What can design do?

If we’d discussed this before the summer, we would have bemoaned the fact that you could only choose from a handful of green cars. But this year’s Frankfurt motor show was crammed to the bumpers with green/eco/hybrid options, including an interesting diesel/hybrid proposal from Citroen that will have seriously low emissions. After a slow start, Volkswagen have announced hybrids across their range, and British supercar designer Gordon Murray is now devoting his time to building a super mini that can be assembled in the UK (hence cutting down on planet unfriendly shipping).

In fashion, designers are investigating how materials can be recycled, like these great shoes made from old bicycle tyres.

But what about graphic design?

I wish I could report that it was doing its bit. Trouble is, tap “sustainable graphic design” into Google and you get a thousand suggested links. But tap “Helvetica Movie” in, and guess what, you get fifteen thousand. So in cyberspace at least, that makes people 15 times as interested in a movie about a typeface than how to design responsibly. Great.

Some people are at least trying. Thomas Matthews and Thoughtful have stated their ethical policies publicly. Airside have gone carbon neutral and been awarded a ‘green mark’ accordingly. Only a few weeks ago, Design can change launched in the USA, trying to persuade the vast army of American designers to look harder at what they do, and to amend their ways accordingly.

Thought for the week by Michael Johnson.