We are all very excited to announce that Kaley Hymiller, a senior at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), has accepted a full-time intern position here at Orange Element. Kaley is a super-talented Industrial Design major there, which was really interesting to us as a graphic design and marketing communications firm. As you probably know from past blog musings on my part, we’re big believers in the importance of having a strong product or offering in order to be able to create a powerful brand. We are excited to have Kaley aboard and look forward to having her skillset in-house to be able to develop even more perspective on the intersection of product design and branding. You can see more of Kaley’s portfolio at http://www.coroflot.com/khymil20.

And while we’re on the topic of product design, I wanted to share something I read about in my latest issue of Popular Science (I love this magazine, as well as Popular Mechanics - call me a dork, I don’t care). It was an article in their Concepts & Prototypes section about a solar-powered sailboat that a Turkish design firm had concepted called Volitan. The article discussed that while using wind power is by default sustainable, nearly every sailboat has a motor that burns gasoline. In the US alone, there are over 10,000,000 gasoline marine engines.

Designnobis has come up with a solar powered craft that uses both wind power as well as solar to propel the hull forward in the water. It’s a boat concept with stunning good looks, but that to me seems completely feasible as a production model (although the carbon fiber hull would probably make for an extremely costly venture). Take a look at the pictures below and read more about Volitan at Gizmodo HERE.

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com/

Yesterday, in true EJ fashion, she sent an email to the entire Orange Element staff that asked simply “Who left the elephant poo on my desk? Cool!” For a while I was really confused. Why would elephant poo be on her desk, much less in our office? And why would she think that was cool?

After a while my curiosity got the best of me and I had to go ask her what it was all about. It turns out, Andy Bonner had left a paper sample on her desk that was literally made from elephant dung. I’m not kidding and it’s not what you think. It actually looks like real paper - it’s light in color and it DOESN’T SMELL. I swear, I brought it up to my nose and…nothing.

I did a little more research and came up with this site: www.elephantdungpaper.com

We love sustainable products like this and we hope it becomes mainstream. What a great way to use a waste product for something good–after all, that’s what recycling is all about. And the best part is that every time you use this paper, it helps to save the elephants. Good stuff. I can’t wait to see the look on our clients’ faces when we recommend printing their next marketing piece on elephant poo.

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

Our good friend Rachael from Tilt sent me this link about how the design community in Baltimore and beyond can band together to support positive global climate change through sustainable design.

Pretty good stuff, so check it out and take the pledge: http://www.designcanchange.org/

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

Hi all -

I’m very proud to announce that I have been selected as an interim board member of the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance. I couldn’t be happier about this, both because it’s an extraordinary young organization that has a lot of potential and because it furthers Orange Element’s commitment to operating as a sustainable design + brand communications firm.

In my work with the CSBA, I will be mainly focusing on outreach and social media, including their Chesapeake Sustainable Business Network, a groupsite powered by CollectiveX. The CSBN is a really important resource that helps to create a sense of community among business leaders in this space, as well as allows a free flowing exchange of ideas. I look forward to making it a hub for sustainability in this region.

I will keep everyone posted on my progress with the organization. In the meantime, if you are in some way related to sustainability or environmental causes and are doing business in Maryland, I encourage you to consider joining this organization. The benefits you will receive far outweigh the cost to join. Click here for more information: http://www.csballiance.org/pages/memJoin.html.

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com

One of our clients, who also happens to be one of the folks I mentioned in yesterday’s post about the Chesapeake Bay Foundation event was featured in an article in today’s Baltimore Business Journal today. The article was about the efforts The Brick Companies has made both at their headquarters but also at their portfolio properties to create a sustainable environment. In the article Lex Birney discusses what a great impact sustainability has had on his business–even from an employee recruitment standpoint. I’m glad to see them getting even more recognition for being what Kim Coble of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation calls “a very environmentally progressive company.”

Here’s a link for you paid subscribers:
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/05/12/focus2.html

Oh, and did I mention that one of our strategic partners, Sawmill Marketing & Public Relations, is the one responsible for getting TBC the coverage in the BBJ? Nice work! Check out Sawmill here and here!

Garret Ohm
www.orange-element.com

Aaron and I were invited by our good friends at The Brick Companies to attend the sponsor’s dinner for the Akridge Save The Bay Classic to benefit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. It was an absolutely amazing event, held at the Phillip Merrill Environmental Center, which is the headquarters location for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. It’s just an amazing building that has set the standard for sustainable workplaces with features like geothermal walls, natural ventilation, solar panels, insulated panels, rooftop barrels, composting toilets, a bioretention system, and even more. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

This is the inaugural Save The Bay Classic, but by the looks of the event last night you would never know. The presentation was amazing, and I really learned some great things about the efforts many organizations are making to do sustainable business. Among the speakers was Will Baker, the executive director of the CBF, Ed Allenby, the director of development of the CBF, an executive from Akridge, Ron Dodson, the founder of Audobon International and Lex Birney, the CEO of The Brick Companies.

Each of these folks had a lot of great things to say, both about the role the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is playing in saving the national treasure that is the Bay, as well as how important this golf tournament is in that effort–both in raising money, but as Will Baker said it also helps to spread the word of their cause out into the public. And it’s amazingly fitting that they chose Queenstown Harbor as a location for the tournament. That is, after all one of the most sustainable golf courses in this region. It has also recently been certified by Audobon International as a cooperative sanctuary.

Unfortunately Aaron and I couldn’t be there for the tournament today due to other commitments, but we’re definitely going to play next year. Actually, if all goes well, we could even be helping CBF with their tournament marketing materials and more next year! After all, they ARE one of our dream clients!

Garret Ohm
www.orange-element.com

*Photo courtesy of the CBF Web site.