I found some examples of Greenwashing campaigns by big corporations.
DuPont Conaco Double Hulled Oil Tankers comercial- 1991
Nissan Polar Bear Ad- 2010
Dasani Purified Water
Shell Oil Greenwash Sketch- The Revolution will be Televised
Saturday, 27 October 2018
GREENWASHING
Greenwashing is the practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology or company practice. Greenwashing can make a company appear to be more environmentally friendly than it really is. It can also be used to differentiate a company's products or services from its competitors by promising more efficient use of power or by being more cost-effective over time.
I found some examples of Greenwashing campaigns by big corporations.
DuPont Conaco Double Hulled Oil Tankers comercial- 1991
I found some examples of Greenwashing campaigns by big corporations.
DuPont Conaco Double Hulled Oil Tankers comercial- 1991
NOT GRAPHIC DESIGN
Mind-mapping some ideas of products that are wasteful in order to decide what i should rebrand as eco for the practical.
Friday, 19 October 2018
SOURCES USED
Klein N. (1999) No Logo-Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, edition, London, Harper Collins
Dresner S. (2002) The Principles of Sustainability, edition, London, Earthscan Publications
Heller S. Vienne V. (2003) Citizen Designer- Perspectives on Design Responsibility, edition, New York City, Skyhorse Publishing
Berman D. (2009) Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change The World, edition, Berkley, New Riders
McCormack L. (2005) Designers Are Wankers, edition, place, About Face Publishing
Whitely N. (1993) Design For Society, edition, London, Reaktion Books
Stephens S. Stephens A. (2009) The Big Book Of Green Design, edition, New York, Harper Collins
Bullock A. Walsh M. (2013) The Geen Design And Print Handbook, edition, Lewes, Ilex Press
Smart B. (2010) Consumer Society: Critical Issues And Environmental Consequences, edition, London, SAGE Publications
Berger J. (1972) Ways Of Seeing, London, Penguin Books
Miles S. (1998) Consumerism As A Way Of Life, London, SAGE Publications
Barnard M. (2005) Graphic Design As Communication, New York, Routeledge
Skaggs S. (2017) FireSigns: A Semiotic Theory for Graphic Design, Masseuses, MIT Press
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/ -nhs adverts centre
http://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2008.52 - obama hope national portrait gallery
Dresner S. (2002) The Principles of Sustainability, edition, London, Earthscan Publications
Heller S. Vienne V. (2003) Citizen Designer- Perspectives on Design Responsibility, edition, New York City, Skyhorse Publishing
Berman D. (2009) Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change The World, edition, Berkley, New Riders
McCormack L. (2005) Designers Are Wankers, edition, place, About Face Publishing
Whitely N. (1993) Design For Society, edition, London, Reaktion Books
Stephens S. Stephens A. (2009) The Big Book Of Green Design, edition, New York, Harper Collins
Bullock A. Walsh M. (2013) The Geen Design And Print Handbook, edition, Lewes, Ilex Press
Smart B. (2010) Consumer Society: Critical Issues And Environmental Consequences, edition, London, SAGE Publications
Berger J. (1972) Ways Of Seeing, London, Penguin Books
Miles S. (1998) Consumerism As A Way Of Life, London, SAGE Publications
Barnard M. (2005) Graphic Design As Communication, New York, Routeledge
Skaggs S. (2017) FireSigns: A Semiotic Theory for Graphic Design, Masseuses, MIT Press
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/ -nhs adverts centre
http://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.2008.52 - obama hope national portrait gallery
Thursday, 18 October 2018
COP3 PRACTICAL
With my essay question being 'Do Graphic Designers have a responsibility in the industry regarding 'Green Design' i had to create some sort of green design for the practical. This topic was too broad i needed to refine this to a specific type of graphic design. So i decided to do some research.
I looked into the Body Shop and Lush Cosmetics as examples of good green brands.
The Body Shop's branding uses natural colours relating to the ingredients of the cosmetics that are always based from natural ingredients. Their containers are also always recyclable in one way or another if that is the container being used for a secondary purpose by the customer or just by a recycling plant.
