Can Design Be The Solution?

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I didn't realize what an honor it was to have Nathan Shedroff as a guest speaker for our lecture yesterday until one of the coordinators rambled on continuously for a few minutes of his accomplishments, published books, and honors. His presentation was entertaining, insightful, thought-provoking, and witty. After his hour-long lecture, I was left with a much better understanding of how the instinctual selfish nature of humans has caused many of the global problems we are currently battling.

The crisp, clean graphics present in Shedroff's slides communicate clearly and serve their purpose within the lecture. The photos he used to illustrate the different kinds of worlds were definitely an eye-opener, portraying the different ways other countries have dealt with problems concerning sustainability and post-consumerism. The comparison he visually made using these images speak for themselves. Even though Cuba might be the most sustainable nation, Shedroff places a heavy emphasis on the word "most," because no nation has achieved complete sustainability. Such a concept seems improbable, with designers pushed by business to continually create for consumers who never say "no." His following slides list design strategies that designers should consider and put into practice when creating, to attain the most sustainable product possible. The four key terms he uses are "Reduce," "Reuse," "Recycle," and "Restore." While most of his slides were self-explanatory, or meant for the reader to interpret, examine, and distinguish on their own, it was ultimately Shedroff's explanations that closed the gap between partial perception and complete comprehension.

For more information, here is Nathan Shedroff's presentation, Design Is The Problem.