toy box

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

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.

Where is car industry heading to?

There is a rumor that Ikea France is launching an eco friendly car LEKO on April 1st. The website is counting down for the grant launch. Is this true or is this a very practical joke? We don't know... I like to believe that it is an evidence of the shift in auto industry that even a small percentage of the spectators think it "could" happen.
via designboom

Shinbun Tote Bags

I got a holiday package from mother-in-law in Germany and one of them was packaged in this very sturdy Shinbun Tote Bag! I first thought she made it herself and then encountered this post on Better Living Through Design.

Japanese newspaper (shinbun) expertly folded and glued by hand in Towa Village by farmer's wives.

It's too precious for me now but I think it's great as a lunch bug!

If we live till 2100

Ecopolis: Floating architecture for 2100... global warming considered. Article via flypmedia

Green Roots

I will slowly update some of the findings and discoveries from Opportunity Green conference. First one is the Green Roots, beautifully displayed at the conference court yard as a vertical living wall. It's a great combination of utilizing urban vertical space while cleaning air and cooling building (if it's used on building wall). I especially love the way the wall feels so 3D with the texture from sacculent.

Chair made out of compressed straw

Designed by Ryan Frank, inspired by traditional African chair, made out of formaldehyde-free material made entirely from compressed straw and wrapped in 100% felted wool. via: sub-studio

Fairy lights made of egg carton

Repurposed objects sometimes look... not very attractive. I thought this Fairy light made out of repurposed egg carton is very playful and cute. Love the material and tactile quality. (Thanks Susan for sending this to our way!)