Design 21: Social Design Network

I have recently learned of an annual design event called Semi-Permanent, run by Design Is Kinky. Creative individuals from across all design disciplines come together for this annual conference. The Auckland event, which was held today, saw Australian design companies; 3 Deep and Alt, alongside a couple of London based companies such as; Made Thought and UVA.

Those who attend Semi-Permanent receive a book, which accompanies the event and showcases a diverse array of design. The Semi-Permanent event last visited London in 2005 and was held at London's Barbican Gallery. I eagerly await Semi-Permanent returning to the UK, so that I can be a part of it!

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Today, I came across a Yorkshire based design studio called Studio MIKMIK, which is the work of designer/illustrator Michael Lewis. Studio MIKMIK executes sustainable design, through using recycled papers and vegetable based inks. Not only is it their ethics that I find refreshing but the stunning examples of work, see picture. The online portfolio is well worth a browse if you are looking for some inspiration.

Many design studios are beginning to employ the concept of sustainable design, thomas.matthews are a brilliant example of this. As a graphic designer I feel my discipline has the responsibility, and the power, to move people towards an eco-friendly future. I think the broader message here is that if all design companies had better ethics regarding their impact on the environment, as designers we could become united in our part in helping the future of the environment, with the hope that other industries and communities would follow.

More thoughts to come...

Maintained by This Studio, Visuelle is a ongoing collection of examples of design from around the world. The archive is great online source of inspiration. It further invites you to expand your visual experience to the online portfolios of the companies and individuals who have produced the showcased works, through links to external sites. A great educational resource.

Image from Felix Heinen.

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Over in Blighty, Milton Keynes is a city, north of London; usually associated to roundabout systems, grid road networks, and occassionally the Concrete Cows, so it was a happy suprise to see the commercial for the cities new "Eco-Park". Quite simply, a great initiative for the children of Milton Keynes and its surrounding areas.

Gullivers Eco Park is an innovative new tourist attraction, providing an exciting but educational family day out where children can discover more about the world around them. The park is part of the Gullivers World Theme Park, one of Britain's top 10 tourist attractions and offers fun learning activities perfect for school educational trips and summer holidays.

Whether it’s exploring the world of the dinosaurs or discovering where our food comes from, Gullivers Eco Park offers a family experience of fun and excitement where learning happens naturally through hands-on activities.

The park itself is split into the following themes: Evolution, Land, Water, Energy and also includes educational themes including Healthy Eating, Sustainability, The Environment, Fossils, and Renewable Energy. This is such an interesting project set up for the youth of today, and I cannot wait to get along and speak to the children experiencing it.

Over the years I have become increasingly concerned at the move to resume commercial whaling. I have created a few posters addressing the issue over the years and thought it was time to take it a little further and engage the wider community in the issues surrounding whales. The best way I thought to get the design community in particular involved was to create a organisation which aims to use communication to help ensure the longevity of whales. Thus the Whale Conservation Front was born.

The Whale Conservation Front exists to protect, preserve and conserve the whale populations of the world.

We believe that in a civilized society these magnificent creatures should be free from human intervention and the politics of deceit used to advocate for a return to commercial whaling.

I invite you all to visit the site and let me know what you think about the issues.

Vist the site

There’s some debate about who inspired I’m Not a Plastic Bag.

Was it Miranda from Sex in the City?

Sex in the City in 2002: Miranda is spotted sporting a bag that says “Stop Using Plastic Bags” while ironically carrying a plastic cup. Credits say it’s a “Green leaf Raffe tote”

Or was it inspired by a charity?

E: How did “I’m Not a Plastic Bag” come about?

A.H. We were approached by a charity called We Are What We Do, a global social change movement. It really appeals to me because it’s all about personal responsibility, and I think that’s something that people have completely lost sight of. People endlessly blame the government, and the fact is, it’s up to us….It was with a group of very creative advertising types who realize that if it’s too onerous and heavy-duty and demanding of people, they’ll lose interest. And I think that’s very fundamental. They came to see us 2 1/2 years ago with this book called Change the World for Five Pounds. In the book are 50 actions of personal responsibility issues, and the first action was, wherever possible, refuse plastic bags. And they wanted to make the first action into a product.

Image: HBO

Looking through the current AIGA site this evening, I am happy to forward the links for two socially-orientated initiatives the Academy now runs.

• The AIGA Center for Sustainable Design: dedicated to providing designers with a wide range of information regarding sustainable business practice. Through case studies, interviews, resources and discourse, this site will encourage and support designers as they incorporate sustainable thinking into their professional lives.

• Design For Democracy: increasing civic participation by making the experience clearer, more understandable, easier to accomplish and more trustworthy.

Treehugger had a piece about the recent flooding in NYC. Their post called for "more sustainable infrastructure." At first, I agreed with the commenter who said "Come on, a tornado hit Brooklyn, how often does that happen?" (The answer is: never - not once since we started keeping records using modern technology in 1950. Though I remember a few years back a debate about whether or not one had hit Staten Island.)

Then I remembered the High Water Line project and thought - "oh right, isn't global warming supposed to be creating wilder weather?"

While there is some debate in the scientific community about whether or not we will be experiencing more frequent & more severe storms, this could be just one more signpost, one more indicator of what the future holds in store.

Maybe we should start preparing for more events like this as the climate brings more & more potential devastation.

References: NY Times, Weather Underground, USA Today

Photo Credit JGNY

Does illustration and graphic design have a role to play in climate change?

On September 20th, 2007 at London College of Communication, Eco-Labs open the discussion as part of the 2007 London Design Festival. Greening of Design & Illustration will include speakers from leading UK sustainability design studio, Thomas Matthews and The British Council.

Eco-Labs explain: As creative communicators we are in a position to help to change attitudes – working towards ultimately changing behavior patterns, policies and systems. Here is a challenge for designers and illustrators: visualize a better low energy future. We used to see visions of the future with jet packs and monorails. Now we need to mainstream a picture of a more human sized, earth connected and energy realistic future.

• ECO-LAB LINKS
• IAMBE

Whenever I go to Whole Foods and I want to get a bottle of water (yes, bottled water - Whole Foods hasn't taken the step I noticed Barnes & Noble taking of offering tap water for free) with my salad, I always try to pick the most locally produced bottle - shipping water in from Fiji seems a bit gratuitous. But it's not easy to check the labels on each to figure out which come from 100 miles away and which come from 1,000 miles away.

In the UK a group called Carbon Trust has developed a Carbon Label, which applies a commonly accepted standard to labeling a product's carbon footprint all the way "from the source to the store."

Though I prefer the positive message of the Eco Nutrition labels from our Heated Issue campaign, the simplicity and accountability sounds like a winning combination. Now how do we set up one of these in America?

via Organic Picks