34
Jury members share their views on circularity
our designers to use the least amount of materials but still build inspiring pack- aging,” says Jennifer Patrick , Global Director of Packaging and Branding at Patagonia. She continues: “I’m looking for who’s getting rid of materials that cannot be recycled and stay in landfills for over 500 years. That’s what inspires me.” As one solution, Diana Sanchez , Visual Design Associate Manager at Accenture Song names biodegradable materials. “Another important thing is printing and using minimal colors.” All this requires collaborative research and developing new materials. Brian Collins would also like to see more brands having the courage to be pioneers: “There are emerging technologies that I know many are embracing. I’d like to see more brands do that and find ways fast. The clock is ticking.” Educating consumers The total impact of the package also includes what happens with it afterwards. “We need to look upon waste and trash more as a treasure. They are valuable re- sources and things that need to circulate. We must include circularity in everything,” says Carin Blidholm Svensson , Creative Director and Founder of BVD. Brands need to play an educational role – and communicate about their actions too. Can the consumer reuse the packaging or return it to the store where it was purchased? “There is an urge to educate the consumer: ‘Please recycle this box or take it back, and we are going to make, for example, a new pair of shoes,’” Blidholm Svensson says. •
goods need to come together with an aligned vision.
“We must find the optimal packaging and material use, not overpack or under pack.” Carin Blidholm Svensson Creative Director & Founder at BVD
Know your materials Brands and designers play a crucial role in the change towards better packaging. “Designers must be the most informed people in the room and know more about the materials we are promoting to the client. A deep understanding of materials is key, but let’s also embrace our naiveties as designers: We have the ability to ask why not,” Ben Parker says. Andrew Gibbs finds the packaging materials need to be appropriate, safe, recyclable, re- turnable, and compostable. In short, they must not harm the planet or its inhabitants. “Sustainability is fundamentally a design problem – a design challenge. The design- er’s duty to the future generation is to choose better materials,” Gibbs says. Things that leave the world better For progress to occur, designers need to consider the whole life-cycle of the packag- es they are creating. “Everything, everything, everything we do must be either circular or regenerative. What we put into the Earth and into the atmos- phere now has to improve the Earth and the atmosphere. Net Negative is too little. We must be Net Positive. We have to make things that leave the world better,” says Brian Collins , Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Collins. Packaging also plays a big role in this: We need to find ways to use less materials. “To me, zero waste means challenging
“Environmental, circular and regeneration- centered design is imperative. Look, a single-use plastic bottle might be a convenient ‘human-centered’ design solution but is an idiotic environmental-centered design solution. Those plastic bottles are now not only hazardous, but are quickly replacing life in the sea. So please, enough with ‘human-centered’ design, already. It’ll kill everything. Eventually humans, too.” Brian Collins Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Collins
BETTER WITH LESS Design Challenge 2022
Powered by FlippingBook