MAA Design

The first of a long line of posts to journey the process of my graduate studies at Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design + Media.

My thesis will look at the rhetoric of sustainability. In other words, "What does green mean?" We've been bombarded by the idea and seem to sit in a current state of confusion as to how we should go about our daily lives. Not only do I need to know about what is or is not sustainable, I also need to be aware of the reality of my consumption. I am hoping to find a way to communicate through design so that some of the fog gets cleared. A lofty goal for certain. But in my own pursuit of understanding this broad topic, I've come to notice that many people want to do something of value in their world. But sometimes they don't know what or how even with all the talk of it. Can we guide a consumer differently through design to understand practically how to meander through the green washing? Stay tuned for more...

I am being advised in various capacities by:
Maria Lantin
Bonne Zablotney
Louise St. Pierre
Ron Burnett

This week we formed into research groups to work on a charrette. Our group focused on observing an individual to create content for a final product in a medium of our choosing. 

I also had the chance to meet and dialogue with Ann Thorpe who has written The Designer's Atlas of Sustainability. Her discussion about the debates we face as designers was of interest to me: responsibility, appearance, operation, scale and pace. And it goes without saying that we must gain economic and environmental literacy. Which makes me ask, "Is awareness enough anymore?"

This has led me to explore a method of inquiry: the chalkboard in a public space (in this case, the Concourse Gallery at Emily Carr University of Art + Design). The outcomes: This Is Green