Design is an important tool, an essential evolutionary power for industry, organizations and culture, and Swedish design is by tradition good at making profitable and ergonomic products. Saving the Planet In Style is now working toward developing design that also takes into account factors such as the cultural and social circumstances that the design will affect along its production, usage and afterlife. This we see as inspiring and exciting ideas to develop for our future.
Saving the Planet In Style is always looking for partners and we are looking forward to developing design ideas and collaborations together with you, your company or organization. Among other things we will in the future offer workshops and talks on sustainable design and related areas. There are also possibilities for your company or organization to show on the website how you are working in dialogue with us; please get in contact with us if you want to be our partner!
Whether you have been working with sustainable design for a long time – or if this is the first time that you give the topic some consideration – there is always room for encouragement. Increasingly designers and companies are working toward a sustainable design for production and services. Here is a little help on the way, and don’t forget to:
Be courageous!
One can be discouraged by sustainability being such an abstract concept, but essentially it is about doing the right thing. It is the small steps that count. Trade-offs are a natural part of the design profession and it is totally ok to make sacrifices in order to move forward. Be encouraged by the long perspective and the little things.
Be inspired!
If you are challenged by these issues you will soon find that there are loads of opportunities out there. When peoples attitudes and values change, new business and product opportunities arise, just as when a new technology is breaking ground. People want what’s good. People also want to feel cool, sexy, smart etc. If you can combine these driving forces you will be a winner, and have lots of fun in the process.
Feel free!
There is no eco-aesthetic. Sustainability is more a value system and a frame of mind than a certain product category or style. You decide if your product is both cool and more sustainable. As far as we are concerned it is a far better strategy to make attractive sustainable products that appeal to the masses than ones that appeal to the hard-core few. Maybe the real challenge is to make your product even more attractive, sexy or cool than the less sustainable ones, to push them off the shelves.
Be human!
Use human behaviour to your advantage. If for example people crave for “bling”, make your sustainable product luxurious, or make it a luxury to have your product. Look at lifestyles for inspiration and support the more sustainable ones.
Excerpt from The O2 Nordic Guide to Saving the Planet In Style by Marcus Jahnke and Marcus Wendin.
