Blog 3 - Trevor Brooks

Kuulture

Along with the concepts of sustainability and value that designs and the designers have to facilitate, those that design in the food industry are also burdened with the task of these two concepts as well as the concept of promotion of health. Kullture, is one of the few shops / food disturbers that handle this task very well.

http://www.kuulture.com/

In a world off loud and abrasive marketing Kuulture stands out as that quiet kid in the corner that doesn’t bother anyone. The colors and general layout of its brand are visually appeasing and have the idea of Easter egg hunts or backyard gatherings with friends and family. While similar to other health vendors such as Jamba Juice, instead of relying on graphics or statistics it lets its simple design appeal the consumer as something that would catch the corner of there eye from there it’s a matter of solid product and word of mouth. The final touch of design and reference is in choice of color selections and the similarities to the actual color of the yogurt itself, and with the toppings themselves.

While at the time of its creation I don’t think the connection between its brand and the sub-culture of “hipsters” was ever proposed, not withstanding it is there. This connection between the two, creates a bond from this social clique to the vendor to even further the word of mouth.

From a pure sustainability point Kullture excels as a self-sustained environment. Serving frozen yogurt, they are able to recycle the product that they do not sell in a given period due to the nature of the yogurt itself.
http://www.kuulture.com/nutrition/

This cycle limits the amount of dependence they have on vendors for their primary product, and are only dependent on vendors for toppings and flavoring agents. The products they pass on to the consumer (cups / bowls / spoons) are all 100% bio degradable and made up originally of recycled plastics and papers.

To say that Kullture is a eco-friendly location would be a stretch though, while they are at this moment a eco vendor I don’t’ know if that was ever the intention. Instead I would think they had the means of people friendly in mind and the natural evolution of the market and of the goods they are offering paved the way towards there green efforts.

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BP Gas & Oil

The two major concepts that I took from both of the readings and have been seeing over and over these last few years in design is the ideas of sustainability and eco-friendly actions / appearances. With that said cue in:

http://www.bp.com/bodycopyarticle.do?categoryId=1&contentId=7052055

For the most part the general opinion of oil and gas companies is that they are a means to the end of planetary destruction. Conoco, Shell, Dynaco, Shamrock and other companies all share this stigma. BP gas and Oil in the last 5 years have managed to turn this opinion about them as a company and partially the entire industry slightly askew. The new design of BP has replaced its standard logo with a symbol / figure similar to a giant sunflower Replacing their logo with an environmentally friendly / iconic image replaces there position as just another gas station / oil company but as the first (and only at the time) gas station / oil company that actually cared about the environment they were reaping there product from. The choice of colors supports there new eco friendly branding, the bright green and yellow reflect the iconic colors of the earth (green) and the life giving rays of sunlight (yellow), the shape of the sunflower as well can be suggested as a metaphor for the sun passing out rays.

http://www.bp.com/iframe.do?categoryId=9030821&contentId=7056949

There adapting to a semi eco-company has allowed for them to both publicly as well as psychically generate interest as a self – sustained company. By promotion green technology in their products they leave a lighter impact on the earth which in turn gives them a better placement in a PR sense and may help the natural resources last long thus keeping them as a business together longer then say Conoco who hasn’t really adapted the eco mentality other then in press releases.

This replacement of their logo can be summed up with the rationasiiance verbiage. They have taken a blend of multiple subjects (iconinogphy, geology, color theory, business) and have merged them into the new logo which is as iconic as the sunflower it is based off of.

Valve

While Valve as a company isn’t any more eco-friendly or less then other gaming companies the products the company itself as well as its communications with the company and its adaption of its brand according to its consumers demands / requests I think warrant it a spot for this blog.

http://www.valvesoftware.com/

From a product standpoint Valve is known for its quality of games and its Steam service (downloadable and purchasable PC games that the user downloads directly). For the most part all of Valves direct products involve some form of a first person shooter then has a retro / art deco feel or belong directly into the sci-fi genre. What makes this unique is that valves branding as a whole reflects both these genres. From the homepage, its implemention of watermarks and its trademarked logos they all reflect a some form of these two genres. The valve logo is taken directly from its most popular game series and even if you didn’t’ know who valve was directly, if you knew the game you know the company that owned it by this simple symbol. The general feeling of everything that valve touches and produces is cycled through its design process and vice versa. With nearly every game and product that is released by Valves production studios there brand assimilates some iconic imagery. Not only does this create a loyal fan base and communicates a mutual love for there product that the fans have, it also shows a loyalty to the staff that produce the games because what work they did will always live on with the Valve brand.

