The wall morphed into a collection of thoughts which ultimately became fractured parts of a story in progress--fitting, as sustainability is by far mankind's biggest, unfinished and much talked about tale.."epic" as one visitor described it. The blackboard wall gave us a scope, a sweeping picture of the varying opinions of the viewing public on the sustainability in design discourse. We encourage everyone to continuously develop their ideas and join in public fora. It is necessitated that we endeavour to be heard.
Pawannipa "Ying" Chancharern
Home Country Thailand
“Life is learning”
If I just sit back and think about my life since childhood until the present, I would say the definition of my life is beyond with this word “learning”.
When I was a child
- Learning how to say Dad, Mom and Learning how to love them.
- Learning how to be a naughty or good child.
- Learning how my parents give me back if I behaved like that.
- Learning how to lie to them to avoid punishment.
- Learning how to think about nothing except playing.
When I was in school
- Learning how to make friends.
- Learning how to pass the exam.
- Learning how to be a good student and good attendance.
- Learning how to awaken during a boring class.
- Learning how to work hard even it was very lazy time.
When I was working
- Learning to accept I am getting old.
- Learning how to get a good job.
- Learning to be on time.
- Learning how to deal with stupid customers.
- Learning how to lie on bossy boss.
- Learning how to handle more responsibility on my job.
When I was away from home
- Learning on various experiences.
- Learning how to live with other people and in different cultures.
- Learning how to look after myself.
- Learning how much I am thinking of my parents.
Toumazina Dimitrakopoulou
Home Country Cyprus
“Revival”
The word “revival” plays a major part in my project. The revival/ renewal/ reinforcement of traditional craft making are not just for economical growth or social benefits but mostly for cultural growth of a region/ city/ country. Reviving craft making involves motivating young generation to become designer makers and design craft pieces that combine traditional skills with modern influences. With the knowledge of the old and contemporary influences from young generation designers or craft makers could reinvent traditional craft products. Growing the market for traditional crafts means expanding, adding new materials and product usages to existing products.
Diego Gonzalez
Home Country Colombia
“Evolution”
The word evolution comes from the idea of the new thinking in the new era, the new way of seeing things, how human beings are evolving to the next step, where we can use design thinking to understand the real needs of human beings. Evolution in terms of underlined that is about the time to take action to solve contemporary issues. Evolution in terms of expressing that design has reached to the next level where it becomes more relevant than ever; evolution in terms of the discipline fitting in new places and contexts where it did not before. Evolution is the word to think of, when we realise the actual situation of the world; we need to evolve as human beings to start doing things right for a better future.
Ribale Haidar
Home Country Lebanon
“Identity”
Identity design is what designers do best: Creating images, building stories, imagining scenarios and making everyone else believe in them. If we, as designers, have the power to design the identity for Nike, Apple and Mc Donalds could we use this power to design the identity for, let’s say, Beirut? Is design a powerful enough tool to build the basis for national collision? The role of designers in society has always been my main area of interest. Taking it into my own national context of Lebanon, I was always striving to understand the weight designers have in society. After joining the MA in Design for Development, my thinking was pushed further and deeper where I now am looking at the ways to make designers realize their potential and use it in the right direction.
Mario Kokkoris
Home Country Greece
"Do.I.Why?"
Do I have to kill to eat this fish?
When I was little, I remember my mother trying to convince me to eat fish. In her many attempts, it was very typical of her to tell me that fish is good for the eyesight, which surprisingly enough it always worked on me.
I also remember myself going fishing with my father. Putting it in other words ‘killing’ a fish. I mostly enjoyed when we were sailing out in the open sea during summer time, under the light of the full moon, going for calamari.
Today, I wouldn’t even consider killing a fish. But, I would certainly have fish for dinner. I suppose that this still makes me a killer since I support the fish industry, which today is linked with overfishing issues.
It is not only through eating fish that I contribute towards the environment’s depletion. There are many more things that I do in life to satisfy my needs, which in one way or another create problems to the environment. For instance, I should be washing off any recyclables before chunking them into the recycling bin. Well, I do waste water! At the end of the day, all these issues make me wonder which is the best way around to become more eco-friendly.
Kelly Krause
Home Country United States of America
"Hoax"
Everyone loves a good hoax. Steeped in satire, a hoax is more nuanced than a joke, less blunt than a lie, and not as sinister as fraud. A timely example is actor Joaquin Phoenix's recent stunt, pretending for almost two years to descend into madness (as an aspiring rapper), so he could make a point about celebrity. Such is the treachery and good fun of the hoax.
As such, it has always bothered me when people claim global warming to be a hoax. The use of the word ‘hoax’ in this instance is misleading: as if scientists are giddy with enjoyment at their plot to terrify us with dire predictions. But I suppose it is easier to sell the idea of a scientific 'hoax' than to confront the reality of the charge: that scientists are uniformly lying about the future of the earth's climate and ultimately human survival. Unfortunately there is no global warming conspiracy—it is real. I previously worked as the head creative for the highly respected journal Science, where much groundbreaking research was published on the subject. I learned there that climate change is definitely happening but can be dealt with if we make some fundamental changes. But people must be convinced to act, which is why I’m looking into ways to communicate sustainability to non-scientists (the rest of us!) through design.