Lush Cosmetics brand themselves on on being cruelty free and using natural ingredients. Their branding has a handmade look with minimal colours. The containers are designed to be reused or recycled.
On the other side of the spectrum i looked at cheap cosmetic brands like Rimmel and MaxFactor, these companies work to particular fashion which come and go. Their products are encased in lots of plastic and other materials which cannot or don't get recycled, the products are usually used for a few months and then just thrown away. The products are also often tested on animals and cause harm in other ways other than just the environment.
Other brands that use green branding include:
Whole Foods Market- A supermarket stocking only organic naturally sourced products the products also use as minimal packaging as possible especially the fresh produce. They also have a salad bar where the containers are made from a pulpy cardboard that biodegrades very easily.
H&M Conscious Collection- H&M have a collection that uses sustainable eco friendly materials
Ecover- Eco friendly cleaning products based the brand fully around that fact and they have been going since the 1980's
Timberland- Timberland use recycled plastic bottles, sustainably sourced cotton, and renewable energy to make their shoes. they have also planted 10 million trees.
Patagonia- The brand prides itself on using sustainable materials and even though the clothes are expensive the are made to last and Patagonia even offer a free repair service so purchases can be kept for years and years.
I looked into the Body Shop and Lush Cosmetics as examples of good green brands.
The Body Shop's branding uses natural colours relating to the ingredients of the cosmetics that are always based from natural ingredients. Their containers are also always recyclable in one way or another if that is the container being used for a secondary purpose by the customer or just by a recycling plant.
Lush Cosmetics brand themselves on on being cruelty free and using natural ingredients. Their branding has a handmade look with minimal colours. The containers are designed to be reused or recycled.
On the other side of the spectrum i looked at cheap cosmetic brands like Rimmel and MaxFactor, these companies work to particular fashion which come and go. Their products are encased in lots of plastic and other materials which cannot or don't get recycled, the products are usually used for a few months and then just thrown away. The products are also often tested on animals and cause harm in other ways other than just the environment.
Other brands that use green branding include:
Whole Foods Market- A supermarket stocking only organic naturally sourced products the products also use as minimal packaging as possible especially the fresh produce. They also have a salad bar where the containers are made from a pulpy cardboard that biodegrades very easily.
H&M Conscious Collection- H&M have a collection that uses sustainable eco friendly materials
Ecover- Eco friendly cleaning products based the brand fully around that fact and they have been going since the 1980's
Timberland- Timberland use recycled plastic bottles, sustainably sourced cotton, and renewable energy to make their shoes. they have also planted 10 million trees.
Patagonia- The brand prides itself on using sustainable materials and even though the clothes are expensive the are made to last and Patagonia even offer a free repair service so purchases can be kept for years and years.
RATIONALE
For my COP3 Proposal presentation i presented my rationale to my tutors and peers along with my essay question. The feedback i received was that i should change the question sightly to make it ring better to: Do Graphic Designers have a responsibility in the industry regarding Green Design?
My Rationale conveyed the theories i want to explore along with my question to bring it all together, i received positive feedback and they were happy with the amount of research i had conducted so far. It lead nicely on to the practical side of my work.
My Rationale conveyed the theories i want to explore along with my question to bring it all together, i received positive feedback and they were happy with the amount of research i had conducted so far. It lead nicely on to the practical side of my work.
FURTHER RESEARCH
The big Book of Green Design- Suzanna Stephens
this book has an introduction by Eric Benson and then continues on to showing examples of green designs of different measures all of which i found extremely boring and not as design forward as i was hoping they would be. Although the designs weren't useful to me, i found the introduction much more beneficial and i got some good quotes highlighting the importance of green design.
"Simply defined, the practice of green design conserves natural resources, reduces energy consumption, cuts solid waste, and minimises the ecological footprint of a project. Green design is a better way of creating. By itself, it cannot solve the environmental issues facing our civilisation but it is an effective first step towards changing habits, behaviours, and the means with which we imagine ourselves and the economy."
