GDES3003 – Hand In

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

MAJOR BRIEF – HAND IN

So tomorrow is hand in day!  Phew, what a relief… It’s been an action packed module that’s for sure.  I have thoroughly enjoyed it and can honestly see the value in it.  We all have a responsibility to do our bit, and this module has certainly challenged me to be more conscientious.

I think green design/thinking will become more and more prevalent in the creative industries, particularly in packaging design and this module has given an excellent foundation to build upon.

My final few pictures show my presentation board, learning report and a printed version of the e-resources (I designed extra (non essential) pages for the print version).

Learning report & printed e-resources

Presentation board

Presentation board

Presentation board

GDES3003 – Screen Printing

GDES3013 GREEN DESIGN

Screen Printing 3D Artefact

Today I screen printed the design onto my pizza packaging.  I had only screen printed once prior to this and that was a while ago and so I was a little concerned that I may have been too ambitious with my design.  As it turns out, the process is actually quite intuitive and very enjoyable, so I will definitely be experimenting more in the future.

1.   The artwork needs to be prepared in layers, one for each colour which will then have it’s own screen. The artwork has to then all be black and at 300dpi for the highest quality line work.
2. Each layer is then printed onto high quality acetate film that the technicians have on campus.  I’m told it’s a special construction that is actually made up of millions of minuscule tubes that hold the ink perfectly.
3. The screens are prepared using emulsion, which needs time to dry before exposure.
4. The acetate is then exposed to a silk screen using a special machine that vacuum’s all of the air out to ensure there is no light leak.
5. After 120 seconds the screen is exposed.  Then you have to wash the solution of the screen in the water spray booth.  By holding it up to the light you can check that artwork looks correct,and has no marks or solution left on it.  Then the screens are dried off and are ready for use.
6. Any exposed areas, such as the edges of the screen or areas that you don’t want to print are covered with waterproof tape.
7. The ink/paint is a mix of acrylic paint, screen printing solution and water until the consistency is just runny enough to go through the screen.
8. Ink is placed on the screen, along the top of the artwork before being “loaded”.  This is when you pass the ink over the artwork to start the flow.
9. Whatever you are printing onto, in my case my packaging, then needs to be aligned.  This is done using tape and markers.  The screen printing table has suction, so when you are aligned and start to lower the screen, the bed sucks the paper/card onto it.
10. Once the screen is loaded with ink and lowered down onto the bed, you can start printing.  This is done by angling the squeegee to 45 degrees and pressing down firmly until the screen touches the material, then pulling towards you in a fairly swift motion.  As you raise the screen you re-load it by running the squeegee back to the top.
11. At this stage you check the print to admire your handy work.  I printed several copies so that I could choose the best one’s to hand in at the end.
12. This process is then repeated for each colour until complete, making sure to clean the screens after each pass so that the ink doesn’t dry on the screen.
13. The prints are then left to dry on the rack & voila…. done!

 

Artwork printed in solid black onto high quality acetate

Vacuum!

Vacuum machine, for exposing the screens

Washing the solution off after exposure

Screen once solution had been washed off

The screen print table

Securing the screen for the first layer

Screen is “loaded” with white ink for the first time

First test print onto brown paper

Aligning the artwork

First print

Both sides of the printed artwork

Artwork arranged to show how it would come flat packed. Each plate would then be torn off and used

Final printed packaging

Mixing the ink

first layer on the rack

 

 

GDES3003 – Final prototype & artwork

GDES3003 – Green Design

Final Prototype

I have spent some time now further refining the design of my pizza slice wedge, mainly in terms of aesthetic design.

I have decided that in order to get a professional looking final artefact I should screen print the design directly onto the card.  There are several reasons for this, firstly the card is too thick to go through a printer, secondly as I want my design the include white ink to make it striking against the brown of the card material it is being made out of.

With this in mind, I created a digital mock-up of the artwork to simulate how it would look on a card background.

