jo:Cradle to cradle

GREENDESIGN ~ Responsibility of the designer Jo

Designers today, need to ask the questions: How does it hurt our world? How can this benefit our world?

It is the responsibility of the designer to be honest and designers need to be aware of the entire consequences of their creation from the paper we use and the uranium used in the manufacture of computer components to put the design out and the energy and pollution caused when doing so; to the environmental affect when the first raw material is extracted to begin the physical process of production and the journey to the consumer. Thorough research gives better for decision making in the final outcome of the design.

Environmental changes over the last twenty years have given society a warning. Our global population have a responsibility to each other and our environment and designers have to see not only design, but RE-DESIGN. Companies throughout, have more access to establishments committed to research and problem solving using mathematical sciences and simulations. The outlook for the design or redesign can be projected without devastating effects – lest there be failure, and in a more cost efficient way.

Designers have the opportunity to help make for a change for a better world not only environmentally, but also socially. In September 2006 an American group of designers held a forum on the subject. The aim was to try and create movement to instigate social change. One of the speakers Milton Glaser, a ‘godfather’ of American graphic design gave this attitude a tag by name of Designism. “Designism is contemporary design for social rather than commercial purposes.”(quote:Milton Glaser 2006). This forum urges artists and designers to work together to make change in a world that has forgotten why we are here. And that’s for each other and not just the self. And for our future generations.
Bibliography:
Society for environmental graphic design – the Design Encylopedia
www.thedesignencylopedia.org/society_for_environmental_graphic_design
link to: responses from the public
Designism: Instigating change
link to: Podcast available of Forum


Environmental graphic design
www.wikkipedia.com


Media Light Paths - Researchers
www.ucalgary.ca/mlp-en/researchers.htm

Centre for Applied Optimization
www.ise.ufl.edu/cao/biomedicine/schedule/pdf