the eleventh hour

Shockingly confronting, the episode of the human species is exposed as a tumor on the earth's natural complexion. I had never reflected on the cost of my existence and, although I knew that it was environmentally costly, never really did the maths on how much we have "borrowed" from the land.

Irrespective of whether responsibility has not been solely placed in the lap of the designer, there are startling concerns about our impact to society and the environment. Moreover, rising and proven instances of asthma and disease worldwide illustrate a need for urgency in tackling the global environmental crisis.

We have all experienced this depressing picture painted about society and for the most part we have done little about our consumption habits. The eleventh hour demonstrates why change is important, and makes relevant the extent of society's predicament.

Personally, I have seen most of my design theory develop with little input (unless required) of ecology and sustainable design. It has always seemed to take a backseat to aesthetics, semantics and practicality. Change has been a dynamic constant that has followed design through our existence, however I can realize the enormity of the change that must occur to ensure our future.

I believe the stigma of eco design having a prerequisite of 'uncomfortable' and 'unfinished' must be left behind for progression.

"Environmentally superior products are not niche 'eco' or 'green' products but everyday products that have been designed to minimize or eliminate harm to the environment or society" A Year In Design, Autralian International Design Awards 2009

charette: IKEA stefan chair

Fast paced, dynamic and instinct based, one day design challenges force us to rapidly produce feasible alternatives to a failing norm. The Stefan chair is exposed as a design with little tangible and individual features that deviate it from the norm and make it a perfect candidate as an "interim chair," used for an intermediate time frame and inevitably discarded. Below are snapshots of an evolving design process to add visual and tangible design value to the IKEA stefan chair.

Mind mapping determines design flaws in the current product that allow for design opportunities later in the process.

objectified: task one

A culmination of design thought and design intent, the objectified video arouses engagement with the built world and attempts an answer to the question that is design. Inevitably thwarted by substantial differences in design situations, we arrive at many ideologies at how to tackle design problems.

Whimsically defined, "good design is as little as possible" Dieter Rams inextricably captures the continual form study and battle of what it means to give an object purpose and meaning. As designers, we are continually analyzing ways to provoke this purpose and meaning for newer and apparently better objects, however this is fraught with issues of sustainability and ecology that have only just been defined within our lifetime.

Exposed is the reality that designers no longer just work with materials "in a way to expose their best attributes" but have to seriously consider a product "from sourcing materials, to designing, to production to shipping and then eventually designing a way for the products to be disposed of responsibly."

Compounded with creating objects that satisfy the "real audience" of each individual user, objectified forces us to realize the enormity of the task that is design. I now understand the struggle and effort that goes into making our existence meaningful to society.

Attempting to answer questions of usability, manufacture/ disposal, sinectics and visual language my value of design and its societal impacts have been reconsidered as a tool that continually betters our existence.

My Ecological Footprint

Apparently, if everyone lived the way I do we would need a whole lot more earth's then we currently have.