Annie Leonard’s Story of Stuff: Cap and Trade

How should the industrial design community react to the climate change solution discussed in this movie?

The climate change solution discussed in Cap and Trade is dangerous as it allows for companies to bypass offsetting permits through loopholes. As industrial designers we are (and should be) implementing sustainability into our designs. "You can't solve a problem with the thinking that created it"; I think the industrial design community can create a big impact and change the way companies yield pollutants. By encouraging designs and products manufactured to be manifested from renewable resources we can initiate a step towards "eliminating negative environmental impact through skilful, sensitive design" (McLennan, J. F. (2004), The Philosophy of Sustainable Design).

"Government distribute a certain amount of permit to pollute, reducing permits further reaching goal" Ultimately the government are the power makers that can enforce such laws, however the industrial design community together with public citizens can influence the powers. The government should encourage companies to utilize renewable energies through subsidization that supports these actions. As environmental design becomes widespread, integrated sustainable design processes will eventually help reduce the ecological debt when companies adopt sustainable design standards. Government and educational institutions are promoting sustainable and environmental practices with design impact measures dictating the design process from the types of materials to energy efficiency from manufacture and quality and durability of the product.

As Annie Leonard mentions towards the end, "it's time to design a climate solution that will really work not just address current problems". In reaction to the past generation's accumulation of global environmental crises (involving depletion of natural resources, ecosystems and biodiversity as a result of rapid growth of industrial and economic activity) social and environmental sustainability practices should retain a core position behind all industrial designs. I believe we have the ability to change the future, right our past generation's mistakes and improve and preserve the environment for future generations.

.Project 1: Designing for Disasters

brief: "You are challenged to contribute as a creative problem solver by looking into the possibilities for improving the human living situation in disaster stricken areas. By addressing such aspects of social concern, designers can recognize their responsibilities to society as well as show their ability to empathize and to respect the diverse needs of users from different cultures, religions, life situations and social standing"

disaster event: ARMED CONFLICT

Definition:
on an international scale it involves inter-state conflicts within countries; on a non-international scale it involves protracted armed violence between governmental authorities & organized armed groups or between such groups within a state

Consequences:
abductions of victims for combat and sexual slavery, maiming & killing, disruption of food & water supplies, destruction of crops and agricultural infrastructure, disintegration of families & communities, destruction of education & health services, destruction of water & sanitation system

In response to armed conflict situations humanitarian aids provide the basic life necessities to survive such as food, shelter, water, medication and security.

solution:
IDPs (internally displaced people) are direct victims of armed conflict; threat from civil wars and tribal clashes forces IDPs to migrate from their homes/villages to escape the potential violence. The focus of my proposed solution was to efficiently aid their migrations to safe places; the idea is to utilise a current necessity and further its functions to improve their living situations. By turning a plastic sheet into a bag eased the migration, allowing them to carry their possessions in an efficient manner. This also reduces the amount of belongings they carry.

initial concept:





initial concept couldn't translate onto a 2m x 3m tarpaulin, so I had to change the folding method

final concept:









rationale:

Approximately 42 million people around the world are uprooted by war with 26 million people being internally displaced persons (IDP). Most have been forced into homeless through armed conflict, civil war and political instability, seeking refuge through limited options such as in camps, bush or other villages. Often the ensuing violence leaves thousands dead or injured and whole communities homeless. Although many IDPs have survived the violence and have resettled, many feel they are unable to return home due to lack of security. Fortunately there are many global humanitarian aid agencies that have directly provided food, shelter, medical supplies and welfare.

I wanted to design a product that would ease and aid the resettlement of IDP. Initially I found this project hard to tackle as I felt limited to pursue a solution in the medical or war front. However after weeks of research I had noticed that all IDPs carry a plastic sheet, which shelters their temporary homes. These plastic sheets have been donated by aid agencies and help to provide protection from UV light and rain.

I have designed a product that makes further use of the plastic sheet; by configuring these large sheets into bags I believe it aids their constant relocations. It allows them to carry their belongings with them utilizing what they already possess, furthermore by combining 2 functions in 1 product, it reduces the amount of excess baggage.

