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Chapter I.
Design Responsibilities
"By design, then, we do not mean a drawing made in his studio by the designer-a design for something-but rather the thing itself but with that drawing, the preceding idea of the thing and the succeeding process of manufacturer all implicit" Antony Bertram, Design in Everyday things: The BBC(1937). (Neil Maycroft(2018)University Lincoln handout sheet course MA Design)
While researching design responsible companies who have similar believes in eco conscious philosophy I discovered Patagonia who include Environmental issues within their design parameters.
Patagonia insight : The outdoor clothing company and climbing gear founder Yvon Chouinard is a good example of how a business can consider an ethical business strategy. It turns over currently $230 Million and is known as one of the most environmentally responsible corporations on the Planet.
In his own words "I realized that our crisis was a microcosm of what was going on all over the world. The world watch institute's state of the world report for that year 1991,stated "With annual output of 20 trillion, the global economy now produces in 17 days what took an entire year to generate in 1900"."Already,economic activity has breached numerous local, regional and global thresholds resulting in the spread of deserts, acidification of lakes and forests and the build up of green house gases. If growth proceeds along this line of recent decades it is only a matter of time before global systems collapse under pressure" ( Chouinard, Y(2006.)from Patogonia Inc founder and owner over three decades ago ring true within today's climate changing world. One other interesting part of Patogonia is there investments in environmental grass roots conservationist activities(donating $22 trillion to environmental foundations since 1985).
Shopping the Eco Way. It is accurate to suggest that everything we purchase,own thats made will have an environmental impact , therefore one has to ask the question whether you are producers or consumers. Is this purchase necessary? Have I already got this? How can I impact less on the environment? If I am buying something how long will it last? How will I recycle it? when it wears out or breaks.
Design Philosophy incorporating ecology based issues can be used whenever a new design is being concepted, thought through and produced, they are guidelines and include updating and developing new strategies to improve eco conscious values of each product.
Including environmental ethics within a design manifesto is a useful design process to go through to encourage a symmetry of ethics which builds a design profile for each design creating a symbiosis of choices to create cohesion for each design or range for each season.
The following design values and philosophy was developed for Patagonia inc and presented to the board by Jerry Mander (a member of the board of directors in 1991 an author and deep ecologist)
"Our Values: We begin with the premise that all life on Earth is facing a critical time, during which survivability will be the issue that increasingly dominates public concern.
( Appendix IV.A full explanation)
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| Inspiration came from the mountains in Patagonia name |
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| Early Patagonia Inc Smithy work |
Cultural and Social Philosophy
While researching traditional textiles and anthropology I have noticed how traditional cultures like to practice environmental sustaining practices within their environment for future seasons and for the future of their culture, i.e native American Indians, Inuit's ,Amazonian tribes and many more native cultures of the world. Unfortunately western society has not kept to these traditions and since the industrial revolution has been polluting the world. Because of this some designers and manufacturers have built in their own ethical philosophy.
The philosophy stated in appendix IV was created by Patagonia Inc to help build a brand and keep to their original outdoor ethical approach to life style choices that limits their carbon footprints as much as possible.
The David Attenborough Effect
The new phrase which is moving through the media is "the Attenborough effect" since his most recent documentary series blue planet showing the devastation that plastic waste in our oceans is having on our wild life through societies views and reactions to his documentaries. This series has helped people to make better choices when purchasing products, re thinking their views on sustainability and environmentalism. The episodes showed a mother whale carrying her dead baby around for days(killed through plastic waste being consumed by the mother whale and it's effect on her milk production) baby birds eating plastic waste, coastlines full of pollution. Their are numerous action groups that have joining pages on the internet encouraging people to protect our oceans and prevent plastic waste.
A recent report by GlobalWebIndex shows that 53% of people surveyed in the US and UK have reduced their single use plastic over the last 12 months.
"Over the past year, the fight against plastic pollution has gained momentum around the world. More than 60 countries have taken action to restrict plastic production and consumption, major multinational companies have invested in alternatives, and ordinary people have spearheaded ocean clean-ups. And now the movement he helped to grow is driving fundamental change at legislative level. The UK government is currently consulting with plastic experts to develop polices to improve recycling rates and reduce plastic production, according to Geoff Brighty, the technical director of plastic Oceans. " It is has really crystallised in the government's mind that the public consciousness has moved to a place where we don't want it to affect our ecosystems,Brightly said"(GlobalCitizen.org by Joe McCarthy and Erica Sanchez .accessed 28/07/19). Appendix XV and Appendix XVII include market research on new emerging design innovations and predicted design future concepts.
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| Traditional collage was adapted using photoshop negative positive effect to use within tote bag lining. The pattern represents carbon footprints and the desire to save our environment.(my daughters foot print taken when she was a baby) |
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Hand made collage to create pattern repeat. I have since learnt how to pattern repeat using photoshop applications, however to gain initial concepts I still use my sketch book cut and glue to gain inspiration initially.
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| Initial hand printing using old cast iron printing alphabet pieces used in old printing presses. Developed into a screen print to use as a slogan on the back of tote bags to encourage consumers to use less single use plastics. |
There are a number of key debates occurring within our government including a white paper on the fashion industry and it's key effects on wastage and recycling of which can be read in full via the link Fashion and sustainability.
(https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/2311/231102.htm)
Fashion & sustainability
Recommendation 1
1.We want to see a thriving fashion
industry in the UK that provides decent work, inspires creativity and
contributes to the economic success of the UK. The fashion industry’s current
business model is unsustainable, especially with growing populations and rising
levels of consumption across the globe. Over-consumption and climate change are
driving widespread environmental damage. The exploitative and linear business
model for fashion must change. The various parts of the fashion industry must
come together to set out their blueprint for a net zero emissions world. This
will require reducing their carbon consumption back to 1990 levels. Given
scientists’ stark warnings on climate change and biodiversity loss, we need to
fix fashion. (Paragraph 22).(Appendix VI:Fashion and Sustainability white paper:Houses of parliament whitepaperUK)
One of the key pointers in todays society within global issues concerning product design is the plastic waste situation that is currently occurring at this moment and also the problem of all the plastic that has ever been produced is still on the planet, taking hundreds of years to decompose if ever!
The pollution of our planets eco system and the fact that plastic can be found in every part of our oceans entering our food change and effecting climate change through the erosion of our natural habitat.Via the sequential removal of oxygenated plants and animals to effect draw down processes removing the reduction of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases.Appendix IX contains a scientific paper on Marine Plastic pollution and current and future trends on plastic pollution in our rivers and oceans across the globe.
One of the key factors that scientists have recognised is the ever increasing rubbish dumps within key areas of our oceans. The Great Pacific Garbage dump, it's current size as big as Alaska or France.
Below is a short clip showing and describing the Great Pacific Garbage Dump