"Historically, artefacts that are beautiful and satisfy the clients criteria have been deemed 'good graphic design.' But it has become painfully clear that the standards defining good design must be updated."
The Green Design and Print Production Handbook- Adrian Bullock
The book has very useful sections on different parts of green design such as; Global context, Environmental concerns, getting an eco-freindly workflow, ensuring you buy green raw materials, green practices, transport and travel and the future. I like the fact that this book discusses in depth the motivations for going green
"Becoming environmentally aware, and doing environmentally friendly things is a gradual process, and it doesn't happen overnight. You don't have to do everything at once, and not all your products necessarily lend themselves to being printed on recycled paper, in small quantities, in far flung corners corners of the globe. Starting with a few titles, and going from there is a good start; and, at least, it is a step in the right direction."
Why should you care?
"Every day we are confronted by evidence, in the press and in our working lives, that there is an increasing pressure on the worlds natural resources; this pressure on resources comes from population increases and high levels of consumption."
-Population growth
-Deforestation
-Biodiversity loss
-Climate Change
-Water shortages
-Forestry
-Carbon
Consumer Society- Barry Smart
"The identification of consumer activity, the pursuit and purchase of comodities and services as constituting and virtual duty, as embodying a 'moral doctrine', as articulated with 'freedom, power, and happiness', and as signifying 'the good life', is integral to the political economy of a form of life that requires a continual cultivation of new markets and a parallel perpetual (re)generation of consumer demand. The several 'meanings' Distinguished are the inextricably inter-connected moral, social, economic, and political dimentions of consumer culture, of consumerism as a way of life that has become global, 'natural', quite simply the way the world is though to be and cannot be imagined otherwise." p7
"Commercial corporations following an economic logic of market expansion and market creation, extending their operations to become transnational enterprises producing and/or promoting global brands, have contributed significantly to the global diffusion of consumerism, as have the growing number of advertising agencies, marketing organisations, and communications media that have become the creators and bearers of commodity sign values and promoters of brand identities" p8
"Global brands have successfully penetrated local cultures and enticed people around the world to consume this or that commodity by generating persuasive and appealing promotional lines and marketing messages..." p8
"Population growth, increasing industrialisation, and rising manufacturing productivity in the course of the nineteenth century, along with enhanced mobility associated with developments in transportation, and enhanced mobility associated with developments in transportation, and rapid urbanisation that transformed many market towns into developing cosmopolitan cities, provided the context for the emergence cities, provided the context for the of a distinctive consumer culture. " p16
"The circumstances in which consumers now exercise their choices include a range of concerns expressed about the potentially damaging impact of consumerism on individuals and communities, as well as worries about the environmental sustainability of an increasingly materialistic way of life wich has been producing increasing quantities of waste, rapidly depleting scarce resources, and contributing significantly to global climate change." p34
this book has an introduction by Eric Benson and then continues on to showing examples of green designs of different measures all of which i found extremely boring and not as design forward as i was hoping they would be. Although the designs weren't useful to me, i found the introduction much more beneficial and i got some good quotes highlighting the importance of green design.
"Simply defined, the practice of green design conserves natural resources, reduces energy consumption, cuts solid waste, and minimises the ecological footprint of a project. Green design is a better way of creating. By itself, it cannot solve the environmental issues facing our civilisation but it is an effective first step towards changing habits, behaviours, and the means with which we imagine ourselves and the economy."
"Historically, artefacts that are beautiful and satisfy the clients criteria have been deemed 'good graphic design.' But it has become painfully clear that the standards defining good design must be updated."
The Green Design and Print Production Handbook- Adrian Bullock
The book has very useful sections on different parts of green design such as; Global context, Environmental concerns, getting an eco-freindly workflow, ensuring you buy green raw materials, green practices, transport and travel and the future. I like the fact that this book discusses in depth the motivations for going green
"Becoming environmentally aware, and doing environmentally friendly things is a gradual process, and it doesn't happen overnight. You don't have to do everything at once, and not all your products necessarily lend themselves to being printed on recycled paper, in small quantities, in far flung corners corners of the globe. Starting with a few titles, and going from there is a good start; and, at least, it is a step in the right direction."