My product, named RefuBag (derived from the word refuge) mainly consists of tarpaulin. I have chosen to stick with this traditional material as it is strong, durable, lightweight and inexpensive; functionalities which greatly benefit IDPs. Furthermore I have added straps to each corner to help tie it down when used as a shelter. The sheet has been reinforced with a tougher piece of tarp (200gsm), which reinforces strength when used as a bag. Also it serves as a guideline for users, where to fold and the required size for maximum compaction of sheet. The design of the bag is simple allowing the user ease of use. It consists of 2 back straps and 2 clip attachments, which secures the flap to the bag. It is intuitive so user can easily identify where to attach the different fasteners. Colour coding also makes identification easier; zippers are white, stud fasteners are silver and clip buckles are black. While the flap allows it to protect the users belongings, it contains a secured pouch for personal belongings. When the bag is folded out into a plastic sheet the flap can be folded back and clipped on reverse; additionally it further secures the bag straps when not in use.

reflection:

Designing for Disasters has been the most challenging yet rewarding studio project I've come across. When I first received the brief of project I thought this could be easy to handle and as so as a research group we chose armed conflict in Africa. After thorough research, I had difficulty in creating concepts for this group. I narrowed my concept choices to 2 categories, to create a product to improve medical & welfare conditions of the victims when injured. There were many product solutions that had been designed to aid these victims and I didn't want to create something similar. Eventually I realized that a lot of internally displaced people (victims) possessed plastic sheets/tarpaulins used as shelters on their temporary homes (consisting of large sticks & branches). There was potential in transforming tarpaulin into something useful; IDPs are constantly on the move so I thought why not tackle two problems with one product and create a product that will enable them migrate easier. So I created a bag out of one large sheet on tarpaulin.

At first I underestimated the size of the tarp, and so my initial method of folding a tarp into a bag couldn't translate on to large sized tarps (ranging from 2m-3m to 4m-5m). After experimenting many times I finally found a suitable folding method using fasteners (zippers, snap fasteners, buckle clips). Working with tarp was hard because when you sew the zippers on it creates holes allowing for water to seep through. After many trials and errors I found a solution!

In reflection of the whole project I realised that a lot of theories don't translate well in practise. This project required a lot of experimentation to find solutions, but then these solutions would create another group of problems which was very frustrating at times. Furthermore, as I found my product too simple my tutor encouraged me to find/add further uses of the tarp/bag; this also created more problems. In the end I decided to keep the design simple considering the users required basic necessities (food, shelter, medicine) to survive. To quote my Lachlan "sometimes the best solutions are the most simples ones". Presentation wise I thought my product was well made and I explained everything I needed to. I could've improved on my storyboard, product poster and technical drawings. I wasn't sure how to graphically present it however looking at examples of other's I realized simplicity is the key. My boards were too cluttered with pictures, while others with simple board explained and expressed their problems and ideas clearly. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed undertaking this project, it was very rewarding at the end when my idea was well received!

.Philippe Starck's Design for Life

Design for Life is about the journey of 12 young British designers who are challenged, critique and eliminated by Phillipe Starck and his team, to vie for a 6-month placement at Philippe Starck's design firm. Compared to other video tasks, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Design for Life the most; the project briefs set by Starck are similar to the ones we receive in our IDES course, the objectives and aims were so broad it was hard to find a source of inspiration to begin from. I particularly enjoyed observing how each contestant derived their sources of inspiration; some were drawn from personal history, others were from museums, exhibitions, supermarkets and even watching how blind people interact on the train! Another important aspect was the focus on manufacturing, branding and advertising towards the end of the series; these are design issues, which allow for successful communication of the product to the world.