For connections to the PDFs Valve fallows the concepts of Sensuctive and Responsibiz completely. All of there products and the means that they produce the products are created in a fair sense of labor quality for the staff and the expectations that the consumers may not have a completely powerhouse computer or a console, so everything they make is well rounded to the largest market possible. In a gaming sense all of their games are made with intention that one day the users themselves will adapt and modify them to their own liking, and depending on the status of the game and the mods (modification) popularity the company may officially adopt this mod and market it freely its consumer base.

Blog #3

Container Store

http://www.containerstore.com

The Container Store has everything you can imagine to organize all that clutter that resides in your home or office. They don’t overdo their designs in order to get that “clean” look that is desired. When reading the “5 Key Design Trends” , I came across Rationaissance which described the Container Store perfectly. The brand is “stylish, functional and iconic” and it “balances simple with sophisticated and the discrete with the bold”. Although saying that we “need” this company in a “world that is more and more complex” is quite literal, it is true. It is a hectic and chaotic world and if I had to come home to more chaos I would lose my mind. It is true that “we humans react negative when we are not in charge if our own comforts”. The Container Store allows a person to have control over their unorganized clutter, which makes people enjoy their brand even more.

Etsy

http://www.etsy.com

Etsy is a website that allows artists/designers to sell their stuff. This could be art that ranges in anything from paintings/sculptures, to clothing, or furniture. My favorite area of the site is the handmade clothing http://www.etsy.com/category/clothing. The clothing seems to be so innovative and crafted with such care, that I take pride in wearing stuff I buy from other artists/designers. Buying from a designer that makes very few of certain things helps create that authenticity in the garment. This could fit under the design trend of Sensuctive because I find that I emotionally connect with a piece of clothing I like. Specifically because I know no other will have the EXACT same jacket. I tend to think “I NEED that!”, when I don’t really need $130 coat, I just want something that a Target or Kohls doesn’t sell.

Crate and Barrel

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/eco-friendly-products/

Crate and Barrel is becoming a popular brand known for sustainability. They state that, for them “green is not a trend. It’s an ongoing mission”. Crate and Barrel seems to fit into all seven sustainability categories, but it best fits under the environmental influence because the brand has become responsible, healthy and resource-economic. The brand believes “that the best place to conserve and protect our natural resources is at home. At our company “home” in Northbrook, Illinois, we have prioritized developing thoughtful new products, manufacturing processes and programs to expand the responsible choices we offer our customers. While our collection has featured renewable woods and sustainable materials for a number of years, we are now introducing important initiatives that will help make our homes more thoughtful environments”. I truly believe that Crate and Barrel has become one of the number one brands in sustainability because their design is a success factor that creates attraction and adds new communicative possibilities for them.

Number Three. IKEA, method, Studio7Designs

Design trends are currently shifting towards simplicity and sustainability and there is one company that really stands out as going above and beyond in both categories. IKEA is a company and a brand that is known for its “affordable solutions for better living” but they have really embraced this to the fullest.

IKEA is a global company that produces furniture and textiles for every room in your house at prices that are affordable for all budgets. This one stop shop also offers a full experience for the consumer. IKEA-LAND in New York City is a perfect example of a brand that touches on the David Reports 5 Key Brand Trends as well as the statement “Design is hence all about satisfying needs, solving problems and attracting us towards new experiences.” In NYC consumers first board a boat that takes them over to the ‘island’ that houses the massive furniture store. Once inside you grab your map of the showroom floor and start following the arrows on the floor that lead you in and out of the many kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, studio, and even two bedroom apartments that they have set up to show you what your home could be like. Their attention to detail makes venturing to IKEA a full day activity that is fun for every member of the family.

Beyond selling furniture IKEA is about experience. I believe that this is the key factor in the sustainability of the brand. They are also a company that is very eco-conscious and prides themselves “taking responsibility for people and the environment is a prerequisite for doing good business.” Check out all the pages on their website that are dedicated to this statement.http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/our_responsibility/index.html

And the second best thing people always remember about their trip to IKEA besides the amazing furniture; the delicious meatballs! Now how’s that for consumer experience!

