Being One in a Quarter of a Million Graphic Designers

Posted on November 16, 2009 by itees

I just read an article on GreenerDesign.com and they were writing about being second or third place in a contest and how that can still make you a winner. In the design profession it’s widely known that we enter contests, so we can be rewarded by our peers, because clients rarely compliment, most pick apart or send revisions. They rarely start a response by saying, “wow what a creative idea you’ve come up with”, it’s usually more like, “I’ve rewritten the copy”, or “I’ve decided I want to go in another direction.” To be fair to the clients, they do occasionally compliment.

Meanwhile, one fact that was starring me in the face while reading, and I was so proud of my profession… There are over a quarter of a million graphic designers in the U.S. alone! Now, having been in this profession since the early 80s, I sure have been designing a long time, so I’m wondering why this profession has grown so large? Knowing that the competition will be so tough for each and every graphic designer that graduates, why do they think they will succeed?

One reason must be because every designer has their own style and creativity and will always bring their own spin to a project. Could it also be that being a graphic designer has finally become a profession that deserves respect?

In reading further into the article one thing that also had an impact on me was learning the amount of books, brochures, direct mail pieces, invitations, business cards and more, that are being printed and the impact that has on our environment.

From the website, GreenerDesign:

“These designers have a significant — though often unrecognized — impact on ecological and human health. They have a hand in the creation of 65 billion pieces of unsolicited direct mail every year, not to mention magazines and books, product packaging, and other printed matter. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, the pulp and paper industry is the fourth largest emitter in North America.”

I’m going to continue with my own efforts in trying to make sure that each new piece designed will be printed in an eco-friendly way, if my clients will agree to it and hopefully they will. I may only be one in a quarter of a million designers (in the U.S.), but even one can make a difference. Imagine if more designers around the world cared to make a difference.

Eco-friendly Design Without the Eco-friendly Product

Posted on November 14, 2009 by itees

Recently, I was shopping in an office supply store and came across some notebooks with the cover design on the outside promoting eco-friendly thinking, but the product didn’t say anywhere on it, that is was printed on recycled paper, or have any kind of logo or seal on it. So, I’m wondering why design something with the right type of message, but not go the next step and print it on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper? Because it usually costs a bit more. Regardless, they should have printed it the right way.

A few weeks ago I was watching the HBO program, Real Time with Bill Maher and he was talking about being in the supermarket and seeing the Froot Loops packaging that is advertising it’s a healthy, fruity, product? Agreeing with him that thinking of that cereal as healthy is a bit of a stretch considering the amount of sugar in that cereal.

Then I went to Cartridge World recently, to bring in my cartridges for recycling, and I see a new package on the wall called Ecco, so I think it’s eco-friendly ink. They even created green swirly packaging to make us think it’s eco-friendly. Nope, that’s just the name of the company.

It’s important to promote eco-friendly and green thinking, but let’s not try to fool people into buying a product that isn’t what it appears to be!

Have you seen any eco-friendly designs, or “green” packaging and the manufacturers did not follow through and actually produce them the right way? Send your comments in!

Sugar Paper, a sweet idea for tree lovers

Posted on October 9, 2009 by itees

In reading about alternatives to paper made from trees, I’ve come across paper made from sugar fibrous residue which remains after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice, known as Bagasse pulp. It is currently used as a renewable resource in the manufacture of pulp and paper products and building materials.

Sugar paper is susceptible to humidity for paper, and heat for cups and utensils (heat can cause them to stick together).

From Wikipedia:

“Around 5%-10% of paper production worldwide is produced from agricultural crops, valuing agricultural paper production at between $5 billion and $10 billion. The most notable of these agricultural crops are wheat straw and bagasse. Paper production is the second largest revenue stream from bagasse after electricity cogeneration; higher than ethanol. Using agriculatural crops rather than wood has the advantage of reducing deforestation. Bagasse has the added advantage in that it requires fewer greenhouse gases to collect, compared to harvesting of wood chips, as the fibre has already been transported to the factory for extracting the sugar. Due to the ease with which bagasse can be chemically pulped, bagasse requires less bleaching chemicals than wood pulp to achieve a bright, white sheet of paper. The fibers vary in length depending on the country and cane variety but are typically about 1.3mm to 1.7 mm long. Bagasse fibers are well suited for tissue, corrugating medium, newsprint, and writing paper.

Bagasse pulp and paper mills tend to be smaller than wood based mills although many world-scale factories exist, notably TNPL (Tamil Nadu, India) Century Pulp and Paper (India) and Ledesma Paper (Argentina).

From the site, WorldCentric.org:
(http://worldcentric.org/sustainability/manufacturing/bagasse)

From this site: Propal, S.A.(www.propal.com.co) If you need the text of this site translated into English, google has a great translation tool. (google translator)

Paper made from sugar cane fiber is listed internationally as “Friends of Nature” as its raw material, sugar cane bagasse, a byproduct of the sugar industry, rolling over short periods of time. Through the process of developing this fiber paper reduces solid waste and produces a fine paper, biodegradable and recyclable. For the quality of the papers and the environmental benefits obtained, the sugarcane fiber alternative source is the increased demand in the world.

PROPAL corporate policy involves the preservation of the environment, meeting at its plants 1 and 2 with the control parameters set by the Ministry of Environment, the Regional Autonomous Corporations and other relevant administrative bodies, making good use and reuse of natural resources.

“Paper made from sugar cane fiber is listed internationally as “Friends of Nature” as its raw material, sugar cane bagasse, a byproduct of the sugar industry, rolling over short periods of time. Through the process of developing this fiber paper reduces solid waste and produces a fine paper, biodegradable and recyclable. For the quality of the papers and the environmental benefits obtained, the sugarcane fiber alternative source is the increased demand in the world.”

Sample product using Bagasse: