Carta de Jonathon Porrit a la generación Y

Actualmente estoy trabajando en Forum for the Future - organización co-fundada por Jonathon Porritt- y he tenido la suerte de ver parte de los archivos, asi como la estrategia de comunicación offline y online; actual y de los próximos años.

Encontré una carta dirigida a jovenes de la generación Y & Z. Me gusta como cuestiona el legado de los Babby boomers, asi como su enfasis en el trabajo multigeneracional y el evitar a toda costa el caer en pesimismos catastroficos que solamente paralizan y no activan.

Aqui la carta, espero que la disfruten tanto como yo;

I shudder to think just how angry young people are going to be when they wake up to the full extent of my generation’s negligence. If you subscribe to that uplifting aphorism that "we do not inherit the earth from our parents, but borrow it from our children", then we really screwed up.

Having spent the last 20 years or so in outright denial about the declining state of the world, we've now leapt in one fell swoop from denial to despair. More and more leading scientist involved in the climate change debate are claiming that it may already be too late to stabilize emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases at a safe level – i.e. a level that doesn’t trigger runaway ‘dangerous’ climate change. Having stolen their future, we are about to steal whatever reasons to be hopeful young people might still have.

I rather hope that the 54,240 ‘future leaders’ who responded to this survey will have something to say about that. Their awareness about climate change is impressive, seeing it as an extremely urgent, potentially life-threatening phenomenon, not something to be kicked further off into the long grass. And there is a lot of evidence here that is certainly the most environmentally-aware generation we’ve ever seen.

But their responses also show us that is a transitional generation, with one foot planted confidently in the low–carbon environment-friendly economy of the future, but the other still rooted in today’s high-speed, high consumption, carbon-intensive lifestyles. So emissions from aviation are quite rightly fingered as a growing problem, but perish the thought that this means they’ll end up flying a lot less than their parents!

But for those seeking their own ‘reasons to be hopeful’, in the face of growing ecological doom and gloom, there is a huge amount to be optimistic about in this survey. As far as most of our future leaders are concerned, their glasses are undoubtedly half full when they look out on the world ahead. And long may it stay that way.

Para mi después de leerla, solo me queda una pregunta; 

¿Cómo podemos aprovechar, los países emergentes, con economías crecientes; el conocimiento y experiencia de países desarrollado para no cometer sus errores -es decir brincar sus fallas- y generar innovaciones que 'mejoren' la vida de todos los ciudadanos del territorio en cuestión?

Design dissolving in meaning; The manifesto.

A manifesto about design practices in the 21st century.

The aim of design is to enhance the quality of life.

The ability to sustain humans on this planet is directly related to our capacity of reflection: We need to reflect upon our capacities, our abilities and our skills. These skills must incorporate: hearing (in order to really understand), creating (meaningful innovations) and delivering (inspiring solutions). The designer, through his work, can help establish a dynamic balance. The designer or adventurer whilst reading this manifesto should also understand that eco-materials, bio-degradability or recycling objects, are but a small part of the puzzle and even in some cases those practices could be counter-productive. These approaches could offer a fake exit or just affect the symptom and not the cause.

Design dissolving in meaning believes in the love for life

The designer must provide a platform, object or system that helps the individuals generate stories, create the narrative and have experiences. The experiences we live are the ones that remain within us and sometimes even remain after we are gone.

The meaning of the things we design is provided by the individual not the designer.

Use design as a powerful conduct for change. The skills of the designers should adapt to the post-industrial era. The designer has to create the vision, connect the actors and catalyze a cohesive future.

The practices of the designer of the present and the years to come should integrate the next seven points; Molecular Wisdom, Majestic Meaning, Cultural Vitality, Technovation, Environmental Protection, Social Equity and a Healthy Economy.

Molecular Wisdom. What we are and how we use our virtues, should be based on our capacity to reflect. Why are you designing that object in particular? Consider other approaches to the problem at hand.

Majestic Meaning. It is imperative to make connections where the audience can relate to their own life and finish the story or complete the experience. Values and meaning run deeper than emotions and require care and attention to detail. Avoid fast trends. Build an artifact or service capable of gracefully growing old with the host.

Cultural Vitality. Design thinking can help connect people with their roots. Be local. Create messages that can change attitudes and redefine prosperity. How do communities manifest identity?

Technovation. Technology is a medium rather than an end. How can we produce technology subjects instead of technology consumer objects? Rethink innovation. An idea, a change or an improvement is only an innovation when it is put to use, is accepted by users and effectively causes a social or commercial reorganization. saying NO to planned obsolescence.

Environmental Protection. Deliver more value with less material and energy use. Eliminate waste, avoid toxic materials or processes. Locate actions that affects natural systems, including carbon footprint, climate change, preservation and restoration of natural resources.

Social Equity. Design based on principles of inclusion, equality and empathy. Nobody is obliged to be a genius but everybody is obliged to participate. Design simple design.

Circular Economy. Invent new economic and business models appropriate for 21st century realities. Design thinking in the whole picture, think in cycles. The artifact has to be easy to maintain. Products designed to have secondary usages after their primary function has lapsed can add value, but products closing the loop could stay forever.

Design dissolving meaning is a message based on the sustainability journey it is meant as an action guide and as an enhancer of designer practices. [-_+]

Nota: Pronto estara en español.

Sobre el camino a la sostenibilidad

Hoy en este blog les dejo un post especial escrito por una gran amiga, que siempre tiene una mirada critica Sari Dennise.

Seguramente han notado que existe mucha variedad en los nombres que se usan para denominar a las prácticas del diseño progresista: ecodiseño, diseño ecológico, “para el medioambiente”, verde, ecoregional, social, sostenible, sustentable, ¿por qué será que existen tantos términos?

Porque no se trata de lo mismo. Cada uno de ellos es un enfoque, responde a un contexto y necesidades concretas, desarrolla conocimiento y métodos de acción. Todos ellos comparten, sin embargo, la consideración de la responsabilidad social y medioambiental en los procesos de diseño.

El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente utiliza también el término “Diseño para la Sostenibilidad”: D4S (Design for Sustainability). Un concepto bastante acertado si consideramos que nada es sostenible por sí mismo sino que forma parte de una serie de acciones que buscan la conformación de una sociedad sostenible.

Sostenible: viable económicamente, con equidad social y equilibrio ecológico.


En este camino a la sostenibilidad, no debemos olvidar:

1. ¡Considerar el contexto! – El desarrollo NO es igual en distintos espacios geográficos y sociales. Las soluciones de diseño no lo pueden ser tampoco.

2. Asumirnos como diseñadores de sistemas. – Desarrollar productos de la cuna a la cuna, cradle to cradle. Medir y controlar los impactos desde la extracción, producción, distribución, consumo, uso... así como asegurar la reinserción del producto a un nuevo ciclo una vez terminada su vida útil. Para este propósito es fundamental trabajar de manera interdisciplinaria.

3. Aspirar al 100% – Así como los autores de Cradle to cradle, Edwin Datschefsky opina que lo "menos malo" no ayuda y que SÍ es posible diseñar productos cíclicos, limpios, eficientes, seguros y socialmente responsables.

The story of stuff

Hoy después de un día largo de escribir para la tesis de Diseño de Experiencias aplicado en tiendas de tecnología. He parado brevemente, para distraerme y subir este video que me había prometido subir. Simplemente para mí es un detonador de conciencias acerca de como consumimos y que los diseñadores o cualquier otra persona deben de tomar en cuenta al hacer su trabajo. Esta largo asi que tomense el tiempo, vale mucho la pena.