Out with the OLD and in with the NEW

I was getting into my car after making a trip to Hobby Lobby earlier this week and noticed an individual that was wearing what looked like a combination of flip-flops/sandals.  As I looked closer, the shoes that were exposing almost their entire foot were a pair of worn out, burlap toms that had seen a better day.   
Over-consumption in today’s society is an issue that has been addressed. In the reading design activism beautiful strangeness for a sustainable world, activism, involvement, and better engagement is targeting over-consumers. The mass flow of consumption is causing a problem with global issues. So, how do designers go about making a change? In raising awareness for this changing behavior, Fuad Luke mentioned that sustainability is not just about learning how to live well, but it also focuses on consuming “much less.”

There are two consumer groups’ over-consumers and under-consumers. Over-consumers need to reduce their overall consumption. A way they can do this is by incorporating eco-efficient ways of living into their shopping behaviors. Under-consumers are said to struggle when meeting physical requirements of day to day life; however, this group also needs to be educated with the concept of consumption. Improving the overall quality of life is a similarity that each groups’ have.

My concept will target over-consumers. Fuad Luke states, “the need for change is clear, it is often a question of how to change.” The paragraph titled Communication by event, story or scenario it is said that communicating can greatly enhance the response with your targeted customer or viewer. Communicating how a sustainability process impacts one’s life by providing examples of how an item actually benefits someone gives the customer an incentive to invest in your idea.

This concept revolves around design activism which enhances what exists already. Socially active design creates a sustainable way of living. This concept would greatly eliminate the amount of shoes being thrown away, preventing waste in landfills. Customers will be aware of the importance of reusing products already owned. The customization and reusing process designers can allow the consumers to be involved in sustainability. “Creating and giving new visions a form” is what designing is all about.

Taking our old shoes that are worn out, shipping them to a warehouse manufacturer of the brand, and from there the shoes will be transformed and reproduced into the latest form and style. This process allows one to get a new style, creating a “new generation of products,” like McDonough and Braungart mentioned when referring to biological and technological materials. The Fuad Luke reading talked about various ways of making and producing products to satisfy the needs of the customer. There are four categories for producing and making products including:  100% self-design, manufactured, 100% self-made, and professional design. DIY lets individuals self-design products and create “oneof-a-kind” items.  This had been a popular concept in todays’ society. By going online individuals would be able to choose from a selection of styles that their old shoe could be transformed into. Each brand would have different options dependent upon corporate regulations. The manufacturer of each brand will choose specific styles, while allowing the customer to pick the one to their liking. Color customization would be another DIY factor allowed to the consumer.

The most important thing I’ve learned from the course would be becoming aware of the truthfulness in what exactly goes on with the impact of pollution in our environment due to manufacturing products. I plan to do my part, as a consumer and future designer, to incorporate important factors like the “UPcycling” process and eliminating toxins with dying textiles. I would like to research more about specific manufacturers in the United States that produce garments for designers. I would like to learn their way of producing materials, etc.