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Reading Reflection 06 (RR06)

RR06: Cradle To Cradle by McDonough

These chapters of the book really focused on making design environmentally friendly. With a little collaboration and hard work, designers came up with the awesome idea and design for Cradle To Cradle. And not just this book, but everything in design. I think it is very important to elaborate on what other designers have accomplished and to share ideas and knowledge so that in the future, design can become productively more efficient.

I feel that cost is a big factor in the outcome of the quality of designs as well. I wish it wasn't and I mean I'm sure everyone else feels the same way. I think that a lot of people are looking for the cheapest way of creating these mass-produced items but when a little extra money, time, and effort is put into design I think it plays a huge benefit in the environment and enjoyment of a product.

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The First Second

The authors of the book obviously ain't happy about today's manufacturer design system. In chapter 1 & 2, the authors accuse the manufacturers have implanted many false concepts in our consumers' mind.

Industrial revolution was meant to bring people a better life. In some way it did and succeed. The problem is, when people in present enjoy the so called modern life, we barely consider the future generations.

Recycled products, eco-friendly design, energy star electrons, and many such things the commercials just keep repeating, all these efforts are only after the sales but no really trying to change the world. Commercials shape our minds, make us believe what the manufacturers want us to believe in, and as an individual we just sink into the advertising traps.

The authors argue that "less bad" products should never be considered to be produced unless it's necessary, but the manufacturers all go after the profits and produce them anyway. We do not have the ability to change the economic mode, we have a lot questions for the future design.

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I really enjoyed this chapter opening the view of more of what the author is trying to explain the theory of "cradle to grave" that we need to change the ways that we have been stuck in for so many years to better our enviroment for those in the future and try to stop the damage that we have already done. Technological advances shouldnt just be designed to be convient to the consumer but, the should also be designed to protect or better the enviroment. We cannot fix the damage we have already done to the enviroment so it is time to move forward, start a new page. Do things not only for "us" but for our enviroment.

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CTC - Chapters 1-3

Even though the first chapter started a lot differently than I thought it would, it was interesting to read about the Industrial Revolutions side effects we don't think about too often. It sets the tone for what I can expect to be a main focus through this book. I also liked the talk about how when cars were first produced, each being unique and sold as luxury items. Fast forward to today where it is almost impossible to live as a 16 year old through 80 year old without driving or having someone drive you. Including busses, planes, and maybe trains, there's not much we get around with these days that doesn't involve driving. Definitely interesting to look back on certain designs and see how things change. I also liked the cradle to grave paragraph, trying to open the readers eyes to how the world really works, behind what we see or are used to.

The breakdown of each task affecting the environment on pg. 46-47 is interesting, but I can see more where this book is headed. I hope this is not all about how bad we are to the environment, how terrible our products are, and how we destroy the earth. It is a concern that is important today, but I get very sick very quickly of people telling me how bad the world is around me. I enjoy the talks about how to make it better, but don't just sit there and say how bad this or that is for me. That's when I tend to loose interest... But it seems to show more than one side so far, so I continue...

Finally I did like the cherry tree section. "What might the human-built world look like if a cherry tree had produced it?" It is an interesting concept to think about that we have taken this world and sculpted it to our needs and wants as humans. What about all the other creatures? Why do we get to design how other species live? All interesting topics that should be good to read about soon.

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A section I enjoyed from this week’s reading was “The Fittest Survive, The Fitting-est Thrive”(McDonough). For the next couple pages he goes on to apply this concept to ants. Specifically those that live and work together in trees in the rain forest. They are all different species, and have different skills; yet, they still work together and are fit for their environment. Now I saw the “survival of the fittest” as survival as the most physically and mentally fit- or in shape. But for ”the fitting-est”, it applies to those that are most fit or made for their environment. And not only do the “fitting-est” survive-but they thrive. They do the best in environments they have adapted to and learned from. And this could also be applied to designers. Designers all have different styles, and I think that many clients look for one specific style- so they work (or fit) together well. So by surrounding him or herself with clientele/projects that he/she is interested in, a designer will thrive more effectively.

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Cradle to Cradle Reflection #2

This week, we continue reading Cradle to Cradle with chapters 1-3.

In general, I would just like to point out how this book has created such a sense of urgency within me. It's actually kind of frightening.

It seems that at every turn, McDonough highlights the specific issues with our current environmental depletion/harm solutions.

I was on board with the his points in "Why Being 'Less Bad" is No Good." There he presents arguments that I've also held for a while, namely: creating a smaller amounts of environmental problems still causes problems, just over a longer amount of time. Also, that taking this approach isn't very helpful at all.

However, when addressing current solutions that start at the root, at the point of creating a product, McDonough made me feel disheartened, particularly with the example of creating an eco-friendly book in "Eco-Effectiveness." It seemed as though every option proposed was destructive in an inevitable way. I wondered if there was a real way to make it happen.

Granted, McDonough goes on to describe a better approach that deviates from past concepts of books, one that not only is eco-friendly, but also has many other practical bonuses (like waterproof pages).

I suppose, however, that this is the point. McDonough isn't trying to make the reader feel down and out, or helpless; he's presenting facts. And the fact of the matter is that we're just not in a good place when it comes to our creation, consumption, and waste, and our popular solutions for those problems. It can't be denied.

Luckily, by the end of our selected chapters my mood picked up, mainly because I was envisioning an office space like a cherry tree that McDonough proposed. Lots of light and food. I definitely would never turn down that design approach.

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As designers we must always take into account how we function with and through the environment. We must realize that our designs have effects on the environment. We must look for ways to limit and in some cases reverse our grotesque over use of natural resources and allow nature to rebound from our misuse of its gifts.

PAC MAN

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