Last Thursday was the final night of four compostmodern meet-ups through the Baltimore AIGA. The final video for discussion was of Nathan Shedroff who addressed a few key strategies for becoming a more sustainable designer. Here is a brief sum up of some of the biggest points to consider for your next design project:

1. Design things to be useful :: simple enough… consider finding the need before finding a solution. Our designs need to first and foremost address functionality.

2. Dematerialization :: Design something smart. He used the example of the iphone; we no longer need to carry a watch, gps, pda, mp3 player, camera, phone, etc. It can all be contained in one small product, increasing usability and convenience for the user and decreasing the number of products that will eventually end up in our landfills.

3. Substitution :: Consider your materials. Does that chair need to be built from fresh chopped wood from the northern Boreal forest or is there an opportunity to utilize recycled or sustainable materials? For print designers there are no excuse not to consider recycled, fsc or sfi certified paper options anymore. Recycled stock costs and quality have improved dramatically over the past few years to make them equally competitive beside a conventional stock.

4. Transmaterialization :: Turn products into services, the hybid taxis being a perfect example for this strategy.

5. Localization :: Reduce transportation, support your local providers and keep your money local. See Andrea’s May local challenge below to get started on this strategy today!

6. Informationalization :: Research is essential to design. A building designed to works in downtown Baltimore may not be appropriate on the flood plains of Africa. Consider the variables that effect design and open you thoughts to the input of outside opinion and research.

7. Design for “intended” reuse :: As artist, we often feel as though we can turn any hunk of trash into a worthy piece of artwork but the average consumer may not have the creativity or interest to go this extra step. Why not design products that are intended to be reused when their original intended use is through. Shedroff used the example of Maille Condiment Jars. When finished with the product you are left with a classy drinking glass.

8. Design for durability :: design a product to be serviceable, repairable and upgradeable. Our designs should also be something that people want to have around. I like the example of OXO. If you look at the products on their site they have their own unique distinctive look but the style is attractive, timeless, and puts the demands of function first. You will even find a section on their site for refills and replacement parts – why replace the entire product if it is only a small piece that is no longer functional.

9. Design for disassembly :: Why is it so difficult to figure out if the water bottle or lunch container you just ate from is recyclable or not? And what is the meaning of the filled in symbol verses the outlined symbol. If a product is intended to be recycled why make it such a mystery. Be intentional with your design and don’t make the user question the capabilities of a product.

10. Redesign the system itself :: Our economic models stink (in Shedroff’s words describing the GDP) We need new ways of thinking because decisions we are making on the old ways are unstable and detrimental.

For more on ways to be a sustainable designer he recommends the following books:
* Design is the Problem by Nathan Shedroff and Hunter Lovins
* Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart
* Nature Capitalism by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins
* Leading Change Toward Sustainability by Bob Doppelt
* The Next Sustainability Wave Bob Willard and Hunter Lovins

—EJ
www.orange-element.com

So many people believe what we do consists solely of creating stunning visual and graphic solutions for our clients, but what we do goes so much further than just that.  We consider ourselves problem solvers, looking to find a solution that has aesthetic appeal but is also functional for the client, the client’s client and the Earth.  

I was just reading a story that I thought was a great example of this.  Hewlett Packard (HP) recently launched the HP Pavilion dv6929 notebook and has scrapped traditional electronics packaging in favor of a padded messenger bag.  This solution not only reduces packaging waste by 97%, but also provides the end user with a stylish case they can use to carry their laptop, eliminating the need for the user to make that purchase independently.  

This solution has far-reaching benefits.  In addition to saving all parties money and reducing waste, the notebooks are also easier (and smaller) to ship which conserves fuel and reduces CO2 emissions by removing the equivalent of one out of every four trucks previously needed to deliver the notebooks to stores according to Sustainablebusiness.com. 

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

I’ve said it many times before on this blog, but we really do believe that the best creative work is the result of a deep-seeded passion for and belief in a brand.  So as a marketing and business development staffer here at Orange Element, my focus has always been on identifying business models that we could really stand behind as loyal brand stewards.

One of the areas that interest us most (and subsequently where I focus a lot of attention) is sustainable technologies.  Even more specifically, sustainable technologies as they relate to alternative fuel vehicles.  There is nothing in this world that interests me more than what companies like Tesla, Fisker, Aptera, Hybrid Technologies and Commuter Cars Corporation are doing to bring these technologies to the mainstream.  It is my dream and commitment to seek out these innovative companies and put our expertise as visual communicators to work to advance their mission.

Part of that pursuit is trying to keep up with the changes and innovations in the industry.  In doing so I recently read an interesting feature on Wired where they featured 10 ‘green’ concept cars that were “waaaaaay out there.”  In other words, the cars’ designers were tasked with dreaming big (read: HUGE) about what future sustainable automotive technologies might be and what these designs might look like.  I thought I’d share.

Click HERE for the full feature and more images like the one above (which depicts a vehicle that uses magnetic levitation to isolate the passenger cabin – crazy, but perhaps plausable). Perhaps in time we’ll see these big dreams become real innovations that shape the marketplace.  I can’t wait to have the opportunity to bring more of these new technologies to market.

On a somewhat related note, here’s another awesome, innovative company that I just read about:  http://www.carbonmotors.com. They are building a purpose-built vehicle for law enforcement.  I think focusing on this niche and delivering a superior product is a great strategy (and it helps that it’s an environmentally superior solution).

Garret Ohm
http://www.orange-element.com
A design and brand communications company that seeks and supports innovators

It was announced last week that Baltimore will be getting a new 18,500 seat arena at the site of the current First Mariner Arena. This is big news for the City of Baltimore, as the 1st Mariner Arena has become a bit outdated and lacking over the years. The new venue will be great for concerts, sporting events, rallies, and shows and will greatly enhance the city’s west side.

Dan Rodricks, a writer for the Baltimore Sun and former talk show host, wrote a really interesting bit of editorial on the new arena that caught my eye and beckoned to be passed on. I invite you to read the full article HERE, but here are a few excerpts:

It is absolutely essential that the city recruit a visionary architect to design the new arena, and this design must be green from the ground up – even below ground.

When I say “green,” I don’t mean 20 percent green. I mean green beyond green – far beyond what has been achieved in public and private spaces so far. Baltimore’s new arena should meet or surpass goals of the U.S. Green Building Council. It should have a major wow factor architecturally but also set an example of sustainability for the nation and the world.

Now is the perfect time to champion this Earth-friendly ethos, and the new arena is the perfect project: a high-profile building in a redeveloping city that needs to keep doing dynamic things to attract new businesses and residents. A major green-as-can-be project would put Baltimore on the cutting edge. There would be no sports arena like this. It would be a model for other public and private projects to come. All sorts of businesses would want to be associated with it.

I think Mr. Rodricks is spot-on with his assessment. One can only hope that city officials put some of his theories into practice with the design and development of the new arena. Cheers for sustainable design!

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

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/