How To Become a Sustainable Design Studio
Next week I’m scheduled to make a cameo appearance on a webinar about becoming a sustainable design studio, which got me thinking about my personal path. So I thought I’d share my story, the abridged version, as a bit of an appetizer before the webinar.
My Path (Abridged):
Creative youth >> Art student >> Started caring about health >> Design school graduate >> Started learning about organic food >> Entry level designer >> Designer who became concerned about the waste I created >> Quit my job, sold everything, and traveled >> Witnessed how bad things can get if we don’t care about sustainability >> Returned to the States and started a Gage Mitchell Design >> Obsessed over eco-living >> Learned about sustainable design >> Brought on Partner/Wife (also eco-obsessed) >> Rebranded GMD as Modern Species >> Celebrity cameo on webinar >> Changed the world one sexy brand at a time...
Okay, so the last two haven’t exactly happened yet, but you get the idea. The change was gradual. It was an evolution (to play off my studio’s branding). I didn’t know how to make the change, or where this path would lead (Seattle apparently). I just took it one step at a time. With enough curiosity, a lot of reading, the help of others, and a supportive boss/partner/spouse, anyone can do it – you just need to start.
-{ Read: 7 Principles for Sustainable Design Thinking }-
So my advice for anyone out there who’s curious about becoming a more sustainable, or better yet, responsible designer, is to follow that curiosity and be willing to push through the hurdles. It’s an uphill battle at the moment, but as more and more people become sustainable, it will get easier for us all. And then someday, we can just call ourselves “designers” again, without the “sustainable” prefix (because that will be expected).
Webinar Info:
Re-nourish: Qualify as a Sustainable Communication Design Practice
June 6th // 2pm EST // $45 for Non-Members
Free for Graphic Arts Guild members and a discount for AIGA members.
https://www.graphicartistsguild.org/resources/webinars/