Mockup of artwork for my pizza slice holder packaging 

As I am screen printing my design I had to think about layers and grouping elements together as an individual screen will be used for each colour.  I figured that this would also be a good way to keep costs down in the manufacture process.  Although I will be using standard inks for my final prototype as that is all that is available to me, in production I would use vegetable based inks to make the packaging completely sustainable.

As for the seed paper, again my prototype will only suggest this as unfortunately the paper is quite expensive and often sourced from overseas so would take too long to arrive.

In preparation for the screen printing tomorrow, I have created a number of ready cut blank templates for the design to be screened onto.  In the picture you can also see the inspiration for my final artwork.

Back showing seed strip

From artwork and instruction – Plus blanks ready for print

 

GDES3003 – Cob Oven Build

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

Building our own Cob Oven

This week as a group we were asked to get our hands dirty and help with the construction of our very own Cob Oven on the University allotment grounds.

It’s amazing to think that the construction of the oven was completed over just 2 days.  The intention was to have the test firing Friday evening, which in retrospect was a little ambitious particularly given the weather.  We were helped and guided by Matthew from the Fabulous Cob Oven Company, who determined we should allow a week for the cob to dry properly.  So this time next week we’ll be enjoying the fruits of our labours.

All in all it was a fun experience and will hopefully be put to good use for many years to come.

Notes from the build:

• Cob is an ancient building material made from sand, clay, straw and water to help bind it all together.
• The mix is generally 1 part clay to 2 parts sand, this is then trodden & turned to mix together.
• A layer of straw is the added and the process repeated until it is well mixed.
• You can test the mix by making a ball of cob with your hands and then doing the drop test.  If it stay together then it is ready to go.
• The internal dome is constructed out of sand which then gives a solid base and offers support for the Cob as it dries.
• The Cob is then build around and over the sand dome until eventually it meets at the top to complete the structure.
• Cob ovens are often given decorative features – We chose to make sun flare like flames that spread out from the doorway.
• The mixture is then given time to cure fully before the archway for the door is cut out.
• At this point the sand inside will also have dried and can simply be scooped out, revealing the open oven space.
• As the exterior of the structure is also dry by this point t is possible to smooth the finish and carve the small details into the decoration.
• Our oven will have a wooden door.

COB = Sand, Clay, Straw & Water

Be, Meg & Dawn mixing Cob

Treading the Cob mix

The Cob oven approaching completion

Nearly there – This illustrates the internal sand structure and how the Cob was built up

Lecturer Andy on burger & tea duty

Andy’s post apocalyptic stove

Matthew from the Fabulous Cob Company taking 5

Dawn enjoys a well earned cup of tea

The finished Cob Oven – Just needs a little smoothing and refinement

Adding the decoration and final touches

Muddy but happy helpers at the end of the build

A clay bird

GDES3003 – Major Brief Research – Part 3

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

Prototype development

In our previous session we were looking at packaging nets, and more specifically our early prototypes for the 3d artefact section of the major brief.

My concept is based around the ideas of sharing and minimising waste.  Therefore I can up with a pizza wedge concept that tessellates well, meaning minimal waste when printing.  As well as being flat, so stores and transports easily too.

The session was invaluable in terms of feedback, as well as further development of ideas.

We were also asking to go around the room looking at everyone else concepts, before standing by the idea we liked the most.  A number of people stood by my design which was reassuring and helped me know I was on the right path.

Feedback

• They liked the concept, although concerns were raised about the tray section (underside) getting in the way when eating.
• Liked the illustration.
• Though it was fun.
• Commended on thinking about wastage and how it would tesselate/print.
• Liked the pattern created by my tessellation test, could incorporate into design.

Speaking with my lecturer he encouraged me to think further about second life or possible re-use of the packaging.  He suggested seed paper, which then triggered me to think about how the illustration could be brought to life with herbs for hair.

I have since re-vsitied the design and come up with numerous ideas around this revised content.  This development work can be found in my sketchbook.

Research – Seeded Paper

After a brief search through Google I was able to find a number of companies producing seeded paper as well as information on how to grow it.

It also opened my eyes to a wealth of other applications for this material such as; business cards, greeting cards & die-cut shapes.

