Web 2.0 meets Footprint Reduction

Sun's new web portal for calculating, comparing, and reducing carbon footprint:

"OpenEco is a new global on-line community that provides free, easy-to-use tools to help participants assess, track, and compare business energy performance, share proven best practices to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and encourage sustainable innovation."

Trash Luxe

Check out Core77 coverage of London Design Week's curated Trash Luxe: "Luxury reinvented by young designers who find beauty in unexpected and unwanted materials."

Personalization as Art

Ready-made, collecting, and visual culture merge (collide?) in Richard Prince's new work. Check out the feature on his retrospective in the NYT.

Photo: Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Product Love?

I'm a bit wary about 'product attachment' research. While I am in agreement with arguments that attention to quality, value, and engagement can increase the length of product usage or encourage repair over new purchase, there is something a bit problematic (creepy?) about designing for emotional bonds between people and objects. First of all, the premise never escapes the understanding of identity as a condition primarily manifested through consumption and possession. Second, it fails to recognize that designing product 'personalities' typically provides only the illusion of self-expression while inherently leveling difference by prescribing various 'lines' of expression.

Instead, why not undertake an investigation of the importance of personal narrative people associate with objects/products (something that is likely to be highly individualized and unpredictable, yet reflect sets of cultural priorities...see for example Janet Hoskins' Biographical Objects: How Things Tell the Story of People's Lives). This might provide insights into how design might better facilitate narrative generation and associated product value, rather than a somewhat oversimplified 'attachment.' It would also be valuable to include a consideration of how services might better facilitate sustainability by enabling social networks and community-building via product usage tied to social practices.

Here's brief summary of one recent product attachment study:
Mugge investigated the topic of product attachment – the strength of the emotional bond a consumer experiences to a specific product (Mugge 2007). This definition implies that a strong relationship or tie exists between the individual on the one hand and the object on the other. If people feel strongly attached to a product, they are also more likely to handle the product with care, to repair it when it breaks down, and to postpone its replacement as long as possible (Mugge, Schifferstein, and Schoormans 2006a). Product attachment may thus increase a product’s lifetime. From the viewpoint of sustainability, it can be valuable for designers to influence the degree of attachment people experience to their products (van Hinte 1997).

More here.

Sustainable Design: A Conversation with Design Publishers

Jill Fehrenbacher of Inhabitat hosts an interesting discussion on sustainable design. Some good comments on green consumption and design considerations (is consumerism inevitable?). I particularly like what Allan Chochinov (Core77) has to say about the importance of services.

Black Balloons Energy Saving Campaign

Such a great example of the impact visuals can have. I now regularly 'see' these balloons while thinking about energy use in my home.

Green Homes research presentations

Warning: shameless plug to follow...
I'll be presenting on some recent research from a study on green homeowners next week at the Intel Developer's Forum. The title of the talk is Innovation Opportunities in the Growing Green Market. Content will include ethnographic insights and design implications from the research. More here. I'll also be presenting similar content as an 'artifact' at the upcoming Ethnographic Praxis in Industry conference the first week in October. All welcome.

Sustainable Innovation 07

Sustainable Innovation 07 will provide a platform to discuss 'state of the thinking' in sustainable innovation, technology, product and service design and development. It will highlight best practice and provide a range of case studies and examples. Sustainable Innovation 07 will include invited and refereed papers covering sustainable innovation from academics, consultants, designers, sustainability, environment and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers as well as other business functions.

Towards Sustainable
Product Design 12
12th International Conference
29th - 30th October 2007
Farnham Castle International Breifing and
Conference Centre, Farnham, Surrey, UK