Why should you care?
"Every day we are confronted by evidence, in the press and in our working lives, that there is an increasing pressure on the worlds natural resources; this pressure on resources comes from population increases and high levels of consumption."
-Population growth
-Deforestation
-Biodiversity loss
-Climate Change
-Water shortages
-Forestry
-Carbon
Consumer Society- Barry Smart
"The identification of consumer activity, the pursuit and purchase of comodities and services as constituting and virtual duty, as embodying a 'moral doctrine', as articulated with 'freedom, power, and happiness', and as signifying 'the good life', is integral to the political economy of a form of life that requires a continual cultivation of new markets and a parallel perpetual (re)generation of consumer demand. The several 'meanings' Distinguished are the inextricably inter-connected moral, social, economic, and political dimentions of consumer culture, of consumerism as a way of life that has become global, 'natural', quite simply the way the world is though to be and cannot be imagined otherwise." p7
"Commercial corporations following an economic logic of market expansion and market creation, extending their operations to become transnational enterprises producing and/or promoting global brands, have contributed significantly to the global diffusion of consumerism, as have the growing number of advertising agencies, marketing organisations, and communications media that have become the creators and bearers of commodity sign values and promoters of brand identities" p8
"Global brands have successfully penetrated local cultures and enticed people around the world to consume this or that commodity by generating persuasive and appealing promotional lines and marketing messages..." p8
"Population growth, increasing industrialisation, and rising manufacturing productivity in the course of the nineteenth century, along with enhanced mobility associated with developments in transportation, and enhanced mobility associated with developments in transportation, and rapid urbanisation that transformed many market towns into developing cosmopolitan cities, provided the context for the emergence cities, provided the context for the of a distinctive consumer culture. " p16
"The circumstances in which consumers now exercise their choices include a range of concerns expressed about the potentially damaging impact of consumerism on individuals and communities, as well as worries about the environmental sustainability of an increasingly materialistic way of life wich has been producing increasing quantities of waste, rapidly depleting scarce resources, and contributing significantly to global climate change." p34
FINAL ESSAY QUESTION
The majority of my research so far has been based around Design Responsibility and Ethics in Design but i needed to choose a specific topic in this field to be more specific. After reading Design for Society by Nigel Whiteley i was really interested in Green design and thought the subject had a lot of scope for both my written and practical elements of COP3. So after having a tutorial and presenting my ideas to my peers i have decided on my question.
Do Graphic Designers have a responsibility in the industry regarding Green Design?
COP3 SUMMER RESEARCH
At the end of last term i submitted a context of practice proposal highlighting what i wanted to do for the COP3 module. I chose to focus my research on the ethics of design and design responsibility but had not decided a specific question at that point. I received some feedback on my original proposal. Over the summer i read a number of books relating to the topic...
No Logo- Naomi Klein
The book brought up some key issues that i found interesting and could be pursued further, these included; Plagiarism Capitalism and corporate greed, Barbra Kruger, Cultural appropriation in advertising, Steriotypes, Gender, Cult Brands, Ideology, Neutral Design, Superbrands, advertising in unethical places, Sweatshops, Anti-corporate activism. I realised from this book that if something is cheap the cost is in something else. Overall the book has showed me to look at branding and how super brands are greedy and not often ethical.
The Principles of Sustainability- Simon Dresner
This book was specifically about sustainability in terms of economies and multinational companies, but some things i learnt while reading it could be related back to Graphic Design. I have learnt that its hard to be sustainable and make money
"We can try to be sustainable or we can pursue the free market, but we cant do both. Unfortunately, the failure of socialism has not only been seen to discredit its original ethical principles, but it has also revealed just how difficult it is to consciously take hold of the direction of humanity history or even to successfully manage society."