I think it will work perfectly with my design, minimising waste even further as well as adding a second life to part of the packaging.  It also encourages people to think about where their food comes from and what they can do to be more sustainable/green themselves.

A number of websites that are particularly useful:

http://www.plantableseedpaper.co.uk

http://www.x-seedpaper.co.uk

This link especially useful for FAQ’s : http://www.x-seedpaper.co.uk/faq

http://www.bloomin.com – Beautiful eco cards  & gifts

 

GDES3003 – Worcester Resource Exchange visit

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

Worcester Resource Exchange visit

During reading week at University out Green Design lecturer organised a visit, with brief introduction talk to the Worcester Resource Exchange (WRE) which is a creative re-use charity.

They collect clean, safe waste from local businesses with the intention of saving it from landfill and giving it a second use/life.

A few notes from our intro talk:

• 99% of the resources they collect would end up in landfill.
• They have approximately 107 van loads of materials through their doors per year for commerce.
• Approx. 3,600 shopping trollies worth of materials from the general public.
• There are now only about 80 scrap stores nationwide.
• Their sister company is the Pump House Organisation.
• They have been awarded the Queen’s voluntary award.
• Most materials come from commerce, businesses and industry which would otherwise end up in landfill – e.g. Xmas window display materials (wreaths, tinsel etc) and mannequins from department stores.

As a creative student it really is an amazing resource, and cheap too!  My only complaint is that I didn’t know it was there sooner as I could have put them to good use in previous projects.

Further information on WRE can be found at – http://www.wre.uk.com

A gallery of my pictures from the day can be seen below:

Our welcome host

Very cool CD cover greenhouse

The interior is decorated with the weird and wonderful, like these skeletons

WRE is an Aladdin’s cave of creative goodness

Pots, buckets and barrels full of materials and off-cuts

You don’t have to be a dummy to work here….

Love this sign

An amazing selection of old maps

More maps

The colours and textures are a photographers dream

This looked like unravelled tape…. So desperate to find a use for this 🙂

Material packs gift wrapped

WRE create little craft packs for hand-made plush toys.

GDES3003 – CAT Blog Task

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

CAT Blog Task

1. Had you heard of CAT before you came on this module? If ‘yes’ then please give an idea where you’d heard about them.

A – No I hadn’t.

2. Please respond to the points below. All aspects were raised/discussed in the lecture and workshop on site:

• Power: Decarbonizing our power generation infrastructure via renewables – can it be done, is it feasible? What will it take before changes on the scale suggested by Zero Carbon Britain could happen – government intervention or market forces? Or maybe you picked up on the the nuclear power options available – pros and cons/politics involved. How do you feel about this? Please explain your answer either way and any proactive suggestions..

A – This is a really difficult question to answer.  I suggested during the lecture that whilst we all like to think we do our bit, most of us could do more and it’s about taking responsibility for that.  But then you are asking people to give up certain luxuries or make changes to the life they have become accustomed to/comfortable in which many people will find very hard to do.  I think that the changes and initiatives need to come from higher up the chain in order for them to be passed down/taken on, so in that respect I suspect the changes will need to come from government and industry/commerce.  The biggest negative here is that we could end up being dictated to, which as a democratic nation could prove disastrous. 

• Transport: Decarbonizing our transport infrastructure – electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered – are they feasible/have you heard of them? Air travel – is it feasible to lower it to the levels suggested in Zero Carbon Britain (?) – please explain your answer either way and any proactive suggestions..

A – This is definitely feasible.  Electric & hybrid vehicles have come on enormously in recent years and I can see a definite shift in trends and attitudes towards this technology.  As states above, these changes come about due to industry initiative.  For example every car manufacturer has guidelines that they have to follow to be seen to be doing their bit (eco responsibility).  Air travel is a little more difficult I feel, whilst budget airlines are offering travel at such low costs then why wouldn’t people use them  For many it is now cheaper to holiday abroad than in their own country.  That said, I do believe it  is possible.  Many employers run car share schemes and cycle to work initiatives to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

• Food: Decarbonizing our food infrastructure (according to Zero Carbon Britain) means lessening our reliance on meat and it’s various production methods. When grazing land is freed up, it can be ‘better used’ to grow crops (which ZCB says is a much more efficient use of it). What do you feel about this? Is it feasible? Would you personally want to lessen your meat intake in the week (unless already a vegetarian)? Does the very thought of this annoy you? Please explain your answers and any proactive suggestions in as much detail as possible.