“Good design speaks about life and can be the force and power to change society, even with simple items” Quoted by Starck; I absolutely agree as every minute detail and decision involved in product design can evolve the way we currently live life. Similar to the philosophy behind the Objective Video, these simple items we use everyday impact our lives greatly (and positively). Starcks design philosophy is to create “useful, beautiful, sustainable and democratic objects used by everyone” and “to help the tribe, society & civilization to have a better life”. This reminds me of last week’s studio lecture, where if you design for a certain group of users who are of the extreme scale, like the disabled, then the design is democratic enough to be used by the overall population.

I have learnt a lot from watching this series (it has had a more profound impact on me than the other documentaries). To design is to immerse yourself in other peoples’ lives as you are designing for unmet needs, which haven’t been articulated yet. Part of being a designer is to have self-belief and confidence in your design in order to communicate the work and needs to be carried with passion, conviction and an articulate argument; “50% is to sell your idea by captivating and entertaining the client through perfomance”.

.Charette 2

The objective of Charette 2 was to deconstruct a used Breville kettle down to its components. After using a combination of muscles and screwdrivers to take apart the assemblies, we weighed and noted the material of each component and entered the stats into http://greenflyonline.org/. We reviewed and edited the design guidelines, addressing issues to minimize the environmental effects of manufacturing the product. We addressed issues concerning the manufacture, transport (distribution), use and end of life in order to determine its energy, waste and water consumption and its impact on global warming.

Sheer amount of material used for the components (waste!)

Results from the greenfly site



Using this information and design considerations we were able to redesign the Kettle to minimize its impact on the environment while making the product more sustainable.

the 11th hour

The 11th hour documentary highlights the devastating effects of climate change & global warming on our planet. Past and present human actions have negatively contributed to these environmental crises. The industrial revolution accelerated the damage to our climate and biodiversity; unfortunately current industries and corporations are still causing extensive damage to our planet's ecosystem through use of non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels & carbon. Current consumerism, globalisation and materialism has encouraged excess consumption, which is cultural problem as the society and consumers are ignorant of the large-scale effects. Mass consumption derives from mass productions from commercial & corporate industries; these industries rely on burning fossil fuel to source their energies resulting in emission of greenhouse gasses trapped the atmosphere causing global warming. By-products of the industry include wastes that are irresponsibly dumped. The overall consequences are damaging – rising sea levels due to melting of polar ice, deforestation, soil erosion, polluted waters no longer sustaining the ecosystem and declining of human health as a result from air pollution and contact with chemicals.

“What happens to our plant should make us think & act differently because the ecological crisis is global” (Mihkael Gorbavech). We must take principle actions to prevent the earth’s damaged life system from collapsing. We must search for solutions to create a sustainable future. As industrial designers we can reshape current activities to create a positive impact on our ecosystem. As architect William McDonough says, “we can redesign design itself and see design as the first signal of human intention where materials are highly valuable and used in a renewable cycle”. We should “use our understanding of science & technology along with out understanding of culture & cultural changes to create a culture that will interact with science and the world around us in a sustainable fashion” (Thom Hartmann). The developments of renewable alternatives (solar, wind & biomass), efficient use of energies & recyclables in sustainable, economical designs can greatly reverse the carbon imprint we have made on this world. We can set examples for others to follow by assimilating these changes in today’s society; we can reduce our carbon imprint to restore, renew and protect our planet’s resources. As it is often said, small changes can make a big difference.

.Project 1: Design for Disasters

.Charette 1

Mind map of chair disposal



Prolonged product use






Physiological pleasure after market attachment





Psycho/socio attachment after market attachment





Final Concept - Stable







The proposed solution will allow the chair to be light and easy to manoeuver so can be used in social situations or out of convenience of the user. Social situations would include group of friends watching sport shows or movies on t.v together over dinner or at a backyard barbeque. Because it is a convenient solution, the user is able to utilise the chair anywhere. Additionally the chair can be diversely used so the proposed solution will improve the emotional attachment of the user to the chair.

The chair seat & back support will be made from polypropylene (moulded plastic) with stainless steel legs. These materials are light & durable, so easy to shift around living areas. The tray will also be made from polypropylene with a steel rotating hinge mechanism.