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The second David Report focuses entirely on sustainability and good design and how all companies need to make this their priority. Method is a company that is at the top of its game in providing the perfect combination of eco consciousness and sexy design.http://www.methodhome.com/

Method provides cleaning products that range from home cleaning, laundry, personal, air cleaning, to products for baby; and all of them come with a “cleaner clean” guarantee. They use all natural ingredients that create products that are environmentally safe but still as effective as harsh cleaning chemicals. Their packaging is incredibly unique and simplified and they really just focus on the product itself.

Everything they create speaks to the points discussed when concerning design and sustainability; Environmental Influence, Innovative development, affectivity, aesthetics, multi-quality, authenticity, and compatibility. From personal experience I can say that what they are doing is working, Method is the first product that catches my eye on the shelves of the supermarket and after using their product for several years I know that everything they offer is well worth the money.

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Studio 7 Designs is a design firm that offers web, logo, branding, and design services all with an eco-conscious backbone. They specialize in creating works for socially and environmentally conscious companies while still upholding themselves to creating designs of the highest caliber. They work with clients world wide and offer ways for start-up companies to receive funding for their ideas which creates a world wide community.

In the articles Faith Popcorn is asked what direction she sees design going in the future and her response was “Reusable, Sustainable, didn’t hurt anyone/thing to get here.” Studio 7 is already working towards this. As a company their offices are solar and wind powered, they avoid using paper as much as possible, and have recycling programs in place. On top of all that they donate a portion of all their profits to myclimate.org, which helps them offset their carbon foot-print.

As a brand Studio 7 Designs is very forward thinking in both how they present themselves and the services they provide. They are already operating in a way that many companies are working towards. Check them out they create some pretty sweet stuff as well! http://www.studio7designs.com/

lynch blog 3

The David Report focused entirely on sustainability and good design is the first example I am using. "Sprouts farmers markets" grocery store, represent authenticity well. "How can we use the knowledge and authenticity from handicraft and local heritage in a global industrial context?" Well Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market's distinctive format and friendly staff offers a bright, cheery shopping experience that has been its cornerstone since the founders, the Boney family, opened their first produce stand in 1943. The store takes you back to a more simple time, when every one new everyone else and you new where your food was coming from. the stores feature natural, organic and favorite indulgence foods that are locally grown when available. So the Sprouts in Colorado will get a lot of its produce from local farmers while the Sprouts in Arizona is not getting its stuff from the Colorado farmers but from the Arizona farmers close to its location.
The color pallet used is very earth tone, and the font very organic. It to takes you to a slower paced more relaxed time that you remember from the past. http://sprouts.com/home.php

The second comes based off of the second David report "The RATIONAISSANCE trend springs from design history. But it’s at the same time (and perhaps because of that) a trend for the future which in a liberating way rebel against the dictates of modernism and minimalism. In a way design is about merging the past, present and the future. If we fail in doing so it all becomes rather dull because of the lack of history. RATIONAISSANCE is about going beyond the short term and fleeting trends." I think "the Sharper image" is a perfect example of this. It takes every day stuff, stuff that we see every day and puts a new twist, and a new flair to it. It takes something that is functional and makes it iconic. Something that in all purposes is the same as it was 50 years ago but adds a small yet very drastic change to it to give it a new breath of life.http://www.sharperimage.com/default.html?gclid=CNCcyp73qqACFRJWagod4RxkZw

And for the 3rd I go back to the first David report. Colorado Fresh Markets represents "environmental influence" well. This company is "responsible, healthy, resource-economic" all in one. The average piece of produce travels 2000 miles before it reaches you and with each day loses more of its nutritional value. Shopping at Colorado Fresh Markets helps local family farmers stay in business, preserves quality local food sources for Colorado while using less resources, and most importantly, provides you with access to the freshest and most nutritious produce available. http://www.coloradofreshmarkets.com/index.html

Erin Lee Blog #3

Branding plays a central role when communicating to the marketplace in the Allegro Coffee Company, Seventh Generation Inc., and in Dessert Essence products by providing the consumer with a story of how beneficial their products are not just for the body but for the world.

The Allegro Coffee Company is firmly established in a humanistic approach with its products and communities. In 2004, Allegro became 100% replanted by committing to replant five trees in the coffee growing regions for every tree’s worth in paper used by the company. The Thornton, Colorado location is a 100% wind-powered facility which assists to differentiate them compared to a coffee company like Folgers who has no qualms with leveraging the Folgers brand with an existing portfolio of iconic brands that do not support sustainability or responsible by nature ideals.

