Group Project by Jamel Jama, Jacqueline Yang, and Aishwarya Sanchety
Our initial inquiry was to ask whether designers can solve problems without creating any, and the answer we came to is no. Still, we can reduce the intensity of the problems created by looking to reusability as a solution. Mass production and consumerism have led to a throwaway culture where single-use items have taken over as a norm. The problem with this is the level of pollution increasing worldwide, and with it comes the destruction of habitats on land and in the ocean threatening animal and plant life.
With our final project, we decided to focus on reusability to draw attention to the ecological damage caused by single-use polyethylene plastic bags. Initially, we started creating posters to encourage the use of plastic bags. On further analysis, we realised that our posters almost encouraged the use of reusable plastic bags, rather than looking for alternatives. These were some of our initial explorations:
FINAL COLLECTION:
Eventually, we moved on to reusable tote bags. We decided to feature reusable bags as an alternative to plastic bags by creating bold visual posters with a unique visual aesthetic combined with a positive message that uses fun slogans to spark a conversation about plastic bag use and how we can all reduce its usage. These posters were printed on recycled paper.
After our final critique, we realised that our posters looked very commercialised. It felt like we were trying to sell these particular tote bags, rather than encourage reusing any bag you might have at home. We came to the conclusion that the posters would have more of an impact if we were to use photographs of people using their own reusable bags. Following a similar editorial aesthetic but focusing on bags that already exist rather than creating new designs. In addition, we want to explore different printing methods to make the process more sustainable.