Striving for 'Social Active Design'

In a world full over overconsumption, I have chosen a design concept that looks to solve an issue of waste. In our society it is thought to be okay to throw away perfectly usable products if we are merely sick of them or if they no longer look exactly like they did when purchased. Society must realize that like us, products age and can no longer perform the same function as before, but I don’t believe we would appreciate being thrown away. We shall learn to treat our possessions, as we would like to be. This paradigm involves the appreciation and use of quality over quantity.  Fuad Luke sums this approach up by stating in Beautiful Strangeness for a Sustainable World, “There is a stream of consciousness and activity around what could be termed ‘social active design’, where the focus of the design is society and its transition and/or transformation to a more sustainable way of living, working and producing.”

My design concept is simple and merely proposes the use of a household item that can be looked at as disposable or one that is commonly not used to it’s full potential. Bath and beach towels are items that can be used for years and even after their first life cycle they can continue to serve a purpose. My concept is to take old towels and to sew them as lining in beach bags. This would be beneficial to the user because if water were to leak into the bag, the towel would soak it up as oppose to thinner, less absorbent fabrics. Also, a perk to this method would be that the consumer could use their own style by putting together their bag and whatever print or designed towel they prefer. This concept allows the old item to be reused, while allowing the owner to individualize their bag.

Environmental Sustainability Issues has opened my eyes to many issues we all must face and allowed me to realize that I can make a difference. Simple changes in my daily routine can preserve resources, while also minimizing unnecessary waste. My favorite part of this course has been learning about different design methods that have been used to allow products a longer life cycle. Before this course, I thought buying cheap clothes, accessories or shoes that don’t last was saving me money, while in reality it is only causing a bigger problem every time I over-consume a certain item.