KARIM RASHEED
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGNING
Sustainable products are those products that provide environmental, social and economic benefits while protecting public health and environment over their whole life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials until the final disposal. During product or packaging design, the environmental impact should be considered at every stage in the lifecycle, from the raw material extraction through to the end of the product’s life. Designers already do this when considering form or function; for example, a common design question is “how strong does packaging need to be to transport the product safely from the manufacturer to the consumer?”. It is therefore only a small step for businesses to start to consider the life-cycle from a wider sustainability point of view.
(1)For example, when manufacturing a mobile phone and looking at the consumer behaviour, we can see that it is often only used for twelve to eighteen months before it is replaced. Therefore, one of its biggest impacts would be disposal (which can be minimized by designing the phone for ease of recyclability), so a mobile phone company might want to examine the amount and mixture of materials from which it is made to help minimize any impacts associated with its dismantling and disposal. During the ‘eco-design’ process the company would need to consider its manufacturing using as little (and as few) materials as possible. If the phone is compared to the mobile phone charger, the biggest environmental impact of this is almost definitely the amount of energy expended during its usage. It would, therefore, be sensible to ‘eco-design’ the phone charger by trying to optimise the energy efficiency during usage.
TIPS TO DESIGN PRODUCTS THAT REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
By investigating the potential impacts of the product and then finding ways of reducing these issues through eco-design, we can create functional, aesthetically pleasing and successful designs without locking in unnecessary environmental impacts. There are a number of ways you can design your products so they are sustainable, here are some tips:
• (2)think eco-fibre: choose a fabric that will enhance durability and longevity, suit functionality, and allow for low impact maintenance • less is more: reduce the ecological footprint of your product by designing patterns to use up as much of the fabric as possible. Also reduce hems and seams etc. where possible. • think life cycle: try to find innovative ways of reducing the impacts of your product throughout its life, from packaging to the washing and care, and end of life • label it: labels are an essential part of a garment and a great way to communicate eco-options to consumers • make it last: select materials and design styles that will promote durability and longer use of the garment
• enhance recyclability: select materials that can be easily recycled, or design your product so it has timeless style. • be efficient: select manufacturers and production processes that are energy efficient, use green, renewable energy and make efforts to reduce inputs such as water and chemicals. • look for certification: ask your suppliers, manufacturers, and contractors to provide you with independently verified certifications • make it multifunctional: encouraging customers to do more with less through multifunctional design promotes ove
His award winning designs include luxury goods for Christofle, Veuve Clicquot, and Alessi, democratic products for Umbra, Bobble, and 3M, furniture for Bonaldo and Vondom, lighting for Artemide and Fabbian, high-tech products for Asus and Samsung, surface design for Marburg and Abet Laminati, brand identity for Citibank and Sony Ericsson and packaging for Method, Paris Baguette, Kenzo and Hugo Boss.
Karim’s touch expands beyond product to interiors such as the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia; Semiramis hotel, Athens; how hotel, Berlin; Universita Metro Station, Naples as well as exhibition design for Deutsche Bank and Audi.
Karim’s work is featured in 20 permanent collections and he exhibits art in galleries worldwide. Karim is a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, I. D. Magazine Annual Design Review, IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award.
SUSTAINABLE DESIGNS
SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE FOR PUNKALIVE
(4)Punkalive, a Finnish design company formed just two years ago debuted new furniture from NY designer Karim Rashid at the 2011 IMM Cologne. Punkalive products are made from laminated pieces of Finnish spruce shaped with a computer controlled milling machine. His ‘High Roller’ lounge chair is a “complex form that is between natural and the artificial, mysterious yet harmonic”. The inspiration for the design of the Maya stack-able chair came from the ancient civilization of the same name. Rashid aimed to create a shape that “straddles both the natural world and constructs of mathematics”. The design blends the natural character of wood with digital production processes creating a chair that is “sustainable, biodegradable, yet has a futurist presence”.
Punkalive is committed to being a good community neighbor in their hometown of Punkaharju, Finland. All of the wood harvested for their products comes from certified forests that are within 100 kilometres of the production facility. The companies use of computer controlled fabrication equipment keeps the generation of waste materials at an amount near zero. Hot water generated in the production plant goes on to provide heat for the town. Last year, the company planted more trees in the surrounding forests than it used in their manufacturing. Their aim is to keep the surrounding region, which is a major tourist destination for nature experiences, as pristine as possible.
• Designer Karim Rashid has created a bottle that filters tap water as the user drinks it.
• The product features a replaceable carbon filter, available in six colours.
• Each cartridge can filter up to 150 litres.
• Bobble is reusable. It is intended to be an everyday accessory rather than an impulse decision.
CONCLUSION
Sustainable design is something that we as designers should always look forward to. These designs are not only consumer friendly but also are easy on nature. Karim Rasheed has not only designed just products but has contributed in every field such as graphic, interiors, architecture etc. All his designs have a peculiar ‘Karim’ touch to it , all of them seem to be born out of a specific need and then has effectively solved the problem. He as of yet has created over 180 products and has undertaken many more sustainable projects in different fields. His aim is to make available all types of designs to every part of the society and make it innovative .The way he strives to achieve those designs and make a change in the society inspired me to study more on him .
REFERENCES
• bpf.co.uk/sustainable.../design/Designing_Sustainability.aspx
• www.business.vic.gov.au › ... › Sustainable business
• www.styleathome.com/...and-design/...design/...design-karim-rashid/a/97..
• www.psfk.com/.../2011-imm-cologne-karim-rashids-sustainable-furnitur..