Thinkerbelle » sustainability http://www.thinkerbelle.me Fri, 23 Jul 2010 06:13:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Sustaethics http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/05/sustaethics/ http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/05/sustaethics/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 16:40:00 +0000 Thas http://www.adthoughtspot.com/2009/05/sustaethics/

So if you follow this blog, you’ll know that I love these new fangled terms that pop up in well, popular culture. My latest obsession is the idea of sustaethics-new category of artfully designed products coupled with sustainable materials and/or building processes. Ever since the “green movement” began, there has been talk of how this movement was about more than just being a “crunchy” green–I hate the phrase, but I’ll use it here — “birkenstock wearing tree huggers” (and for the record I have owned birkenstocks and come rather close to hugging trees), this iteration of the movement has been decidedly modern and I daresay, stylish.


Alfredo Häberli has worked for companies like Alias, Camper and Kvadrat and is able to blend – as his name implies – two very different cultures. Born in Argentina, he now works and lives in Zürich, has designed some great pieces of sustainable furniture. His simple designs are not gratuitous, overly designed pieces, rather have a unique and simple feel that have a really honest, yet luxurious feel to them.

“For me, sustainability is to create designs that are fun and honest. Thoughtful, expressive design has always been sustainable… Switzerland used to be considered boring because of its careful, eco-conscious culture. Now this is sexy!”

Source: http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2009/05/08-bmw-design-talk-villa-d-este-2009/

]]> http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/05/sustaethics/feed/ 0 Green…the next generation http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/04/green-the-next-generation/ http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/04/green-the-next-generation/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:12:00 +0000 Thas http://www.adthoughtspot.com/2009/04/green-the-next-generation/
Green is the new black. Green Chic. Feel like a trend? Just a bit.

Thankfully, the era of faux-green is starting to fade away as the economy sinks lower and those who had the extra cash to, ahem, “care” are now finding themselves (gasp!) cutting coupons, we are getting back to the roots of sustainability. Sustainability is inherently linked to creative thought, whether it’s recycling/reusing things in innovative new ways or creating new ways to power the nation-sustainability is about being smarter, not flashier.

So what is the next big green? We’ve recycled, it’s time for reuse. In interesting MEANINGFUL ways. Like this amazing tape deconstruction. Symbolic and (in a small way) being sustainable. Other things like services that create teddy bears out of your old treasured sweaters. Brilliant. There are things we don’t ever want to let go of, because they mean so much more. And now is the time to express it.


Barcelona’s Vaho create furniture out of items like shopping carts and oil drums and bags out of banner advertisements and tires. Creating newly coveted “trashion” items that are even used in promotional advertising. Genius! (Source: PSFK)

At the end of the day who really cares about Anya Hindmarch’s reusable grocery bag “I’m not a plastic bag”? (sorry if you got one…) Is it surprising that these have now found their way to the bottom of the bargain bin? Not really. It’s what happens when we marginalize social movements to trends. At the end of the day only the real innovators and creators will prevail.

(Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iri5/); PSFK.com

]]> http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/04/green-the-next-generation/feed/ 0 The Tin Shed… http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/02/the-tin-shed/ http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/02/the-tin-shed/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:35:00 +0000 Thas http://www.adthoughtspot.com/2009/02/the-tin-shed/
So in the meanderings of every planner, you come across a gazillion iterations of the “earth shattering microsites” (in a world where the term “microsite” is not only dated, but meaningless in many cases!). Everyone claims to have the most innovative, interactive and flashy piece of interactive goodness. And more often than not, we’re underwhelmed. Well curb your cynicism, because Patagonia has something for you-the Tin Shed. First of all it’s quite exquisitely designed. Second you are wrapped into a wonderful world of delicately branded content. And all under the guise of something so true and honest to the brand- the simple, symbolic tin shed the place that “once held heavy equipment, now houses our stories”. It’s a multimedia experience consumers can RELISH in and advertisers alike can marvel at.

Check it out for yourself: http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/tinshed/index.jsp

Image: http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/tinshed/index.jsp

]]> http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/02/the-tin-shed/feed/ 0 Ethonomics http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/02/ethonomics/ http://www.thinkerbelle.me/2009/02/ethonomics/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 04:38:00 +0000 Thas http://www.adthoughtspot.com/2009/02/ethonomics/
As we all spin in through these crazy economic times, the cynical business world seems to have turned to this positive, “real” world of post-Obama rhetoric and out of it emerges the term “ethonomics”, used most recently by Fast Company (see link below). What good business school graduate isn’t lured by the idea that maybe out of these hard times we will be smarter, richer and (gasp!) better people?

Green business is no longer just a far-off dream. Nor is it solely about making hydrogen powered cars. It’s going to find it’s way into every facet of business and is a reality that is set to employee hundreds of thousands of Americans. And it’s not just about being green any more. It’s about being a good citizen. So where did all this “do-good-erness” come from? The easy answer would be what is known now as simply, Change. Who doesn’t want to be a good citizen, with a president we believe in, trust and admire? President Obama has made being a good person, the truly global citizen “chic” again.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/noah-robischon/editors-desk/what-ethonomics

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