Allegro has a very unique brand design, it is a very Earth friendly color palette, with greens, browns and shades of lighter beige. When looking at the design of their website, it’s an experience of the real deal. It’s a narrative through sensorial design that tells the story of scents, tastes, and knowledge that enjoyment from Allegro is environmentally and deliciously wholesome.

Allegro: (http://www.allegrocoffee.com/main/do/Business_Practices)
Folgers: (http://folgers.com/about-us/folgers-history.aspx)

Seventh Generation Inc. is a major player in Eco-Friendly honesty. This company is established in their products circular life-cycle, meaning natural resources are being used and renewed at a rate that is always below their rate of depletion. They promote an honest consideration in the immediate impact of their products on the Earth.
Seventh Generation is multi-faceted because their design is a direct reflection of their Green Mission. This is company is designed to help consumers make a greener choice by using non-toxic ingredients in their products. Seventh Generation is based in heritage because they are committed to treating consumers and employees with respect. Seventh Generation, in alliance with the Whole Planet Foundation, help to provide funds for micro-credit loan programs abroad and in the United States. The loans, made to women, are aimed at helping alleviate poverty through entrepreneurship.

Seventh Generation (

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/)
(http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/empowering-women-through-micro-credit)

Dessert Essence is devoted to innovative developments in change from harmful ingredients to natural and organic ingredients that are beneficial for the body and Earth through high quality products that emphasize the importance of self-improvement naturally. Dessert Essence has a very fresh design, meaning all of their products have colorful, uniquely styled labeling. Images that make a consumer want to touch, taste and smell the ingredients and the product. This helps to communicate their mission by not only the designed elements but also the fact that on every product consumers can see the wind powered seal, which helps to eliminate the “green-washing” effect because now the consumers knows that this company is attempting to reduce their carbon footprint.

Dessert Essence (http://www.desertessence.com/ingredients)

Blog III

Blog 3 by Jeremy Pape

Scion

Target

Red Bull

In one of the David Reports that we read, it quoted Dieter Rams quite a bit. The ten examples of what design is really stuck out in my mind, and I tried to find different brands that are conquering the market place. After reading that, what I took from my overall research is that good design will not be a trend, that will determine what brands fail and what brands have the sustainability factor. As a result the route I took to decipher this blog response was, finding three brands that I feel use strong design to capitalize on sustainability and the five key design trends as listed in the David Report issue 10, October 2008.

The first brand that I voted upon was Target. It started my train of thought and the idea was influenced by the David Report readings. Upon arriving at the home page there are two main links that pop right out at you, almost capturing the essance to what Targets design is so great. The first link (http://dailydeals.target.com/?ref=sc_iw_ss_1), is a daily deals page. However, the design and aesthetic of the page does not feel cheap or second class at all. It goes after the intangibles of what we as consumers may want and puts them on one simple page for us. The daily deals page almost feels as if it was created for us because of the updated nature of it as well as the text to go along with the items. The innovative development of this idea is just one reason why Target’s clean, and thoughtful design, attracts us at such a personal level. The second link is promoting their new “fashion” line (http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_ss/?node=1294293011). I say “fashion” because even thought Target would not be considered high fashion by any stretch, the way in which the market and their attention to detail within design gives the illusion that your are buying high fashion at remarkable low costs. To me this is an example of breaking the boundaries, because it used to be that you must pay a high price to feel like your were wearing something worth while. However, Target’s design appeal is that you feel like you are buying something much higher class, and all the emotion joys that go along with it, at a bargain price. I believe that much of the reason Target can be a smidgen more pricey than Wal-Mart, but still have just as much profit is due to the fact, that when your buy something from Target, you are also getting the emotional feeling of simple joy.

The second brand that popped up when thinking about design and its longevity was Red Bull. The design the Red Bull has developed is one that is authentic to the demographic that it is directed towards. The emerging twenty something culture that likes to live life on the edge, whether it is through, sports, music or what have you, Red Bull stays true to those people and what interests them (http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Red-Bull-Home/HolyShit/011242746208542). Just the focus of pushing life to the edge in everything that we do comes out in Red Bull’s design. The color scheme or red and yellow is more warm, high energy colors that also relates back to the main message. You could most definitely describe Red Bull as “cooltural”. It really takes the aspects of a certain “tribe” or demographic and capitalizes upon that through design, and really allows the people of the tribe to build upon what makes Red Bull for them (http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Article/What-is-Art-of-Can--021242750654338?p=1242751088355).

