Filed under: Studio Practices
We almost forgot: You’re a talented graphic designer, copywriter, web developer, strategist or some other sort of marketing communicator. Well, why not put your talents to work on behalf of some organization trying to make the world a better place. There are plenty of them, and not nearly enough of generous, talented people like you.
Filed under: Paper
Designers are already accused of making the type too small to be readable, but go ahead. A smaller font size can allow you to fit more words on a page, which requires fewer pages, which requires fewer trees, which requires fewer environmental crises.
Filed under: Studio Practices
If you find your office mail box stuffed with computer catalogs and who-knows-what-else that goes straight in the recycling bin, nip that paper waste in the bud by getting off the mailing list. It may take some diligence if you work directly with the sender, but there are national opt-out lists run through the Direct Marketing Association that can eliminate a lot of the unwanted mailings.
We bet you’re thinking this is the dumbest idea you’ve seen here yet. But not really. When a job’s complete, clean out the file, refold the thing inside out and you’re ready for a new project. You just cut your file folder expenses in half and saved some poor tree.
Filed under: Studio Practices
There are still a few holdouts who say shooting on film gives a look that digital media can’t duplicate. Undoubtedly so. But the toxic chemicals involved in making and processing photographic film are among some of the most hazardous around. For those of you involved in video projects, there are excellent digital techniques that can closely approximate the look of film.
The waterless process eliminates the fountain solution used in offset lithography, and instead of conventional metal printing plates, you use a silicone rubber plate and special ink. It’s a faster, cleaner process that reduces the amount of paper required for make-ready and thus, uses less energy. To learn more about it, download this terrific resource from Monadnock Papers, A Field Guide to Eco-Friendly, Efficient and Effective Print.
Bleeds are a visually striking and very well accepted design technique. Now, here’s the downside. To make an image or color bleed, you have to print on oversize stock, then trim to the finished size. The printed trim turns into waste that’s hard to reuse. Consider, instead, doing designs that don’t require bleeds, or if you must bleed, resize your piece so you can print on a standard size sheet, with a smaller-than-usual finished size. The unusual size might even draw more attention to your client’s piece.
There’s all kinds of stuff involved with printing that goes well beyond what paper and ink you’ve spec’d. Some if it is rather esoteric. But here’s a wonderful little checklist you can use to spur your favorite printers on to a greener lifestyle, courtesy of the excellent web site, greenbiz.com.
Filed under: Studio Practices
There are more and more great resources popping up to help designers run their studios–and create client projects–from a greener perspective. One worth watching is a blog written by Jess Sand from San Francisco called The Sustainable Studio. It’s part of Business Design Online, which has all kinds of other helpful tidbits on starting and running a creative business.
Filed under: Studio Practices
No, not the kind where they grow plants–the kind that uses materials and energy wisely. While the Build Green movement is getting press left and right, you can cut to the chase and buy a pre-manufactured home that incorporates almost every conceivable energy- and material-saving idea. The Glidehouse is designed and built in northern California by Michelle Kaufmann Designs in Oakland–and they say the pricing is comparable or less than conventional energy hog homes. The added bonus: They’re beautiful.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Well, it’s not for your car. It’s for you. And the planet. But when you go to DriveNeutral you can calculate precisely how much CO2 your specific vehicle is spewing into the atmosphere and then–depending on your guilt level–buy a carbon offset for as little as $28. What does that mean? Your $28 goes to buy emission reduction credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange–which, in turn, gives financial incentives to large companies to reduce their emissions. As for carbon emissions from cars, here’s a little sample: A BMW X5 SUV with a 4.8 liter engine produces nearly 13,000 pounds of CO2 annually, while a VW Jetta TDI burning biodiesel contributes 1,500 pounds to the environment.
