Project Description: The East End GreenFest is a 2 day outdoor festival celebrating the latest green solutions in a fun and informative setting in Mattituck, NY.

Role: Freelance Art Director & Designer, May – present 2009
East End GreenFest contacted me to lead design efforts in launching their new brand and new event, and advise on communications via social media.
• brand identity
• festival poster
• advisement on social media communications

Please visit my LinkedIn profile for full resume.

I was given an early copy of the book, The Think Big Manifesto, by Michael Port. I’m about half way through and it reminds me of two other books that I find myself referencing when I feel a little lost, overwhelmed or anxious about change: The Power of Now and The Four Agreements. All these books have something in common, which is basically… you are in charge of your happiness, satisfaction, career, life and you are your own worst critic.

I’ve arrived at the spot in the book that says to “Stand for something, and make that public”. So here goes:

I stand for a conscious effort to behave in a way that is kind to our planet, and my goal is to use my design expertise to educate people and design tools to achieve actual green living.

There, I said it. Now what?

My hope is to connect with people, organizations and companies that also stand for that. And through these connections I will bring the value of design to help solve the right problems.

Photo: Living Room by Miss Jenny on Flickr

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Dieter Rams is most well known for his work as chief of design at Braun from  1961 – 1998. Many of his coffee makers, calculators, radios and consumer electronics have had a lasting impact on today’s product design including Jonathan Ive’s work at Apple. In the early 1980′s he published his design principles which then became known as the 10 Commandments of Design. These principles are themselves a wonderful example of good design – consise, thoughtful, clean. They have withstood the test of time and remain more relevant than ever. How are we designers doing, according to this list?

Good design is innovative

Good design makes a product useful

Good design is aesthetic

Good design makes a product understandable

Good design  is unobtrusive

Good design is honest

Good design has longevity

Good design is consistent down to the last detail

Good design is environmentally friendly

Good design is as little design as possible

I am sitting in my living room in Vancouver, BC right now and I see several products that fit most of what Rams defines as good design: Sig water bottle, eames chair, iphone, stainless steel dog bowl, bamboo coasters. Out my window I can see several ‘living roofs”. I think designers today can have the biggest positive impact when they aim to develop new products that acheive the 9th principle: Good design is environmentally friendly.

UPDATE 05/06/09: I just saw the Gary Hustwit film Objectified last night in Vancouver and was super stoked to see Dieter Rams and the commandments featured. The audience Q&A also seemed really focused on the eco responsibility of designers. I found a podcast of a Q&A session from another screening, listen here.