise spirits. More about Daily coronavirus architecture and design briefing: 21 April
A pack of mischievous rats cause chaos in this installation by graffiti artist Banksy who, like many, is working from home during the coronavirus lockdown. More about Banksy reveals rodent-themed installation inside his own bathroom
Dutch design studio Raw Color has suggested using odd socks to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. More about Raw Color designs Elbow Sock for coronavirus sneezing
Dezeen hit a major milestone this week, becoming one of the 3,500 most-visited websites in the world, according to ranking service Alexa. More about Dezeen becomes one of the top 3,500 most popular websites in the world
Creative people thrive in difficult situations and can use the coronavirus pandemic to explore new ways to add value, says designer Lonneke Gordijn of Studio Drift in a video message recorded for Virtual Design Festival. More about Coronavirus is an opportunity to create "a new economic model" says Lonneke Gordijn
Boston architect Eric Höweler and a team from Harvard's Graduate School of Design have helped local doctors develop patient isolation hoods – a new type of device that could save the lives of healthcare workers and "impact things worldwide" in the fight against coronavirus. More about Architects and medics collaborate on "unprecedented" project to develop open-source hoods to protect healthcare workers
Daily coronavirus briefing: today's architecture and design coronavirus briefing includes the conversion of a Foster + Partners-designed college building, open-source hoods and optimism from Spain. More about Daily coronavirus architecture and design briefing: 20 April
Week two of Virtual Design Festival features an architecture photography festival, a celebration of Earth Day, interviews with SO-IL and Ron Arad and a live music performance by Beatie Wolfe. Here's what's coming up this week. More about Virtual Design Festival week two includes SO-IL, Ron Arad and Beatie Wolfe
Japanese designer Rie Sakamoto replaced yarn with rubber bands for her knitted fashion collection, which aims to showcase this stationary item's overlooked qualities. More about Rie Sakamoto knits rubber bands together like yarn for elastic garments
Beirut design studio T Sakhi combined Venetian Murano glass with recycled metal threads and powder to create a pair of textured glassware collections. More about T Sakhi infuses Murano glass with metal wires for Tasting Threads tableware
Virtual Design Festival launched this week! Here's a roundup of everything that happened in week one including live interviews, collaborations with cultural organisations and video messages from designers around the world. More about This week's VDF highlights include a live interview with Li Edelkoort and messages from 35 designers
London studio Pearson Lloyd has designed a steel flat-pack chair, called Cross Chair Tube, for Danish furniture brand Takt. More about Pearson Lloyd creates tubular steel flat-pack chair for Takt
Designer Sebastian Errazuriz has created an online exhibition that allows collectors to preview artworks in their home using augmented reality tools during the coronavirus pandemic. More about Augmented-reality exhibition launched to sell artwork during pandemic
Manufacturers in Spain are reopening their factories after two weeks in total lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus, with brands to promising to "bounce back". More about Spanish design brands "optimistic" as factories reopen after lockdown
In the fifth and final part of today's collaboration between Virtual Design Festival and Forward Festival, Fredrik Öst explains how his creative agency Snask ended up acquiring a rock band. More about "Don't mix rock 'n' roll with the professional" says Snask founder at Forward Festival
Architecture studio SO-IL has designed a major installation for Lisbon's Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology that creates a new public route through the middle of the Amanda Levete-designed building via a secret rear entrance. More about Beeline installation by SO-IL creates a "clandestine" shortcut through Amanda Levete's MAAT museum
In the fourth part of today's collaboration between Virtual Design Festival and Forward Festival, artist and designer Sarah Illenberger discusses how she makes illustrations from everyday objects. More about "I illustrate but I don't draw" says artist Sarah Illenberger at Forward Festival
Designer Fabio Novembre questions the desire to return to normal after the coronavirus pandemic, claiming that "the virus is in the system we used to live in", in a video message recorded for Virtual Design Festival. More about Fabio Novembre calls for architects and designers to help create a new world order after coronavirus