San Francisco has one. It’s called Green Zebra – Local savings for natural living. Consumer purchase the book for $25, and then use the coupons and passes inside to save up to $12,000 on goods as far flung as organic catering to surfing lessons to a carpet cleaning services that uses non-toxic non-chemicals. Green Zebra donates a share of its profits to a local conservation organization, and the coupon book itself–of course–is printed on chlorine-free 98% post-consumer waste paper. Kudos to the founders, Sheryl Cohen and Anne Vollen.
There’s a trend afoot among consumer to buy products that are made locally, and no one has their finger on the pulse of this movement more than trendwatching.com. This website is made possible by the contributions of more than 8,000 trendspotters worldwide. Their June/July 2007 focus is on the “buy local” movement and shows dozens of client-convincing examples. Also on the site is a vast library of past trends spotted–great info for any marketer’s gray matter.
Filed under: Studio Practices
You can’t spend your entire day purchasing recycled paper and non-VOC carpeting. Occassionally you have to eat, drink, and be merry. But even then your crusade for a sustainable planet can go on by patronizing establishments that have committed to doing the right thing. An excellent example: Go have a great dinner at Moxie in Seattle’s lower Queen Anne neighborhood. They’re joining forces with Cedar Grove Composting and Green Scene Organics Recycling Program so kitchen waste is recycled, rather than added to the garbage stream.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Instead of heading across town for a meeting that wastes time, gas, and probably doesn’t do a whole lot for your sense of calm (especially if it involves a trip over 520), why not stay at your office and put technology to work? Your laptop probably has a built-in camera for video conferencing (all the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros do, as do a number of PC laptops), and the results are surprisingly good. What the heck. At least give it a try.
This idea submitted by workshop attendee Kaytlyn Sanders of Beneficial Design in Bellevue–a place on the other side of 520 from SVC.
Filed under: Studio Practices
This may sound like a rather blatant plug, and it is. InterfaceFLOR makes modular carpets for commercial and residential use that not only are manufactured with bio-based non-toxic materials that won’t off-gas poisons into your office, but they’re also recyclable, so used carpet never winds up in a landfill. It’s hard to believe a web site about carpet could be interesting , but check out the Interface site and be pleasantly surprised.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Seattle is one of the hundreds of cities that’s endorsed the pollution reducing targets of the Kyoto Protocol (unlike the U.S. federal government). If you run a business in Seattle, you can take another step towards taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by joining the Seattle Climate Partnership and agreeing to a number of voluntary measures. Starbucks, REI and the U.W. are already in. How about your company?
Filed under: Classes & Resources
Maybe you’ve heard this acronym and wondered, “what the…?” Well, it stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, and it’s a market segment focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living, and social justice. Companies that want to reach this market segment can subscribe to the LOHAS Journal–a print magazine, but there’s plenty of free info (and free enewsletters) you can get right on the LOHAS web site.
Those crafty Australians have put together a very sweet web site, , that gives plenty of tips for more sustainable design. But the best part is the portfolio of handsomely designed, smartly green solutions and the case histories behind them.
You gotta love the United Nations. Not only are they are last, best hope for some sort of world peace, but they’ve also put together a surprisingly informative, well-designed 52-page pdf called Talk the Walk, that makes a very compelling business case for using sustainability as a marketing platform for products and services of all kinds. The site we’re directing you to for the download, by the way, is called greenbiz.com which (as you might expect) is all about the business side of sustainability.
Minnesotans always seem to be lightyears ahead of the rest of us when it comes to design and advertising. Once again, they’re setting the standard with a very, very informative 36-page pdf guide called Better By Design that will take you through all the principles of designing for the environment. While this piece applies to industrial and product design–and not just graphic design–it contains a very useful checklist for making smart, earth-friendly design decisions.
