NOTICED
 34 percent of consumers say they feel much more concerned about environmental issues today than a year ago.
And 30 million Americans - that’s the population of NYC four times over - consider themselves “strongly concerned” about the environment. (Thank you, Yankelovich Inc.)
To summarize: The green segment has “opportunity” written all over it. We’ve watched Wal-Mart go organic, Honda go natural (natural gas, that is) - and who was calculating carbon footprints five years ago?
As green marketing continues to relate to consumers on a more personal level, researchers anticipate that the green market will keep on growing. When companies effectively communicate the benefits of their socially responsible products and services, we feel an emotional connection to them. And then we buy them again.
Ann Willoughby penned an article for Communication Arts magazine
titled “Sustainability:
Driving innovation in design and business.” In it, she describes her work on the Strathmore Sustainability Portfolio (shown below) and her learnings on the benefits of corporate social responsibility.
As consumers strive to balance beauty and responsibility in their buying decisions, she writes, “companies investing in both design and sustainability have a measurable competitive advantage.”
WORK
New Leaf Paper is a leader in developing environmentally-responsible office paper. For their new school supply product line, we prototyped several dozen designs for the 12-18 age group and then tested the favorites with local teens. In the end, we developed five stylish products to stand out among commodity paper goods by combining style with a 100-percent recycled message.
Available at most Office
Depot stores this month.
To help launch Mohawk’s reformulated Strathmore Writing paper line,
now made with postconsumer waste and wind power, we curated, wrote
and designed the “Strathmore Sustainability Portfolio: Sustainability/Designability.”
It features inspiring stories from six corporate sustainability leaders:
Tricycle
Inc., Aspen
Skiing Co., Monterey
Bay Aquarium, Herman
Miller and Seventh
Generation.
Download PDFs of the portfolio and full interview transcripts at the Willoughby website or the Mohawk website, or contact your local Mohawk representative for a hard copy.
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IN THE HIVE
Talking
’bout my jeaneration
Our first project with premium denim designer Tierra Del Forte was to
promote the innovative campaign “Project Rejeaneration” - where Del
Forte wearers send back their jeans to be repurposed into new fashions.
Now, we are working to develop the brand’s updated identity. The Del Forte
organic cotton denim line is grown and sewn in the U.S. and is available
at premium retailers across the country. Visit delforte.com.
US
Freewheelin’ Willoughbee
We’re continually amazed at designer Chris Jones’s perseverance to bike to work every day - a 20-mile roundtrip from his house. (Ann is wondering if it counts to buy carbon credits from him...)
Not only does Chris design high-profile consumer packaging, but at 6'5", he also has a very high profile.
ACCOLADES
re-nourish.com+Willoughby
re-nourish.com, an online source for supporting sustainable practices in the graphic design industry, has listed Willoughby as one of its Green Design Firms. Eric Benson, the site’s manager, writes, “Willoughby is using an effective approach to educate their clients and vendors. They’re simply switching out old habits with new environmentally friendly ones.”
Speaking
of sustainability...
Been noticing random Ann Willoughby spottings across the U.S.? No,
she’s not lost, she’s just the keynote speaker. Ann's inspiring point of view empowers the design community to help shape the vision for a sustainable world. After successful presentations in Philadelphia, Kansas City and Chicago over the past year, Ann will
return to Philadelphia for a double feature on Oct. 23:
Sensoria, an informative seminar put on by Pomco Graphic Arts
Central
Lewmar, Philly’s largest designer paper show
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