The Designers Accord

The Latest

February 17th, 2012

Mata Gets Sticky With Good Job Creative

When start-up homeware design company Mata needed a brand identity along with a branding collateral system they turned to Good Job Creative Studio for a sustainable solution. Instead of producing separately printed business cards, letterheads, comp slips, envelopes, etc, the Good Job folks created information stickers on recycled paper that could be applied to any object and surface. Their sticky solution maintains a consistent company identity across any application and reflects the sustainable design ethos of the client.

Check out the full solution on Good Job’s site!

February 15th, 2012

Sustainable Lessons from around the World – 2 designers 4 months 8 countries

Paula Raché and Aart van Bezooyen are two designers traveling around the world in search for sustainable solutions in materials and design. Imagine skateboards and bicycles made of bamboo, online tools for more sustainable packaging, a new educational concept called Green School for children, and locals sharing ideas on sustainability with Green Drinks. After an exiting first four months in eight different countries it is time to look back and share what they have learned so far. While still on the “It’s Not Easy Being Green”-Tour, Paula and Aart are preparing a book, highlighting sustainable lessons learned traveling the world.

Check out the great adventure on their site!

February 1st, 2012

2011 Sustainability in 7 video series

The aim of the Designers Accord Sustainability in 7 was to publish a digestible and accessible video series authored by leading thinkers and practitioners about the most interesting topics related to sustainability. The video series ran on Core77 throughout the month of April 2011, leading up to Earth Day.

This bite-sized professional education series delivering a daily dose of sustainability inspiration was the first of its kind.

Check out all the videos here at designersaccord.org/videos or on core77.com/sustainabilityin7!

January 30th, 2012

Commitment Required: The Social Design Job Market on March 1, 2012

There has been an unprecedented surge of interest in the field of design for social impact, or as it has become known – social design. Designers are looking for ways in which to incorporate more meaningful social change work into their practices. This event will explore how designers can create opportunities for themselves to expand into this emerging field.

Thursday March 1, 2012, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
School of Visual Arts Amphitheater
New York, NY 10010

For more information and to register
http://impact.sva.edu/blog/commitment-required-march-1-2012/

Free to the public but space is limited so register early!

January 30th, 2012

Designers Accord Town Hall London Recap

The second UK Designers Accord Town Hall was held on January 19 at The Design Council offices in London. The event was organised and facilitated by Engage by Design, with sponsorship from The Design Council Challenges Team. People from different industries and ages came together to explore the theme of Social Innovation and what we can do to insure its success. Six speakers delivered fantastic and thought-provoking presentations, and then all the attendees participated in breakout brainstorming sessions.

Read the whole post on Core77!

January 4th, 2012

FREITAG: The Original Gets Better

In 1993, two graphic designers, the brothers Markus and Daniel Freitag, looked for a functional, watertight, and robust bag for their designs. Inspired by the multicolored heavy traffic that hummed through the Zurich transit intersection in front of their flat, they designed a Messenger Bag made of old truck tarpaulins, used cycle inner tubes and car seat belts. This is how the first FREITAG bags took shape in the lounge of their shared flat – each one a unique item. Unintentionally, the brothers set off a new wave in the bag world. Yesterday, today and tomorrow: FREITAG bags are designed, cut and packaged in Zurich.

Learn more on the site, and check out the new FREITAG styles

December 16th, 2011

Spool: Grain’s 100% Upcycled Wall System

Designed by Bainbridge Island, WA-based Grain, Spool is a build-it-yourself modular system that can be assembled into a variety of freestanding structures such as screens, table bases or partitions. To fabricate, Grain partnered with a non-profit that sources used materials from various production facilities in Southern California. Made from used thread spools upcycled from the Los Angeles apparel industry and connectors die-cut from 100% post-consumer chipboard, each spool has a random graphic pattern that indicates which type of fiber they once held.

Check out the awesome Spool animation!

December 8th, 2011

Bresselergroup Reinvents the Reel

Philadelphia-based Bresslergroup recently re-imagined that workhorse of the industrial manufacturing sector– the wire/cable reel. High shipping costs make old-school spools impractical to send back for re-use. By contrast, Bresslergroup’s elegant Evolution shipping reel is designed specifically for re-use in a closed-loop supply chain system. The 100% recyclable core is made of two interlocking half-circles that is easy to dis-assemble and store. Evolution reels require 70% less storage space than comparable rigid spools and their multi-use cuts down on landfill waste by about 10x.

Learn more about the project here

November 30th, 2011

Impeccable design with sustainability from Pentagram

Pentagram partner Harry Pearce and his team have designed the 2011 D&AD Annual, the organization’s most sustainably produced annual to date. From the outer carton and the cover that celebrates the wonderful graphic illusion and quality of the original D&AD mark, to the exquise detailing in the book, the D&AD Annual is a pure study in impeccable design, high quality, and environmental consciousness.

Read more about the D&AD Annual on the Pentagram site