A Brighter Future for Design

01 Oct 2010 – Alicia Ayars

In addition to being a bit of a sustainability geek, I moonlight on the weekend as an art and design nerd (as does my colleague Jennifer Biringer). I’ve never had any formal training in either discipline, but I grew up with an artist mother and aunt, and so art and design has always been close to my heart. This past week was design week here in London and so has inspired a flurry of parties and shows devoted to lampshades and tile fixtures. I can’t say I understand why a chandelier deserves a party, but I am happy to join in its celebration. One such event was the annual Tent show, held in the Truman Brewery. In addition to gawking at hundreds of incredibly creative pieces of furniture, fixtures and art, I was posed with a statement:

“Design cannot simply add sustainability practices onto its flawed foundations… it has to be redesigned.” – Tony Fry

This was posted onto a large chalkboard and visitors were encouraged to respond, agree or disagree. Given the demographic in attendance, I wasn’t surprised that nobody disagreed with the statement. Mostly, I believe Tony Fry’s words were intended to get people talking about a very real problem within the deign world; a problem I rarely take the time think more deeply about. When reading the words of my fellow sustainability supporters, I was pleased and intrigued at the level of thoughtfulness and passion they conveyed. My favourite response started with: “Sustainability = Efficiency” and a cynical follower retorted: “Not if you spend the £ you save on Easyjet.” Granted the two aren’t mutually exclusive, but it speaks to a developed level of public engagement that we haven’t seen until recently. By connecting an efficiency of savings to subsequent purchases, these commentators were making the statement that all of our purchases should be defined through the same introspective lens. I find the concepts of purchasing power and behaviour change incredibly fascinating, with few of us actually approaching all of our purchases in a thoughtful manner, but I am digressing.

As I sat staring at the board, thinking about responsible purchasing, wondering whether I should plug SustainAbility’s website (I didn’t in the end, as I felt the commercial aspect might damage the sweet hippie vibe I was noticing throughout the threads) I noticed a pamphlet advertising Kingston University’s MA in Design for Development. It seems there is a graduate programme devoted to asking how we can use design as a vehicle for addressing sustainability issues, through both initial design and product redesign. How fantastic! It excites me that as a society we continue to evolve, challenge and push the boundaries of education towards diverse and meaningful disciplines. As somebody who spends 90% of her time immersed in “sustainability” and often feels disconnected from the reality that others exist in, it’s heartening to see sustainable [consumption] issues become increasingly mainstream and compelling.

And what of the artists and designers already pursuing sustainable design? I can only hope that when I return to Tent next year I will stumble upon more attempts to redesign classics, using resources sustainably. For now, I leave you with two of my favourite exhibits:

1. Reggie, the ecorocker, for children and the child in all of us (yes, it comes in grown-up sizes and is quite enjoyable after a glass of wine).
2. JJAM Curators Collective, who reinvented the yellow duster in ways you’ve never thought possible.