Accept change is inevitable. “Designers actually have more potential to slow environmental degradation than economist, politicians, businesses and even environmentalists. The power of the design penetrates markets its beneficial effects multiply.” This means that if one is designing a product, poster, leaflet the designer must be cautious of the materials used. One must also be conscious of also the print process and the way it is going to be produced. “Design is the conscious and the intuitive effort to impose meaningful order” Victor Papanek. With the constant designing and thinking, there must be order to decrease the carbon footprint in mass production. If you are a Designer, product Designer or Architect being strict or being conscious of the materials used must be enforced to improve the way things are. The environmental Movement itself perhaps needs to be more connected and not loosely unlike the way it is now. Designers must come together and discuss on a regular basis and act straight away if anything is to be done. But not only Designers must do this many groups such as commercial businesses, technologists, academics and governments must work together.
‘Accept change is inevitable. “Designers actually have more potential to slow environmental degradation than economist, politicians, businesses and even environmentalists. The power of the design penetrates markets its beneficial effects multiply.” This means that if one is designing a product, poster, leaflet the designer must be cautious of the materials used. One must also be conscious of also the print process and the way it is going to be produced. “Design is the conscious and the intuitive effort to impose meaningful order” Victor Papanek. With the constant designing and thinking, there must be order to decrease the carbon footprint in mass production. If you are a Designer, product Designer or Architect being strict or being conscious of the materials used must be enforced to improve the way things are. The environmental Movement itself perhaps needs to be more connected and not loosely unlike the way it is now. Designers must come together and discuss on a regular basis and act straight away if anything is to be done. But not only Designers must do this many groups such as commercial businesses, technologists, academics and governments must work together..
‘When in deep waters you must become a diver’ Valerie Casey. This statement makes me think to act now is the best time if we want change. It is important that we start becoming divers in this big problem we have. The way people just replace and discard objects of common use is getting extremely dangerous for the planet and the environment we live in. The time is called for intense thinking and actions not vacant promises that people make and don’t respond. This statement means designers themselves should not be scared to use processes that will benefit society and the environment even if the item being created is not attractive. If it is environmentally friendly and its carbon footprint it leaves is minimal, and that it can be used again or recycled are the most important issues at hand.
The Designer Dilemna‘We must be strict with the materials and processes we use as designers. “The automobile provides an interesting case history: in nearly one year it has changed from use of good tools to gas a guzzling status symbol and finally to a device the use of which pollutes the environment and destroys irreplaceable natural resources.” Most pollution comes through the products designers use and companies is the biggest issue the more we keep producing these items the more of a problem we are going to have. One of the main problems is consumer products. It seems to be just normal house hold products such as cans and aerosol’s a big problem and must be cut down on having these items, or finding alternative’s must be designed or created. For example when a screen printer is creating the colors to use for a print there is an extensive list of chemicals used in the process, which is just washed away. White spirit, soluble inks and cleaning chemicals are just a short list of what is used to clean the screen-printing beds and equipment. The amount of tissue paper used for test prints could be an extremely large amount depending on the image being created just to get one final print is also a process that is very damaging to the environment and its natural resources.
‘Form follows function” Haratio Greenough. This is a simple but very effective statement. One must go by this and incorporate it in every design or construction, whether it is an image or building it must have a function that will not be discarded or forgotten. If you will have a long shelf life and will stand the test of time, also have a form that can be easily changed. The form of a design must be simple and then must go on to be reused or recycled in some way so that it can be used again Which is a very important factor to think about. The function requirement has more to do with three dimensional objects. When creating an object the function must have a good use and not have carbon footprint or mass energy use. Green design has come to mean a focus on single issues, or one aspect of a design’s ecological impact; for example materials or energy consumption.” This quote couldn’t be more to the point if one wanted it to. Creating items, objects, images must always refer to this when going through the design process. If one where to create independent practices that have a purpose that concentrate on Green design perhaps might have an effect even if it is a small effect it will still give change which we need. The finding of new and alternative materials that are good for the environment or recyclable has never been so important.
