Design 21: Social Design Network

Challenge Brief

In May the 2008 G8 Environment Ministers Meeting will take place in Kobe (prior to the G8 Summit in Japan).

This Challenge calls for a design for a furoshiki cloth that commemorates this occasion.

Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth. It is often used to carry things - it is the oldest "eco-bag" but many have used it for gift-wrapping, interior decorating and other purposes.

Be sure to check out the links given below for background information, which will help you better understand the significance of furoshiki.

The 2008 G8 Environment Ministers Meeting will focus on the following three areas:

• Climate change
• Biodiversity
• 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycling)

Kobe-based company Felissimo will be producing the furoshiki with the winning design, and donate 1000 to the City of Kobe, the host of the Environment Ministers Meeting. The cloth will be presented to all delegates at the Meeting as well as to media and those involved in the organization of the event.

The purpose of this cloth is to remind the recipient of the 2008 Environment Ministers Meeting in Kobe. The design to be printed on the cloth should reference either directly or indirectly:

• the theme of the event: the environment
• the host: the City of Kobe

The furoshiki will be 90cm x 90cms on 100% cotton and will be printed using 4-color printing process.

The City of Kobe and the G8 Environmental Ministers Meeting logos should NOT be incorporated in your design since any official logos will be incorporated during the production of the cloth.

For background information:

G8 Environment Ministers Meeting 2008

Furoshiki.com

WeShow.com

Furoshiki (English Version)

You can also Google to find many examples of furoshiki and its use.

City of Kobe

Judging Criteria

The point of the cloth is to not to address any specific issue of the Meeting but to simply communicate the broader concern of the environment in a creative way that also has aesthetic appeal.

Prizes

$2,500 + 10 Furoshiki of your design

Jury

Members of the City of Kobe and Felissimo