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Sustainability Series The Living Principles for Design
NOTE: This event has already passed. Please check the events page for upcoming local events.
Event Review
Gena Larson
The audience—a balanced mix of environment-aficionados, inquisitive professionals and students in need of extra-credit—began the evening with a friendly and energetic round of socializing before the presenters took the stage.
Between the two speakers a sliding scale of sustainable design emerged, spanning from immediately actionable steps to a “think wrong” reconfiguration of the design profession.
In an accessible and passionate tone, educator and designer Eric Benson discussed how upcoming students would interact with and learn sustainability. He began with the roadblocks: not many instructors exist who can teach sustainability, and it isn’t included in program policy. “Sustainability is a value— do you care about others?” Benson explained. The task, which does not fit into a semester, is to make it a student value.
John Harris, writer and co-founder at A5, took the discussion from a broad worldview and focused it on a personal vignette: his grandmother. She lived sustainably, not traveling far, growing food in a garden and raising animals. “But we have forgotten about this quality of life,” Harris argued. The affinity for simplicity carried into his work that exemplified how projects can be approached and completed more sustainably.
The Q&A session included a variety of questions ranging from the broad “Can we defend beauty as designers?” to specific project inquiries. The outgoing messages were simple: engage with other professions, use the skills we have, and become passionate.
Event Overview
Everyone in the creative community can benefit from positive cultural change—and a recently developed framework is intended to catalyze just that. The Living Principles for Design distills the four streams of sustainability – environment, people, economy, and culture – into a roadmap that is understandable, integrated, and most importantly, actionable. Designers, business leaders, and educators can use The Living Principles to guide every decision, every day.
On October 20, join us for an open discussion led by local sustainability-focused design professionals who have incorporated the Living Principles into their practice. Participants can share their thoughts, have their questions answered, and learn how their efforts and The Living Principles can help move our culture toward a sustainable society.
The event will feature speakers who will share everyday actions that attendees can implement in their own practices. Presentations will be short but impactful, leaving ample time for dialogue and participation. As the event draws nearer, registered participants will have the chance to post questions in advance, allowing presenters to prepare for the dialogue to come.
About The Living Principles
Developed under the guidance of the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design, The Living Principles were officially unveiled at the AIGA Design Conference in Memphis in October 2009. In June 2010, a new online community was launched at www.livingprinciples.org to provide members of the global creative community with a place to co-create, share and showcase best practices. Its ongoing development is dependent on the contributions of the design community at large.
Eric Benson
Eric Benson is an award-winning designer, educator at the University of Illinois, published author, activist and international speaker on sustainable design theory and practice. Through his work on Re-nourish.com, Benson advocates for increased awareness and action towards sustainable systems thinking in the graphic design community. He believes that by extending the scope of our profession and employing empathy for the people we design with, graphic design will have the power to help create more meaningful economic and social change.
Eric Benson is an award-winning designer, educator at the University of Illinois, published author, activist and international speaker on sustainable design theory and practice. Through his work on Re-nourish.com, Benson advocates for increased awareness and action towards sustainable systems thinking in the graphic design community. He believes that by extending the scope of our profession and employing empathy for the people we design with, graphic design will have the power to help create more meaningful economic and social change.
John Harris, Principal, a5
John Harris is a co-founder of a5, a brand consultancy that works to tell its clients' stories in a clear, consistent and compelling manner. While a5 works across all media and in such diverse markets as healthcare, financial services and non-profits, Harris's focus is on working to create healthy, sustainable communities. a5 created and co-produces GreenTown: The Future of Community, a one-day experience that brings the private sector together with the public sector to plan, create and implement sustainability efforts. With its partner Seven Generations Ahead, a5 has held eight GreenTown events around the Midwest, which has led to a5's involvement in community branding, community sustainability planning and team-ups with planning firms to produce and market comprehensive community plans.
Harris will talk about a5's journey toward sustainability and the role design plays in helping communities thrive.
Ticket Proceeds
Ticket proceeds will be donated to The Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy for its work protecting fresh water and to charity: water, a Mohawk Fine Papers partnership to help bring clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.
Ticket proceeds will be donated to The Illinois Chapter of The Nature Conservancy for its work protecting fresh water and to charity: water, a Mohawk Fine Papers partnership to help bring clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations.
We encourage you to visit the Design for a Living World exhibition at The Field Museum and the complementary photo essay in Millennium Park, both on display until November 13.
Presenting Sponsor
As the Presenting Sponsor of The Living Principles for Design — the online community for sustainability — Mohawk Fine Papers underscores their commitment to responsibility in all aspects of design and business.
AIGA Chicago will be raffling of 2 copies of Design for a Living World Exhibition Book to registered attendees. The book was edited by Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller and designed by Abbott Miller and Kristen Spilman, Pentagram.
After the Event
Drinks and conversation will continue after the event at Elephant & Castle.
185 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60601
AIGA Chicago thanks event chair and chapter member, Lisa Lim, for planning this event.
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