Designers Accord

It's refreshes me to see people doing some pretty innovative things to promote sustainability with design.

I'm not an expert on this, but it seems pretty obvious that integrating sustainability principles into the different areas of design - at the level of consumption, or somewhere higher in the pipeline, like those of education or production - is no small task. But that's exactly what Designers Accord - an organization in the design community that is trying to "change the culture of the creative community from bottom to top, and with it, the way everything is made, from toothbrushes to airplanes" - is attempting, and from what I read, doing well.

The concept is simple enough: take the wide potential in design, and add an emphasis in sustainability to it. See what happens.

I'm not sure that these efforts will really change the way everything is made (maybe airplanes, don't know about the toothbrushes), but I like the spirit behind it. It seems predicated on the idea that social issues - climate change, social justice, civic improvement - aren't just confined to public or non-profit sectors, that there is a place for those emphases in the creative design, marketing, distribution, and consumption of products. Couldn't agree more.

There have already been some very cool advances; whether this continues into affordable, everyday products and services remains to be seen. But either way, the movement is one to watch.

An example:

Frog Design's lichen-based paint that changes colors with Carbon Monoxide exposure; a simple protective measure to prevent CO poisoning. Using biology to detect rising chemical levels? I like.

image from http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/valerie-casey/networked-culture/case-studies-sustainability-designers-accord-introduction

If you're interested, check out some designer accord case studies - spotlights on companies making waves in the field, hand-picked by fastcompany. check it out here: http://www.fastcompany.com/tag/designers-accord.