Why speaking about sustainability isn’t easy for me
In a few weeks, I’ll be speaking with Marc Alt and Brian Dougherty at Science World, for a GDC event called Practivism. I’m always flattered to be invited to such events; I’m equally uncomfortable by the prospect. Part of this stems from the fact that I’m trying to be more sustainable, but far from successful in doing so; moreover, I simply wish that there were better options out there than me.
Marc and Brian have both made sustainability the focus of their work. Marc’s a regular speaker on design circuits and he’s the most well-read individual on the topic that I’ve met. Brian has an amazing ability to contextualize the need for more sustainable choices in design, and he’s been doing so in his practice for many years now. I really admire what he stands for and how well he presents his thoughts.
Me? I’m a mess. I love buying things but feel great guilt when I do so. I have moral debates on whether I should return a meal that wasn’t what I asked for, knowing that it will be wasted. (Yesterday I accidentally poured orange juice into my cereal instead of soy-milk. I ate it instead of tossing it down the drain, even though it was really rather foul.) I fly to speak at design conferences where I ask people to be better about what they do; nevertheless, I’m flying, which has a negative impact.
I have tons of questions, a scant few answers, a good helping of guilt, and a general discomfort with the notion that anyone would take what I say as being somehow relevant.
That being said, as one of the creators of Design Can Change, I’m often asked to lend my voice to this discussion, and I’d think it rude to not do so. What I’ve found in sharing my thoughts is that my predicament is shared by many others. We all want to do better, but struggle with the complexity of the choices at hand. Perhaps that’s why I continue to be involved in such discussions; my struggles are understandable because they hit so close to home for others.
But what “drives me crazy” is that we’re in the midst of perhaps the greatest threat humankind has ever faced, and the voices around it are still few and far between. Politicians are ready to use this hot-topic as a platform and car companies are happy to use it as a marketing device. Everyone’s ready to package-up “green”, but at what point do we simply see it for what it is: a great threat that we need to deal with swiftly and aggressively. Why do we need to sell it? Shouldn’t we all feel dirty when others try to capitalize upon it?
We need more voices on this topic, and we need them now. And wouldn’t it be nice if their motivations for doing so were in our common interest?
I saw you speak in Boston @ How on the same topic, and your candor and honesty play well to the topic I think. You admit these things, which humanizes the idea for the audience. It makes everyone feel more comfortable and engaged, more as if they are being speaking with a peer, than an expert. You were by far the best speaker at How from that aspect. You spelled out the ideas of how to approach things with clients from an green aspect through the whole stage. How to change our thinking in hopes of changing our clients’.
I saw you speak at HOW on this same topic and I thought it was by far the best presentation. You admit to these faults, which makes it feel more as speaking with a peer and not an expert from the audiences’ perspective. I think it makes it more impact, at least from my standpoint. I tend to gloss over if I feel I am being spoken at, or down to. You didn’t do that at all, infact, I was terribly engaged. “Wow I do these exact same things.” I definitely approach the idea of final media much differently now. It is easy to proof off 10 or 12 things but then you realize how much of an impact that makes over the course of a year. We can better present our clients’ with an idea that surely didn’t think of through our expertise and understanding.
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your comment! I appreciate it, and it’s really great to receive notes like this. :-)
I often feel as though I should begin talks with a disclaimer of sorts. Perhaps something along the lines of: “I’m just as guilty as everyone else and I’m not telling you what to do.” I think we’re all pretty much on the same page with this. None of us want to be part of the problem, but the solution is often hard to put one’s finger on.
In my mind, that’s the great part about conferences and such–they serve as a good way for everyone to exchange ideas. I generally find that the best part is at the end of the “talk” when people just start to toss around different ideas. (Or, at the party afterward, when everyone tosses around different ideas with beer.)
For example, the notion of washing one’s clothes less: It’s a simple idea that few of us think about much, but when you think about it, makes total sense. Few of us work in settings where our clothing actually becomes that dirty over the course of a day. Washing these articles as much as we all do seems to be less about cleanliness and more a result of conditioning from ads that have told us to do so.
This example may seem like a really small thing, but I like the idea of small changes that make a difference when implemented collectively. We just need ways to exchange these ideas so that we don’t all feel as though we’re forced to shoulder the burden all on our own.
All the best!
Eric
If you haven’t done so already, read John Grant’s “Green Marketing Manifesto.” Great ideas about how to make “green” an imperative for clients.
One of the great things about being a studio owner is the ability to decide what kinds of clients you want. At happy, inc. we strive to work with clients who have a “sustainable” quality – be it environmental, social, or financial. We also aim to work with local talent, bike to work, use non-VOC paints in office remodels, get involved in local design events, and help build the local community. There’s still a lot to do! But by leading by example we can accomplish a lot.
None of us will ever be 100% sustainable, but as long as we’re working to do better I think we’re on the right track.
Thanks for the suggestion Stacy–I’ll put it on order! :-)
The best part is that your heart is in the right place. By sharing your struggle and contradicting challenges of the design industry you’re making other people think about this and, inevitably, making other people care as much as you do to find easier solutions.
It’s about spreading knowledge but also spreading the will to demand more, to demand a better option. i love that you’re not afraid to admit the challenge of it all. it’s difficult but bit by bit… the landscape is changing and more and more people are considering their impact because of inspirations from people like you. kudos.
..given the first couple of comments above, I wish I had been in Boston @ HOW — your choice in approach really struck a nerve..i think the notion of listening to a ‘peer’ can be very motivational in settings such as conferences — way to go. About 10 years ago, in my ‘previous life’, I was with a firm that, in part, positioned its services under the ’sustainability’ banner (but not in an attempt to just jump on the bandwagon.) I believe that, from a consumer level, it’s inspiring when our sustainable activities can be equated to a real positive effect that will inspire us to do even more. Maybe it’s part of the overall challenge — because we want everything so immediately (i.e., now!) these days, sustainable practices that don’t “give” that immediate positive impact that people can really connect with, well, maybe it pushes them to procrastinate ..hmmmm …