Today we looked at sustainability and how as graphic designers it’s important to be aware of it. So what is sustainability. It is defined as the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance. It is meeting the needs of everyone in the world today, but keeping in mind future generations and their needs (re-nourish.com).
As a graphic designer it is important to know how you can sustainable in your work. As a designer we are constantly creating new designs, often getting them printed out for clients. Some of the ways we can be sustainable as a designer include using recycled paper, knowing the types of ink your printer uses, choosing the right size for posters/flyers (if it’s possible to reduce the size you can save money and reduce your environmental impact), using web hosting sites that use sustainable energy or simply cutting costs at your studio. Therefore, if we, as designers, can find a balance between society, economy and the environment, when we get to the final stages we will know what the most sustainable options may be or the questions that need to be asked to find the best solution.
Some other links about sustainability and graphic design:
Papercut is a graphic design studio in Canberra, Australia. They opened in 2007 and since then have won numerous awards because of the way they have incorporated sustainability into their work. They have a Papercut Environmental Policy:
“Environmental leadership is the cornerstone of our company culture. We believe in the value of offering environmentally sustainable options for our clients and uphold our own commitment to sustainable design by making green choices in our business practice. This makes us distinct from other design studios.”
To ensure they meet this policy and give their designs a ‘Papercut tick of approval’ they have their own set of guidelines (can be found here).
So the next question is how can I make my latest project more sustainable? My project is a the branding of a cafe so I will be printing out a few things – menu, loyalty cards, take-away cup sleeves (and the cups themselves), posters, etc. It will be important to ensure the I know my sustainable options of different printing companies. I was planning to use kraft paper for all of my printing. It is 100% biodegradable and it’s a natural bio-material; Unbleached, biodegradable, recyclable and the product of renewable and actively renewed resources. I’m also creating a stamp for the logo which will reduce the amount of printing I have to do (on the take-away cups/sleeve) and then I just have to ensure the ink I use is also environmentally friendly.
kimhopper 