The final company that has design at the forefront of their branding is the automobile company Scion (http://www.scion.com/). Scion really captures the value of engaging the customer. So often when looking for a car you must settle for what is out there. Scion takes their great design and puts it in your hands (http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_iw_ss/?node=1294293011). You can create and customize your own car, allowing you to feel like this car was built just for you, and it was. The fact the many other companies i.e. NikeID or even Hallmark Greeting Cards are also understanding that, we as consumers like to feel as if we are the one and onlys. This product was tailored to us and we had a hand in crafting it. This gives Scion the credibility and authenticity needed for us to trust it and its design, there in turn delivering sustainability.

Blog 3 - RJG

Eco-Products

http://www.ecoproducts.com/va-cms/history.html

Boulder-based Eco-Products uses the new trends in sustainability to produce a minimal carbon footprint in paper consumer goods. Their products range from cups and plates to cutlery and cases, all made from compostable goods (corn plastic and sugarcane specifically). This company isn’t trying to jump on the bandwagon for better profits; they have been pursuing eco-friendly products since 1990. It wasn’t until 2005 however, that Eco-products began manufacturing its own products rather than operating strictly as a distributor of goods. The business model adopted the use of corn-based plastics to work better with higher heat uses.

After talking in detail with a rep of Eco-Products, it appears as though companies spend about 15-20% more on the compostable goods over the traditional products used, but this is an investment, which more and more companies are willing to make, as ethical and environmental consciousness becomes more important to a company’s specific consumer base.

http://www.chebahut.com/articles/waste-not-want-not.html

Cheba Hut (16^th and Champa) uses eco-products exclusively, and has practically eliminated their overall waste output, by having customer’s separate their trash into 3 different containers (recyclable, compostable, and chip bags, which are donated to a specific charity.) The extra effort is facilitated by Eco-Products who advertise the minimal carbon footprint of the sandwich shop.

Eco-products have become a stamp of approval for a demographic that cares about environmental sustainability and waste consciousness. There products are not the most innovative visually, but the design is catered to the specified needs of the consumer. There are certain subtleties which appear to be specific design choices, such as a larger ridge on their plastic coffee lids (http://www.ecoproducts.com/va-cms/hot_cups.html), and an elegant, minimalist theme to their cutlery that sets them apart from traditional plasticware(http://www.ecoproducts.com/va-cms/cutlery.html). Environmentally minded customers feel drawn to support businesses that use eco-products, and both eco-products and the purchaser turn profits. Win, win, win.

Metaform Studio

http://www.metaformstudio.com/index.html

A second company that promotes sustainability in their design is metaform studio, which uses found materials and recycled wooden palettes and FSC woods, ensuring that any materials were properly harvested to make the product.

This company charges a premium for their products, with lights ranging anywhere from $350 to $1400. With the slogan “sustainable living illuminated,” I wonder if, unlike Eco-Products, metaform studio is promoting sustainability in their work to latch on to the sustainability trend or to justify potentially outrageous costs of lamps.

Regardless of their actual motives, their products cater to many of the key design trends as discussed in the October 2008 issue of the David Report.

Each piece constructed of found materials (crates, palettes, etc) will undoubtedly be unique. The tower light (http://www.metaformstudio.com/collection/tower.html) priced at a meager $1400 is one such example.

Originally I thought this piece to be ridiculously over-priced, and simply a coy attempt for the company to try an capitalize on the new sustainability trend to justify a significant cost for their product. However, upon further contemplation, I decided that if I ordered multiple “Tower Lights,” I would receive multiple unique sculptures of found wood, which also happened to be light sources for a room. To brand the lights as Art first, with use second, one could justify the cost of each individual piece.

There is an allure for individualism in our culture, and objects such as the “Tower Light” satiate those desires. To have the object partially made of recycled materials is an added benefit, assuring the customer of the environmental gratitude associated with purchasing this product.

There is a tribal quality associated with purchasing a product such as the “Tower Light,” especially if the materials used to create it were found within the local area for which it was sold. It would transform the purpose of lighting a room into starting a conversation. There is a seduction in having a piece of artwork that tells multiple stories, and a piece such as the “Tower Light” could do that.