Citizen Designer- Perspectives on Design Responsibility- Edited by Stephen Heller
Citizen Designer has lots of perspectives from different people most of whom are successful practicing Graphic Designers. It was an interesting read and cemented my idea to focus on design responsibility as i have realised it is an important issue that i had never really considered in my designs before. It's not about money in Design its more than that and karma comes into play.
"Design is about two things: creating beauty and fulfilling our destiny as humans to make things better. Trying to make our environment more pleasant than it is naturally drives human progress."
"Although the statement that plagiarism is bad because it violates our ethics may seem tautological, it is in some ways the most satisfying argument. Defining Ethics as a cultural construct that need to be swallowed whole is not they same thing as claiming morality to be arbitrary. Plagiarism is an ethical question and not necessarily a moral one."
No Logo- Naomi Klein
The book brought up some key issues that i found interesting and could be pursued further, these included; Plagiarism Capitalism and corporate greed, Barbra Kruger, Cultural appropriation in advertising, Steriotypes, Gender, Cult Brands, Ideology, Neutral Design, Superbrands, advertising in unethical places, Sweatshops, Anti-corporate activism. I realised from this book that if something is cheap the cost is in something else. Overall the book has showed me to look at branding and how super brands are greedy and not often ethical.
"Scott Bedbury, Starbucks’ vice president of marketing, openly recognised that “consumers don’t truly believe there’s a huge difference between products,” which is why brands must “establish emotional ties” with their customers"
The Principles of Sustainability- Simon Dresner
This book was specifically about sustainability in terms of economies and multinational companies, but some things i learnt while reading it could be related back to Graphic Design. I have learnt that its hard to be sustainable and make money
"We can try to be sustainable or we can pursue the free market, but we cant do both. Unfortunately, the failure of socialism has not only been seen to discredit its original ethical principles, but it has also revealed just how difficult it is to consciously take hold of the direction of humanity history or even to successfully manage society."
Citizen Designer- Perspectives on Design Responsibility- Edited by Stephen Heller
Citizen Designer has lots of perspectives from different people most of whom are successful practicing Graphic Designers. It was an interesting read and cemented my idea to focus on design responsibility as i have realised it is an important issue that i had never really considered in my designs before. It's not about money in Design its more than that and karma comes into play.
"Design is about two things: creating beauty and fulfilling our destiny as humans to make things better. Trying to make our environment more pleasant than it is naturally drives human progress."
"Although the statement that plagiarism is bad because it violates our ethics may seem tautological, it is in some ways the most satisfying argument. Defining Ethics as a cultural construct that need to be swallowed whole is not they same thing as claiming morality to be arbitrary. Plagiarism is an ethical question and not necessarily a moral one."
"One could argue that the greatest harm caused by shoplifting or burglary is not the loss of the property stolen but the damage to the self-development, karma or soul of the thief, or to the unwitting receiver of the stolen goods who has been duped into participation in crime, or society as a whole."
Do Good Design- How Design Can Change the World- David B. Berman
This book taught me about the power we have as designers and how we need to focus on using this for the greater good. The book didn't really give me anything specific to tie my research down though, it was mainly just stuff i had already found out.
"Designers have far more power than they realise. Their creativity fuels the most efficient (and most destructive) tools of deception in human history."
Designers are Wankers- Lee McCormack
Yet again i found this book a bit of a pointless read and it has made me realise that i need to refine my question more and step back from design responsibility as a whole as it is to broad.
Design is an important job. Being a designer means that we can influence people’s lives even if is in incidental ways that we don’t give much thought to.
Design for Society- Nigel Whitley
There is a chapter on Green Design which i found really interesting and i realised is the perfect thing for me to home my question in. The chapter talks about the 1980's and the rise of the 'green consumer' along with charities like greenpeace. It mentions companies like body shop and Ecover that base their brand around green.
"Good design helps communicate ideas and sell products…the emergence of the “green consumer” is simply a matter of time. Increasingly (some) companies …seek to ensure that their products are not only environmentally acceptable- but pick up sales because of it."
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