Welcome To Wasteland

Every time you go online, you're leaving behind a carbon footprint. How do you think sustainably with something omnipresent and not of physical nature? There is no visual cue that reminds us of our internet consumption (like a stack of takeaway coffee cups can serve). Abiding by the principles and ethics of the exhibition itself; projects by designers who have upcycled unconventional waste materials, offering insights into how one might approach the issue of waste and what exciting new opportunities this can bring -- we define how good design can be used to mitigate the digital waste of our online antics.

We saw exhibitors up-cycling unconventional waste materials and taking experimental yet informed approaches, we took the same approach and looked at the perceived insignificance of waste within the digital space. From discoveries made, we decided to create a solar powered web server and website to house the brand but also educate what a sustainability looks like when creating digitally. A hand held ink jet gun enabled us to completely subtract printing and vinyl decal from the equation, minimising our carbon footprint for all exhibit signage. Closing the event with a BYO cup initiative, meant our approach was end to end.

Designers from varied disciplines, backgrounds used ‘creative reuse’ as method to innovate, educate and stimulate environmental awareness whilst showcasing what opportunities good design can foster — from tangible (physical objects), to the intangible (the digital space). We led by example for a digital industry that is unknowingly aware of its significant energy consumption and the toll this has on the environment in today's society. Using the power of design to help broadcast this message to a contemporary setting, inspiring to create change, showing a display of how effective a DIY attitude can be with something that is omnipresent and rarely considered.

We carried a green, environmental mindset throughout every little aspect of this project; — Use of branding for effective communication to intended audience whilst broadcasting a meaningful message to stimulate awareness. — Sustainable web design techniques to compliment a lo-tech web server, with limited battery and energy resources (dithering images, static site structure, offline RSS feed and server caching). — ‘On demand printing’ for a zero waste production of the exhibition space signage, didactics, etc. — Closing the event with a well received, BYO cup initiative. We were able to innovate, by amplifying the limitations of the design challenge, creating an end to end experience.