A – From a personal stand point I’m a meat eater and would find it very difficult to live without it.  By nature we are predators and meat eaters so I think it would be wrong to force this on anyone.  I also work out and so understand the importance of protein for my body and muscles to grow and stay strong, there best source of this is through meat, so I wouldn’t want to decrease my meat intake at all. I understand the argument and I do think it would be healthy and a good I dec to get people eating more natural and grown foods.  I’d rather see incentives to remove rubbish, processed, fatty fast foods from our diets with a focus on eating more natural products.

3. Please tell us your thoughts, concerns and/or proactive suggests on the 3x most notable things seen on site at CAT (i.e. it could be one of the specific exhibits seen, or maybe the clever use of materials with specific buildings to help reduce CO2 emissions, or maybe their Cob Oven setup/Covered social area or maybe the food on site etc).

A – As mentioned in my previous post, I did like the social space in the Cob Oven area at CAT.  I was thinking of covers for the oven itself, but they created a canopy covering the whole area which is neat.  I liked the way that natural materials were used throughout and many were used as art on site, such as the wooden sculptures on the walls in the outside eating area.  I also liked the idea of the water balanced hill railway, which unfortunately was out of order during our visit which is a shame as I’d like to have seen that working.  I was also impressed by the tech. used in the lecture hall, namely the compacted earth walls and the rotating skylight cover.

4. Now you’ve had time to reflect, what 3x things gained from the CAT visit might you bring forward into your own ideas and developments for the sustainable packaging brief? Please explain your answers and any proactive suggestions in as much detail as possible.

A – The Cob Oven area gave me a few ideas.  Not so much the oven itself but the social space has made me think more about the human element and how people would enjoy the space together.  The vibe of the place also gives me ideas, I mean materials, colours and themes.  There were up cycled tin cans that each contained different herbs that were grown on site.  I like this idea of re-using things.  Also the hand made metal typography sign that said “Food Store”, as well as all of the natural materials on-site: Slate, stone, wood etc.  The giant slug on the roof of one of the buildings was also very cool.  In fact there were lots of natural art installations throughout the site that I really liked, such as these giant cogs/wheels sticking out of the ground.

One of the many natural art installations at CAT

I took lots of other photos which can vibe found here – CAT Visit 12th Nov 2015

GDES3003 – Centre for Alternate Technology visit – Nov 12th ‘15

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

CAT visit – 12th November 2015

This week our little group huddled together on a rather cosy cross country mini-bus trip to the Centre for Alternate Technology (CAT) in Powys, Wales.

A brief uphill walk from the carpark (the water powered cable-car/lift was out of order) saw us entering the centre.

It was really interesting to see the number of different initiatives and technologies that were in use at the centre.  The only downside being that we barely had time to look at anything as headed straight to the restaurant area for a bite to eat, before being taken into the Sheppard lecture hall for a talk by Ann, one of CAT’s lecturers.

The walls of the lecture theatre were of particular interest as they are made from compacted mud (mud, clay, grit composite) which is extremely hard and structurally strong, not to mention aesthetically very beautiful.  The walls are designed to store heat and also feature a number of vents with sensors in that regulate the temperature in the theatre.  The whole centre is built to be ‘low impact’ with materials sourced locally.

The roof was of particular interest to me as it features a circular cover that can be rotated to reveal a skylight that allows more natural light into the theatre.  It features a really clever pivot and rail system that allows it to spin into/out of place.

The lecture also featured a wider remit of issues for us to consider and discuss, from climate change, eco footprint and bio-diversity reports as well as a number of on screen charts and infographics that showed the effects of climate change over time and by nation.

It was also interesting to learn how they have a computerised booking system for the lecture theatre, from this they are able to regulate the heating so that the room is only warmed as needed and so energy is not wasted when the room is not in use.

References

I took note of a few interesting websites, which I have referenced below:

Hans Roslings’ Gapminder – http://www.gapminder.org

Laura’s Larder – http://blog.cat.org.uk/category/lauras-larder/

WWF Carbon footprint calculator – http://footprint.wwf.org.uk

WWF Biodiversity – http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/

If Bee’s were lost we’d be done for in 3 years!

The above statement was made during the lecture, I’m not sure where it originated but it’s interesting and so I did a little investigation and found this really interesting article :

http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/will-we-all-die-if-honey-bees-disappear/

They also had a cob oven and social eating space around it on site.  I made sure to take photographs as this is obviously of particular interest given our current brief.  I was particularly interested in the space around the cob oven and how CAT had opted to create a seated area and the create a cover over the entire space.

CAT’s Cob Oven

This is the covered, seating area that can be found where the Cob Oven is

The sheltered area had red panelling in some places which created really interesting light. It looked especially beautifully as it was covered by Autumn leaves

Beautiful natural patterns, of which there are many at CAT

To name but some of these themes (there were loads more):
Perceived obsolescence (phones etc), properties of materials, energy efficiency (inc Cob Ovens), climate change, Zero Carbon Britain, The Living Planet Report 2015, Hans Rosling/Gapminder/his mother’s washing machine (TED Talk video), quality of life, decarbonising the economy, travel & food (the most contentious aspect?), Laura’s Larder, the FairPhone (& it’s sustainable packaging), the largest users of resources per person (countries, Living Planet report), the future viablility of air travel, Nuclear Power vs renewables – costings, government cuts/impacts, rammed earth buildings, the Sheppard Theatre/it’s heating/cooling methods, locality of materials.. The list goes on..

(The above is taken from our module blog, but it gives a good overview of subjects that were covered on the day that I may not have mentioned).

Photographs

I also took a number of photographs whilst I was which can be found by following the link below (Couldn’t include them all on this blog due to upload restrictions).

Check my Flickr album here – CAT Trip Photo’s 12/11/15

 

GDES3003 – Green Design – Major Brief Research – Part 2

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

Major Brief – Research – Part 2 – Sustainability

Sustainable Food

A sustainable food system is one that is cultivated with the long-term health of soil and, water and ecosystems in mind; a sustainable food system features safe working conditions for farmers and farmworkers; and a sustainable food system nourishes our body for a lifetime of health.

Allotments

An increase in urban allotments could help us meet the rising demand for food throughout the world, without damaging the Earth’s soils.

One of the greatest challenges facing the growing human population is meeting rising demand for food without undermining the soils on which food production – and other services such as carbon storage, flood mitigation and locking up pollutants – depends.

However, the heyday for allotments was during World War Two, when 10 per cent of the UK’s food came from less than 1 per cent of its cultivated land thanks to the expansion of own growing under the Dig for Victory campaign. At that time, one in three households in Leicester had an allotment but following a national decline in demand, today Leicester’s allotment plots number only 3200 and cover just 2 per cent of urban green space although the city is the second highest provider of allotments nationwide.

As well as improving food security, studies show that own-growing has direct physical and mental health benefits, and can provide access to sustainably produced fruit and vegetable crops without the associated food miles.

(Source – http://facultyofscience.shef.ac.uk/allotments-could-be-key-to-sustainable-farming-study-finds/)

• The Dig for Victory campaign & associated imagery/style could be used to brand the allotment space in a fun & interesting way.

Owning your own allotment can be a very sociable experience and can also improve both physical and mental health. Just 30 minutes of working on your allotment can burn around 150 calories! Time spent out in the sunshine boosts vitamin D levels (but remember to top up your sunscreen) and this enjoyable activity is also known to increase serotin levels, making you feel happier and healthier.

