Over summer I came across an article in the June edition of Computer Arts, written by Nat Hunter (founding director of Airside), it explains how sustainability should be a core building block of design, rather than it being an option. My undergraduate dissertation was essentially what this article is about. I looked into whether the designer can provide a role in a sustainable future, but I first had to look into the current relationship within design and sustainability, and how this has changed over time.
The ‘T-Shape Designer’ originated from IDEO, an international design firm and innovation consultancy. There are two sections of ‘T-Shape’; the vertical and horizontal line. The vertical line represents the specific area of in which the designer focuses on, for myself this would be Graphic Design. The horizontal stoke visualises a broader perspective about how designs fits into the rest of the world. The horizontal line can change in shape, it can shorten or grow, depending on your progress as a designer. The point that Nat was trying to get across in her article was that a sustainable methodology should be an integral part to the vertical line, and thus designers would generally be more sustainable.
During my three years studying BA (Hons) Graphic Design, sustainability is something that has gradually become part of my study. Opportunities have been limited, but it is an issue which has never been brought up, which should be mandatory for a design degree. On the contrary, some universities have recently developed courses that focus on sustainable design. I would like to think that all of my future projects would have sustainable elements in them. My MA in Design will provide a building block and opportunity to possibly study Sustainable design further.