VIEWS: Points on Sustainable [Graphic] Design
In a recent "Letter from the Publisher" in Graphic Design:usa magazine (Okay, not so recent—I'm behind on my reading), Gordon Kaye commented on a letter he received from Michael Hendrix of Tricycle Inc. Hendrix wrote in response to a story the magazine ran on sustainability and CSR, as it pertains to the graphic design industry.

I thought this quote from Hendrix's letter made some great points: "I believe that designers have much more to offer than specifying a green product. It is not enough to design a nonprofit brochure on recycled paper or to specify a Cella chair, then claim environmental responsibility. It is time to rethink and redesign the life cycle of products..."

I saw this as a great supporting statement when exploring sustainable options with client projects. Rather than simply producing an end product that is easy on the environment, we as designers need to evaluate the end use, the need for, the intended target, the mode of delivery, and more for each client project. How would we be helping the environment if we recommend producing a large-format piece which the target may find too bulky to keep – even if it is printed on FSC certified paper? Applying more thought to the who, why and how – rather than just the what – will produce a more sustainable end result.