Friday, November 23, 2007

Now we know what they're going to talk about

Well that was quick. The summaries arrived while I was writing the previous post. Looks like an interesting combination of abstract and practical, product-oriented presentations. Could be a good balance.

Matali Crasset on Environmental design: looking at the bigger picture
In general, people view items as autonomous objects. Matali’s hypothesis is that an object is an interconnected part of a whole is an essential theme of experimental design. This philosophy brings forth what goes on behind the scenes of our environment, to visualize what has become more and more invisible in our world today. Removing the layers of history and technology that sometimes create a distance and autonomy between things allows the observer to see the interconnections. Matali’s example of Splight City illustrates the visualization of these interconnections: how the home, as a whole, is a hierarchical structure that exists out of three dimensions. Just as the leaf of a plant, a house has a nerve structure in which energy flows. These nerves can transmit energy to the entire home’s structure, diffusing such things as light, heat, and images. It is a genuine system of objects that are in constant evolution.


CĂ©line S Cousteau on Lessons from the Indigenous Tribes of the Amazon
From an indigenous reserve in Brazil, to remote northwestern Peru, the lessons I learned from the original inhabitants of the Amazon jungle transcend country and culture and unite us in a common future. Their health assaulted by the petroleum industry for over three decades, the Achuar are fighting for their very lives. Between illegal loggers, a government occupied with other concerns, and hepatitis in alarming numbers, the tribes of the Vale do Javari in remote Brazil are hanging on by a thread. The Shipibo of the Peruvian Amazon, the Andeans living near the glaciers, and the others, each have taught me something about the impact we have on this planet. Their future is also our future -- we are all connected to the same destiny.


Henrik Otto on Thinking outside the Box: How to work with sustainable design
The paradox of sustainable design is that as soon as we talk about the subject, people immediately start thinking of timeless, iconic designs that will last forever. This is not how I interpret the concept. To me, sustainable design is much more than that. Sustainable design is about awareness of options and consequences. It is about communication – the communication of values and attitudes. And more importantly, it is about getting designers, consumers and manufacturers around the world to make conscious choices in their daily lives. Looking to the future, and we may not have to look so far, we will no longer have a choice between sustainable or non-sustainable design.


Jason Bradbury on Green Gadget: Making 'Eco' Sellable
(Updated November 26) The iPhone may be innovative but is it green? How is the design of mass consumables utitlising sustainable materials and practices? Can a gadget be cool - and green? Is sustainability the new black? The Gadget Show's Jason Bradbury offers a overview of some of the designs and technologies that have shaped and will be shaping our eco future.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Henrik otto: In what other ways do you, I mean Electrolux, contribute to a sustainable development - apart from this years competiton? Do you try to engage other companies in this pursuit?

Anonymous said...

Question to Matali C: How can the lessons you learned in the Amazons be translated into the very urban world we live in? Their way of life seems so different from ours.