Filed under: Studio Practices
If you’d like to be networked with like-minded companies (some of whom will be looking for design, web, and ad services) join the WCTA. In addition to the business development angle, WCTA is also an advocate for more sustainable business practices.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Even if you can’t convince your clients to move completely away from paper-based promotional materials, you can certainly make the move yourself. Redesign your firm’s promo materials to be delivered via the web or electronically–then explain in those pieces why you’ve gone this route.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Before you close up shop tonight, do a walk-through and see how many computers are left running. Think of each computer as a 150-watt bulb left burning all night, and you can quickly get a picture of how much energy you’re wasting.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
The latest version of Adobe Acrobat has some sophisticated tools for distributing layouts and proofs and collecting client comments. Learn about them. Use them. And let pdf files take the place of paper whenever possible.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Start a “leave your car at home” drive at your office. Encourage and incentivize your employees to walk, ride their bikes, take mass transit, or use FlexCar. And, as the manager, it starts with you to set a good example.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Consider giving your employees green incentives, instead of the usual SWAG. Maybe they’d like some mass transit passes, some carbon offsets for their home, or a gift certificate at a place like Goods for the Planet.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Offer financial incentives for clients who go green. You could call your program “Green for Green.”
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Don’t just brag about your own sustainability philosophy. Give current and prospective clients some ideas they can use in their marketing communications practicies to be more earth-friendly (and, in turn, consumer-friendly).
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
When possible, work with local printers, paper mills, binderies, CD duplicators and other support vendors. The less your projects have to travel by truck, train, and plane, the smaller their environmental footprint.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
What’s that? The Printers’ National Environmental Assistance Center. It’s a clearing house for ideas, practices, and regulations on environmental issues for the printing, publishing, and packaging industry.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
If you design a piece that qualifies for FSC certification, use that label proudly on the project. For your own studio, consider putting the Design Can Change logo on your site and promotional materials, once you’ve signed that organization’s pledge.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Set up a points system to reward clients for choosing greener solutions. The payback doesn’t need to be money or discounts–give them carbon offsets or green gifts for their company.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
If you’re dedicated to seeking greener solutions, write your philosophy down. Put it on your web site. Include it in your capability pitches. Let clients and prospects know that you’re taking this seriously, even if it’s not the main focus of your firm.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Project Concepts
Here’s an opportunity to truly show how creative you are. Can you come up with a package that has a second life as a frame, a display, a pencil box, another package? When egg developed a mailer for their proposals, they easily engineered a way for the recipient to turn the piece inside out to use it as a return mailer.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30, 2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
One for trash. One for recycling. How simple, but how smart.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30,2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
Right now summer is just around the corner (or already feels like it’s here). So why not use the sun for office lighting, and the wind for air conditioning. You might be surprised at how wonderful it feels to let the real world back into your hermetically sealed office box.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30,2007.
A client may say “we need a brochure,” but try to figure out what the real need is. For example, they may actually be saying “we need a way to tell people who use products similar to ours that we have a better solution.” Is, indeed, a brochure the best solution? Would a web site be better? What else could you do to accomplish the client’s objectives without necessarily going with paper or energy-based solutions?
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30,2007.
When making creative presentations to your clients, in addition to showing them what they’ve asked for and expect, make it a studio policy to always show a greener alternative. No one ever got in trouble for doing extra credit.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30,2007.
How about forming a local consortium or trade group of creative services firms and clients interested in pursuing greener marketing communications efforts? You could set it up in a heartbeat using online tools such as meetup.com, and then get together periodically to share ideas, vendor resources, and strategies.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30,2007.
Think of ways you can make good use of leftover press sheets run during the make-ready part of a printing job. Can you overprint them, print on the back side, or turn them into another product alltogether–like these stationery sets made of cut down topographic maps?
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30,2007.
Filed under: Studio Practices
To convince clients that there is, indeed, an interest among their prospects and customers in doing business with companies that have a strong sustainability stance, commission some research–even if informal. Hearing from customers–rather than from you–can be the most convincing argument for getting on board the green train.
This suggestion made by attendees at SVC’s 101 Things Designers Can Do to Save the Earth workshop on May 30,2007.
