Sense & Sustainability

About

What are future topics for design, designers and consequently design education?

In 1990 The United Nations have set a set of millenium goals for 2015. Some of them were achieved and a number of issues has to be addressed with even more force to prepare our society for a better future with a stronger social and sustainable climate. Among them the big five: energy, food, water, waste and well-being.

When it comes down to designing the future systems to live in and the products to live with, the word sustainable pops up frequently. But it also seems to be one of the most abused words that serves as ‘greenwasher’ once products consist of recycled, green or biological material. There is much more to sustainability and there are many questions to ask: What is the global or local impact and carbon footprint of objects that we produce? Do we need more stuff? Should our economy change? What can new technology do for a sustainable future? Can we design sustainable at all? 
Sustainability has many faces and for designers it is sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees and to know what makes sense and not.

This Summer Semester the Power House Project will end during the ‘Rundgang’ with a symposium on the sense and nonsense of sustainability. International experts and designers are invited.

Symposium: Sunday, 22. July, 15:00–18:00
designtransfer, UdK Berlin, Einsteinufer 43, 10587 Berlin

Speakers:

Ed van Hinte Wrote: Products that Last, product design for circular business models. Studied industrial design at TU Delft but is known as design critic and independent thinker. As protagonist of sustainable future strategies he is involved in research into lightness and dematerialisation of products. Ed van Hinte will set forth how design can reduce our material and energy consumption and how products can keep their value in the future.

Anne van der Zwaag  Wrote: LOOKS GOOD FEELS GOOD IS GOOD, a book about social design in relation to global environmental issues, that aims to help businesses and governments see the power of design to address key challenges facing the world. Is a Dutch curator and art historian. Anne van der Zwaag will speak about sustainable and social design and some inspiring case studies.

Tjeerd Veenhoven Works on new products made from new materials. Reseach involves textiles to be made from algae with H&M, flip-flops made from palmleather and a quest for new values for tulip pigments. Dutch designer, researcher and material developer who aims to make a Proof of Principle into Sustainable Business. Tjeerd Veenhoven will speak about some facts and figures and his work as sustainable material researcher.

Tejo Remy With his first work – Chest of Drawers, Ragchair and Milkbottle lamp –  he made ‘his own world with what he encountered’, as Robinson Crusoë created his own paradise on his island. These first Droog Designs got worldwide recognition when terms such as cradle to cradle or sustainable design still had to find their way. Tejo Remy will speak about this early work and how he relates to sustainability today.