Sustainable Design

This is just a reflection back to what happened today in the NID auditorium.

When Prof. Helmut Langer was presenting on sustainability, i was thinking globally, many things or issues are raised for human mankinds benefits and rights..... but there have been very less inputs education wise from an institution which can be a backbone of such preservations. i mean why arent classroom design projects/ sessions being considered as seriously, why leave just at a system level study... (as for the product design batch at NID) wouldnt applications and real life situations create more importance to subjects like sustainability.

We are knowledgable about eco-design, sustainable design, recycling....but are these just mere words that we hear and dont react upon. Do we have a planet friendly approach towards things we use? Is it because of emerging lifestyle patterns that we overuse earths resources?

Why arent public places such as bus stops, railway stations, etc... sponsored by corporates used for putting up signages or posters on such issues, i feel such areas are the best place/ areas to display public concerns about such issues. Wwhy arent students at school level and at diff levels of education taught how to preserve/ conserve/ recycle/ sustain design solutions in their products or communication mediums.

I am reflecting with such thoughts only because as a student of graphic design we are taught the tools like typography, colour, form, etc.....but i see none of such subjects influenced unless a person in such an area is introduced/ or shows us the importance. We cant do our research without a pen or paper when both consume so many natural resources, we depend largely on the internet for our learning. So where is sustainabilty in the picture? How much can we conserve? How many times? Is it going to affect for good? Will it create the impact?

In INDIA, cars with "euro" factor are in production, paper produced by recycled paper are used, clothes made of banana peel are manufactured, CNG gas is used for household...... but our INDIAN culture has enough and too many to offer. why do we have to depend on western influence. As a kid i always loved to sleep on a cowdung floor with just a soft "godhadi"(bedding/ kind of a thick blanket) it used to be so soothening. Isn't cycling more fun than getting stuck in traffic jams in a car. But our indegenious designs do have many answers but the question is are we really ready to adapt to them. In the south or even parts of maharashtra, coconut tree is a good example... every part is used to produced some products, used as a roof, used as a fruit, fuel, robes, etc.... khadi as the best clothing for indian climatic conditions....but are we wearing it, do we like it.

Retail design is a growing business, eco-design is booming, country's culture is getting less importance, crafts being explored, ideas being generated.... but where is all this heading. are we aware of what its going to cost us...financially and socially..... imagine a few years back (in INDIA) nobody thought of paying money for drinking water........ but today we buy aquafina and bisleri and pay for water......WHAT NEXT IS THE QUESTION?

Though all the possible changes do demand a change in system ecological, economical, social, human rights, cultural, etc......need to be addressed for a sustainable design to be functional for a longer period of time. we have one planet called the EARTH........ a small quantity of resources left.... and a growing population.... insnt this enough to tell you where we are headed.