My major project focuses on how we can use mass media for positive behaviour change in more subtle, implicit ways. For more information please see the 'One on One' section (column on the top right). – Kelly Buckheit Krause
My major project focuses on how we can use mass media for positive behaviour change in more subtle, implicit ways. For more information please see the 'One on One' section (column on the top right). – Kelly Buckheit Krause
Cècile Lennerts
Home Country Belgium
“Because”
Because I wonder why?
Because I care.
Because there are consequences.
Because it relates to the cause.
Because I want to act for the world.
Because I want to make sense.
Because I am looking for the essential.
Because we don’t need more than enough.
Because less is more.
Because I am a graphic designer.
Maxim Lyne
Home Country United Kingdom
“Designare”
I chose this word because of it’s significance to the course and to my major project. The word designare is associated with the origins of the word design, and means to designate; which is to assign meaning to things.
This is important because design more than ever needs to reconsider the meaning of itself and the meaning that it instills upon objects designed for mass consumption.
A good example of where Design isn’t just about styling or technology, but radical change in meaning, is the Nintendo Wii. A reinterpretation of the whole experience resulted in a revolutionary idea that became an instant success.
It is this sort of thinking that, aside from driving for market-winning innovation, will drive the changes needed for a shift to sustainable behaviours.
Once it has been remembered that design is people centered rather than profit centered, can set about changing the whole meaning of design to something that considers everyone and everything rather than just a few objects in an isolated and fervent drive for maximum profit.
AJ Mallari
Home Country Philippines
“BEGIN”
The theoretical explorations and experimentations in thought and ideas comes to a fitting conclusion in this MA Grad Show. New "beginnings" are in order as well as an entire set of attitudes required to successfully take on the task of creating a better understanding of design and its shifting definition. My stint in the non-profit sector has provided a fertile ground for benchmarking theories learnt in this MA, up to a certain extent these theories enabled me to reconfigure my system of thinking, doing and designing. My final project for this course, ironically, is my first formal venture using this reconfigured thought system to enable the creation of practical design solutions to address non-traditional design briefs. I thought it apt to focus on the first step towards designing sustainably which is by creating genuine participatory approaches.
While design "scholars" (and even entire schools) still debate on the most appropriate definition of "sustainable design" a lot of design practitioners (trained or not/consciously or unconsciously) are already out in the field making silent but inversely, the most resonating contributions to a discipline/movement that has been steadily gaining ground.
Each designer must begin with something somewhere, sometime at some point. Let's begin, we just have to.
While design "scholars" (and even entire schools) still debate on the most appropriate definition of "sustainable design" a lot of design practitioners (trained or not/consciously or unconsciously) are already out in the field making silent but inversely, the most resonating contributions to a discipline/movement that has been steadily gaining ground.
Each designer must begin with something somewhere, sometime at some point. Let's begin, we just have to.
Alison Masters
Home Country Ireland/United Kingdom
“People”
Natalie Smith
Home Country Australia
“MORE”
One year ago I questioned the role of the designer. I questioned that designers could do MORE than simply create functional, evocative, aesthetically pleasing spaces, objects and imagery; the belief that designers, through their skill, intellect and creativity have the ability to contribute MORE to the world then to simply fulfil a corporate client brief.
Secondly I questioned the notion of ‘sustainability.’ Sustainability has become such a buzz word which through its fame has lost all meaning. Is the role of a ‘sustainable’ interior designer to simply choose environmentally responsible products and materials or can it mean MORE?
Throughout this past year I have discovered that these are not questions I am asking alone.
I have learnt that the designer does have the ability to do MORE, to create spaces that improve well-being and quality of lives; the ability to link these spaces with the surrounding infrastructure, social groups and contexts; the ability through partnerships to create a new system which enriches the current way of life and creates a pavement towards change and true sustainability.
To do MORE the designer must step out of their traditional respondent role and look for where they can make a difference. As this new form of sustainability has only just been conceived the designer must take a somewhat active role if they are to improve the quality of lives. As education, interest and realisation of these types of projects increase it is envisioned that the designer who contributes MORE will become main stream; however, until that stage, there is an exciting, explorative and opportunistic path ahead for the designer who believes they can do MORE than their discipline currently demands of them.
Mariela Sotomayor
Home Country Peru
“FORM”
The beauty of this word is that it can take us from the physical boundaries of things to the abstract world of transforming ones dreams, ideas or thoughts. To FORM is to generate something new, something that can only be achieved through transformations, transformations that are the realm of the designer. To FORM we have to subdue to a thinking process that will take us from single problems to a wide range of different possibilities, possibilities that will allow us to envision new and significant solutions to unexplored opportunities. To FORM we inspire ourselves to shape our talents and capabilities to finally design the right paths that will give life to those visualized solutions. To FORM, we need to think, solve and design… Our challenge is to actually make this happen.
Louise Wilson
Home Country United Kingdom
"Critical Mass"
To create a sustainable lifestyle we need to change our behaviours. People follow trends, especially from their friends, celebrities and the media. If we can create mass behaviour change in the way we live, we can start to make a difference to the world around us. Defined as the minimum amount of something required to start or maintain a venture, critical mass is something I associate with cyclists coming together at the end of the month to make their mark on the streets. This is a great example of people showing solidarity, unity and common attitudes. If enough people who feel passionate about a subject, come together to make a change, the change is likely to happen!
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