The environmental benefits are also significant, with food miles and your carbon footprint being reduced by eating locally and seasonally and being able to walk to and from your nearby plot. Allotments provide essential habitats for wildlife in urban communities, helping to increase biodiversity in built-up areas.

(Source – http://www.sustainablemerton.org/benefits-of-allotment-gardening/)

Additional Links

I have included a number of additional sources of information, many of which we have investigated during lectures are that have been recommended by the course tutor.

Measuring your own Carbon Footprint (or getting an idea of) at:
http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard: Excellent 20 min film – role of advertising, ‘work, watch, spend’ cycle, commercialism & planned and perceived obsolescence etc..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GorqroigqM

TED – Are Mushrooms the New Plastic? (2010) (10 mins).
http://www.ted.com/playlists/28/sustainability_by_design.html

TED – Paper Beats Plastics? (18 mins)
http://www.ted.com/playlists/28/sustainability_by_design

Reading List

I have also looked at numerous printed resources, including:

• Designing Sustainable Packaging – Scott Boylston
• Eco Packaging Design

GDES3003 – Green Design – Main Brief Research & Roughs

GDES3003 – GREEN DESIGN

Main Brief Research 3 – Packaging (Green & Otherwise)

Definition of Sustainable Packaging

The criteria presented here blend broad sustainability and industrial ecology objectives with business considerations and strategies that address the environmental concerns related to the life cycle of packaging. These criteria relate to the activities of the packaging value chain and define the areas in which we actively seek to encourage transformation, innovation, and optimization. We believe that by successfully addressing these criteria, packaging can be transformed into a closed loop flow of packaging materials in a system that is economically robust and provides benefit throughout its life cycle—a sustainable packaging system.

Sustainable packaging:

1. Is beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle
2. Meets market criteria for performance and cost
3. Is sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy
4. Optimizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials
5. Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices
6. Is made from materials healthy throughout the life cycle
7. Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy
8. Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles

(Source – http://sustainablepackaging.org/uploads/Documents/Definition%20of%20Sustainable%20Packaging.pdf)

Further research on sustainable packaging can be found in one of my previous blog posts – See here

Sustainable Packaging Materials

The company London Bio Packaging produce all manner of eco food packaging products.  Some of the more popular materials are:

• Bio Plastics – Plastics made from plants
• Plant Starch – Plant Starch Material (PSM) is a flexible bio based packaging material which has not been refined into a bio-plastic
• Sugar Bagasse – Waste material produced once sugar cane has been harvested for the sugar syrup is called bagasse
• Recycled Plastic – rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) is the most common plastic that is being recycled back into primary applications
• Recycled Paper – Sustainable forest paper ensures that the forests from which the paper comes and managed so as not destroy the forest, to promote biodiversity and protect any indigenous peoples
• Forest Wood – wooden products are made from renewable plant resource which can be formed into a variety of packaging and products
• Palm Leaf – Products are natural, compostable and biodegradable. They are very stylish, tough and heat resistant

Palm leaf is really interesting as it has the potential to be very beautiful, hard wearing and is completely sustainable and natural.

London Bio describe it as:  Wholeleaf products have no pulp, no starch, just a washed and pressed leaf. The palm leaf itself varies in thickness from 2 to 4mm, as well as in colour and pattern, so you will find that they vary in thickness, colour and pattern too.

Detailed information can be found here – LondonBioPackaging

(Source – http://www.londonbiopackaging.com/about-our-products/our-materials/)

Pizza Box Design

As one of the most simple and appealing (especially to students) meals it is possible to prepare using the cob oven, I decided to focus my attention on ideas for pizza box design.

As usual I set up a Pinterest board to collate the designs that I found most interesting, or gave me inspiration to execute my own ideas.  A selection of ideas I like can be seen below.

Initial Rough’s

I then set about creating a few thumbnail sketches based on my initial thoughts/ideas.  I think at this stage I will need to revisit these ideas and think again as at this stage I haven’t had a ‘eureka moment’.  There are a couple of ideas that with further development and consideration of material could offer potential though.

Pizza slice serving ideas

Pizza box ideas

e-resource design considerations

Grow your own