To use the tray attachment, the consumer would have to pull out the tray, which is hidden underneath the chair seat. When not in use the tray can be pushed back to underneath the chair becoming hidden, discreet and unobtrusive. In terms of context of use, the consumer will most likely use it when consuming foods or drink and instances where they require convenience such as in front of t.v or at parties.

A change in life circumstances (moving into an unfurnished new house), a type of lifestyle (businessman who spends more time in office than at home) and budget conscious (uni student living in a small apartment) are the stimuli that will encourage the user to modify the chair with the hidden tray attachment.

Charette reflection

This task has challenged me to think beyond the product's primary use. Long-term satisfaction, product attachment and product endurance are 3 primary factors that will enhance the product's value. These factors foster an emotional attachment to the product with the user thereby extending the product life. As designers you want to design a long-lasting solution so the product has no expiry date. Not just a solution that is disposable and fulfils one aim but so that the consumer will desire continually using the product for a life time. The task was a challenge as it involved problem solving however the way we tackled the task was to ultimately find a solution for potential problems.

Designing is a continual process so designing beyond the original product is typical. We are always continuing to improve existing designs as our context and values change. We redesign products so they can fit seamlessly into our changing lifestyles. Currently the earth is suffering as a result of previous generation's lack of concern for the environment and as a result sustainability is the primary goal in most product designs. We want to enhance the product for our own purposes but also to reduce negative impact on the environment.

I enjoy collaborative problem-solving activity as working with peers encourages us to think outside the square. One's idea can stimulate others to think further, fostering more ideas. After discussing problems associate with our design we were able to settle on a hinge mechanism as an appropriate solution to attaching our tray to the chair.

If I were to design a piece of furniture from scratch, how would I do it differently? I would most importantly understand how and in what context it would be used in. After the charette, by creating an emotional attachment with the user the product's life span can be greatly extended.

.Objectified by Gary Hustwit (documentary)

(reflection on society's complex relationship with manufactured products; what can we learn about who we are and who we want to be, from the objects with which we surround ourselves)

Who we are

We often surround ourselves by objects that identify us; these objects fit so seamlessly into our world, we are unaware how greatly it affects our lives and how complex the relationship is. We never consider the process behind the designs and how the product was created. According to Dieter Rams, German industrial designer:

"People understand things positively if things are clear and understandable. Good design is innovative, good design makes a product useful, good design is aesthetic, good design will make a product understandable, good design is honest, good design is unobtrusive, good design is long-lasting, good design is consistent in every detail, good design is environmentally friendly, good design is as little design as possible."

These 10 principles to good design encompass every single design aspect in that if a product design considered all the principles, it would provide the user with a satisfying & stimulating experience. The complexity of the experience is that the product's use is continued like a silent connection, it works so efficiently it requires unconscious effort from the user. These products include mass manufactured every day products like the Apple peeler, post-it note, toothbrush, toothpick and etc. These products are widely used and are commonly found in most homes, each product has individual characters giving individual elements to its use. We give objects different layers of meaning through history of use. There are different contexts, stories, habits, uses, feelings and emotions. Whether the object becomes a family heirloom or is subconsciously used on a daily basis, we develop complex relationship with these products that reflect our emotional energy and greatly impact on our lives.

Who we want to be

As designers we are motivated to design solutions. The dissatisfaction with things that don't exist inspires use to design a solution by adapting current products. The ideal product is something that is new, worth keeping and that won't out date. We generally design for mass production, which allows us to connect with and reach a wider audience. However I agree with Rob Walker's (author & columnist of NY Times) comment, "the real audience is ourselves; person speaking to when choosing design is the statement to self about yourself 'I am that guy' ". We are connecting with the world through expression of self. Design acts as a medium to create things and through mass production there is mass communication. We are communicating how we would want to use the product ourselves subsequently creating solutions for the generally population and resulting in "making effect and change in an uncomfortable world". (Karim Rashid, NY designer). I think mass production has supported the growth of pop culture as well designed products become more attainable to a wider population, spreading the look of the "now" or "it".

Ecological Footprint