‘We need to apply a green lense to all of our activities,’ Valerie Casey This statement applies to every human being alive we need to all come together or think about what we use and think more about the environment. As a whole we must redefine the role of a designer and must look to each other for ideas and inspiration. As previously mentioned applying a green view to all of our work and processes would be a massive benefit to society. For example if you need to know what a book cover is going to look like, printing it several times until you get the right outcome should not even be considered. Printing once maybe just to see if it fits the requirements. One thing that should be deeply considered is the thought process going into the design of the object, the more thought and effort spent on it the better and would not to have so many prints if any to see what it would look like as a mock up. “Looking at history and present developments one can identify four main steps or approaches to environmental protection: repair, refine, redesign, and rethink.”
‘Understand the limitations of design.’ Number .8 of the Hannover Principles. This rule should apply to all who read it there is only so much designers can do to improve a situation. People need to contribute as one not just several groups but the human race as a whole must do so. People can advise, design and create objects, rules or principles for people to follow if they do or not, is another matter. It must be a conscious and physical effort contributed by everyone. There are limitations to design, designers can put forward ideas and create objects and design that would improve the way of living but if it is not tested and does not work properly when created then it is indeed a waste of time, although we must be cautious with the processes we use through trial and error designers will never know if a product or device works. It also is up to the companies that we are designing for to decide if they want the design or product to be a green or carbon footprint free. This is something designers should research first before embarking on a live brief. “The basic theme of sustainability is to maintain functioning systems in the long run, to avoid irreversible damages and to leave to future generations the choice of how they wish to use their heritage to provide the kind of quality of life they prefer.” Sustainable design, is the main focus of the green design, creating and making objects that will stand, and be used for a long time. The subject is very broad and ongoing and will always need re working but this is necessary to the process and it must be ongoing to keep re thinking ideas which will hopefully one day change the way we live. What one must be careful of is creating a form that will be useful for a short period of time but has flaws in its form or design. One also has to remember that it has to look interesting to whoever owns or uses it. As sad as it is many people are very shallow and will always will be caring about what it looks like. But individual and society need to put this aside and remember it has a purpose. Not to be worried about how it looks or feels.
We must act now before it is too late. Many design agencies put information on their website to show clients or whomever views there website, of their intentions to create sustainable design. There is a great change in the way design, agencies and designers are working now. But is it enough? As mentioned before designers and agencies should not care about the financial side of work and should first consider how the client or company want the design produced and which materials are needed for the brief, primarily that should be considered. The companies carbon footprint left must be looked at and if are they an environmentally friendly organization will they want to take on board the process of green design.
Cultural changes for radical change. “The most widely spread definition of consumption is based on the economic understanding that all products are produced to meet the demands of consumers.” First thing is that has to be changed is the way society is living. The whole human race lives in a culture were every person needs the next new best thing, which could be anything from a new phone to a clothing garment. This due to good advertising, telling people that they need this new item in their life when they really don’t, which we will make people go out and buy this product anyway. But when the next new thing comes out, it will be discarded of quickly and forgotten about. But they are not forgotten, it will end up being part of the massive pile of rubbish and unwanted goods that is thrown away without a care. This is a bad conscious effort on a designer’s behalf to think about what they are creating wherever it can be recycled or used for a long time. It also goes back to advertising, designers should not advertise products that are cheap and can be disposed of easily, caring only about money that comes with a brief and not the impact it will have when the item is created. Change happens fast we must act quickly. Without a doubt society needs to change the mentality it has not wanting the new best thing and being content with what they have. But it is also is down to the designer as well. They need to think what would benefit society more, and create objects that have a long shelf life and the materials it is created out of are recyclable. These aspects must be thought of with every piece of work or item which is being produced. Sometimes one must think, are the designers aware of what power they have over society and what impact they leave. If they make a conscious effort so much could be achieved. ”Sustainable life styles for the masses are only achievable collectively the result of cooperation and systems- level thinking.” Designers are a potent force that could lead the world out of mass production or reduce it massively in the way it affects society and our lives. If they are aware the change they could implement, so much could be done, and many issues could be resolved with the ten points raised throughout this manifesto. Anyone who reads it can have a clear understanding of what needs to be done and take it onboard, Designers and society alike.
beckys manifesto