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The Designers Accord: Design Education and Sustainability

Last two days I was visiting San Francisco to attend The Designers Accord "Global summit on design education and sustainability". It was a two-day event where 100 individuals from academic and professional institutions came together to discuss, plan and create a toolkit for teaching sustainability. The schedule was divided into a series of organized brainstorm sessions and inspirational lectures. In those brainstorm session we have covered 8 topics through 8 Lens. These topics and lens are not only relevant in educational settings but also in the corporate/consulting arena. So I would like to share some of the info from the website with you.

Topics

The goal of the Summit is to create a toolkit for integrating sustainability into design education. The Topics are the ‘high-priority’ parts of the toolkit.

The criteria of a Topic is that it is something that a group can tackle together in this format, and it can result in a discrete output that is codified, not anecdotal.

These Topics were culled from a dozen brainstorm sessions over the past 6 months with design educators and thought leaders:

• What is our common language?
  Create a shared definition of terms / best ways to communicate about sustainability
  

• Connecting the theory with action
  Methods for better effectiveness in the classroom, and ultimately in design practice
  

• How can we communicate best?
  Best practices for communicating with and aligning stakeholders (faculty, students, administrators, trustees) within your department and school
  

• Transitioning legacy department curricula
  Methods for initiating new programs, courses around sustainability
  

• What constitutes a meaningful design challenge?
  Structuring and enabling the ideal student projects and assignments; Best practices for working with local communities
  

• Measurements of success
  Marking progress, maintain momentum, setting up appropriate goals
  

• Designing the core sustainability curriculum
  

• What’s next?
  Creating a shared point of view about the future of design education, in the context of how design is used to solve broader challenges, in different kinds of collaborations

Lenses

The function of the Lens is to articulate the specific goal of each brainstorm session, and create a boundary around it so that the session is more productive. Each breakout session uses one Lens. Breakout session 1 will use Lens 1, Breakout session 2 will use Lens 2, etc.

Each breakout session builds on the output of the previous one. This framework is designed to iteratively develop a tangible and actionable output of methodologies and best practices.

The Lenses are used in this order:

1. Reframe the Topic to make it an answerable question, or series of questions

2. Record everything that is known about the Topic currently, and organize it

3. Freely ideate new approaches

4. Organize the current information and the new ideas. Strengthen by fleshing them out. Select out weak ideas. Combine similar ones.

5. Negate: what are all the reasons this solution/s might not work

6. Strengthen the solution/s — consider how these solution not only address the educational process, but are directly relevant and connected to future design practice

7. Prototype / create a scenario of the ideal application of the solution

8. Clearly articulate the solution

Unique Packaging Concepts

I'm working on a project where I am finding all sorts of AWESOME packaging ideas and concepts - most eco friendly.  While NOT NEW, there are some cool ideas out there that combine form, function and messaging.  I'll be sharing a few of my favorites here.

 

I like this wine bottle/label/cup.  The idea features several unique paper cups that can function as normal labels before using. In order to make it seem like a conventional bottle, it also comes with a slot for these label cups.

Design is by Viktor Pucsek, winner of the PapaMama Design Competition.  The premise is that wine should be enjoyed anytime.   NICE.

Satisfying POP!

Found this in my crazy go everywhere searching today.  Love the concept! A poster sized calendar with a bubble to pop everyday.

Street Food = Outdoor Eats = Awesomeness

I'm kinda obsessed with the  concept of street food/food carts right now.  Right, I know, it's not new.  But it seems like it is coming back into vogue. 

In Canton, MI (of all places) NeeHee's has opened an incredible Indian Street Food restaurant getting rave reviews on Yelp.  (Pic is of NeeHee's #12, my fav so far!)

5 months ago local Detroit Yelper's hosted a downtown Taco Truck crawl with maps and meet ups.  Kind of like a foodie-geocache extravaganza? 

Wakako shared a picture of this awesome mobile pizza oven from the Seattle Farmer's market (which I cannot find - but I assume it to be this). 

There is even a weekly podcast called VendrTV that has new episodes every Wednesday.  They've identified a new breed they call Cartivores.  What, you might ask, is a Cartivore? Cartivores are lovers of street food and watchers of the show. Each week they’ll profile a new one on the VendrTV homepage.

Kind of connecting with Rick Bayless's recent Xoco opening, I think this article from the Newbury Port News sums it up nicely.  "The nation's immigrant communities also have helped make street food more commonplace. "

Other links:
http://twitter.com/PDXfoodcarts
Huffington Post, Food Carts Thriving in Recession
http://iheartfoodcarts.com/

Being "Greener" can be as helpful as being "Green"

Green Thing is a not-for-profit public service that inspires people to lead a greener life. With the help of brilliant videos and inspiring stories from creative people and community members around the world, Green Thing focuses on seven things you can do - and enjoy doing. 

LOVE this video.

And love the idea of Glove Love.

What started as an annual event has bloomed into a global movement.

This year, TED expands beyond its annual conference by seeding smaller, independent events throughout the nation, called TEDx. The first TEDxDetroit will emulate the spirit and ideals of the TED Conference.

I cannot express how exciting this is...there are so many reasons.  Detroit desperately needs and event like this.  Michigan desperately needs an event like this.  I desperately need and event like this. 

This is what I like best about this:  Apply for a conference? Seriously? Seriously. Space is very limited for this first event. We're working to ensure the people attending the conference are as interesting as the people presenting. We're curating a collection of thinkers and doers across a wide range of fields and experiences. From fresh minded students to seasoned entrepreneurs, TEDxDetroit will host an interesting mix of talent and experience. If you have positive ideas for the world, you might be just the person we're looking for.

I've applied.  Fingers crossed.  Would love to share this experience with CCS students & others in my life, including viewers here.

Union 18: making beautiful out of unwanted

This is my second post for Opportunity Green Conference. On this post I introduced RAW from Union 18, carpets handmade entirely from manufacturing waste. I really appreciate objects made of recycled/discarded materials that not only function well but also carry aesthetic beauties.  I have been carrying Harvey's black seat belt bag for last 4 years and love our darjeeling dining table made of reclaimed old Indian railroad ties. I think this carpet might be very much on my wish list...

Interview with Emily Sugihara, making the world greener one BAGGU at a time

It has been a while since I posted any update on this blog but I definitely thought of you often:)  Recently I have started to contribute for Opportunity Green Conference blog. My first post was about BAGGU and its founder Emily. Do you remember Emily from 2 years ago? The link will take you to an Opportunity Green blog post which has a visual slide show of the interview! Enjoy:)

Green Pocket

This is such a great idea to incorporate natural textures to your home. Also gives a lot of flexibility for the inhabitants to customize how the wall should look and feel like depending on what type of plants you might use. Mine will be filled with all kinds of herbs...continuously cleansing the air and fusing the room with herbal aroma.

Green Pocket

This is such a great idea to incorporate natural textures to your home. Also gives a lot of flexibility for the inhabitants to customize how the wall should look and feel like depending on what type of plants you might use. Mine will be filled with all kinds of herbs...continuously cleansing the air and fusing the room with herbal aroma.