What keeps me in ID and what gives me purpose and drive is this so called "green design craze". If we narrow the question so that it becomes "why are you a designer?", my answer would have to be because I want to change things. I want to make things better, just like everyone one else.
The hard part about ID is getting to a place where you can make a difference. You can talk about it all you want, but if your designs don't show this intent, then there is no point to your talk. As I go forth into the design world, I hope that I can hold onto and accomplish my goals.
Because I have lived near Seattle for the majority of my life, being environmentally aware has been something that I've thought about since I was young. I used to think that changing the way people think and act was impossible. However, in just a few years I've seen a few dramatic changes around me. One of the things that stands out most in my mind is a garbage system that my city of Olympia implemented over the summer.
It's called the Organics program. For a small fee, Olympia residents can get an Organics bin that goes along with their trash bin and their garbage bin. In the organics bin one can place almost anything that will biodegrade. Any table scraps, bones, paper plates, coffee filters, yard waste, grass clippings, weeds, leaves, etc. can be placed in this bin. 22% of the trash that is thrown away is food trash, so this cuts down on trash significantly. Everything that is in the Organics bin is then taken to a local composter. All this "trash" is then composted to make new, rich soil that is perfect for growing food and other plants.
My family has been able to downsize their garbage bin due to how much less we are throwing away.
This program saves gas because the trash is not transported as far. It saves land space because after a few years, all the composted soil can be sold, leaving room for more trash. This program saves money that would have been spent disposing of all the trash. This is a simple, real world solution to a problem that does not force people to change their habits too much. They have to sort their trash rather than just throw it all away, but most people are already willing to do that with recycling.
The only downfall to this program is that you have to clean out your compost bin more often than a garbage can because you can't put a liner in the Organics can. However, that can be solved by putting down a thick layer of shredded paper or yard clippings before putting food waste into the bin.
This is an over arching example of how things can change. It's something small. Right now, it's not in very many towns. But I think that if the Organics program does well in Olympia, it would spread. If it ends up saving money, I think that other cities will copy Olympia’s program. When I think of good design, I think of small things that will do the world good.
When Poland Spring redesigned their water bottle, they used 30% less plastic. They end up saving a bunch of money on plastic, and the world is better off because our resources are being stretched further than they were before. I think that it's the small things that really count.
The Sir Jordan's were shown in class is another example of a small change. Nike didn't even advertise the fact that they had made this Air Jordan's different than the last. I think that this is admirable because it wasn't about the market. It was about changing things for the better, even if the change was made only for the good of the company.
Over all change hasn't happened yet, but it's starting. Little by little green design is working its way into the main stream market and it's going to happen even if the consumer isn't aware of it. Just when I was starting to get tired of hearing everyone one talk about green design, I started to see changes. It was then that I realized that change was creeping in all around me, I just hadn't noticed.
My job, as a designer, is to make sure that this isn't just a trend. I want to make sure that green design is something big and real and something that is going to sweep the world. I feel that even if I live a small scale life that I can change things. If I keep my mind open to new things and am aware of what is going on around me, I feel that I will always be able to incorporate green design into my life. Even if the change is something as small as taking out the trash.
