Portland AIGA SHIFT 5 Salon: What does sustainable design mean to you?

AIGA Shift 5 Salon: What does sustainable design mean to you?

November 18, 2010 / 7:00pm - 9:30pm  / Ecotrust 721 NW 9th Avenue

Students from Chris North’s 5wk seminar “Waste Not” (ART 471) will present at this event.

Congratulations to Jessica Cerrato, Jason Heglund, Justin Lucero, Bruce Myhre, Stephanie Kotaniemi, Heather Noddings!

above: Think. Less. by Jessica Cerrato, Jason Heglund, Justin Lucero

Think. Less. Proposes that the true environmental, social & economic costs of consumer choices are not visible to consumers. If the cost of waste were made more transparent, by connecting the price at the cash register with the cost in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability, it might foster a sense of urgency and responsibility about our finite resources.The tools of branding are used for a labeling/receipt system that ranks waste for food products.Consumers are awarded points for making purchases that generate less waste. These points canbe used towards purchase of further low-waste items. 

above: Perfectly Fine by Bruce Myhre, Stephanie Kotaniemi,Heather Noddings

Perfectly Fine is a proposal to Rebrand Portland’s Municipal Water Supply. Bottled water represents one of the most egregious examples of needless waste in our culture, but most efforts to shift behavior focus on the negative approach of discouraging the use of bottled water.Perfectly Fine takes on the challenge of the negative perception of bottled water by exploring are-branding and marketing campaign for Portland tap water. 

Waste Not is a five week seminar that engages graphic design students in discussion and hands on research to rethink the role they play in product design, packaging, distribution and marketing. Students review, discuss and brainstorm social, environmental and economic issues related to waste. Key concepts addressed include de-materialization (dependency on the material whenwhat you really need is the service), the true cost of a product versus perceived wants and needs,our throw-away culture and the process of understanding how choices or actions influence oneanother within a whole.

Congratulations to these fine students and their wonderful presentations for being selected. Now go and hear them be presented on November 18th! GOOD WORK!