Long time...

Wow it has been ages since I posted anything. After turning my business away from design that was harmful to the planet, and focusing on sustainable graphic design, I have been too busy to post!

This makes me so happy, not just because it means I can still put food on my table, but because it means that business WANTS sustainability factored into their graphic design. Most people that I talk to about it haven't ever considered it before, but as soon as I explain how it's possible to design solutions that are as environmentally-friendly as possible, they are on board. 

Not only on board, but spreading the word.

Amazing to think that only two years ago, the general consensus was that I was crazy to take such an ethical stand. 

Sustainable graphic design widgets at over a thousand downloads

Amazing.. there are now 1038 sustainable graphic design widgets hanging out on people's Macintosh dashboards and iPhones all over the world; from Kuwait to Sweden, Argentina to Germany and so many right here in Oz. If even one eighth of those downloaders use it, then it will have been worth all the effort!

Sustainable Graphic Design Widget: 582 downloads in one week!

The main goal of my Masters research was to provide easy access for graphic designers to information on sustainable graphic design.

My research showed that Apple Macintosh is by far the preferred platform for the Australian graphic designers needing to access this information. In response, I designed a small, stand-alone piece of scripted software, called a “dashboard widget” as an informative tool. 

Containing information on print processes, paper issues, and some definitions, ideas and links to other resources, the widget will run with or without an internet connection.

The sustainable graphic design widget is now active. It has been downloaded 500 times, and featured on design blogs & sites around the world. I have had many lovely emails and comments, keep them coming!

The widget has been granted the Softpedia 100% clean software award, and can be downloaded for free from the apple website. 
Suitable for MAC 10.4 and up.

Tshirt design

So I thought I'd be a bit "Adbuster-ish" and make some t-shirts at a screenprinting workshop I signed up for. No, I didn't use bamboo or organic cotton, I used some blank grey marle cotton t-shirts I had left over from a print job about 5 years ago. Recycling YAY!

Basically I learned not to try and do a difficult register on my second ever t-shirt print. THis is the best of the bunch, and I will wear them around happily. I was glad to learn how to do it properly though, and kept this screen in case I want to try again.

I think my next one will be mostly white with just some scrabbly bits of secondary colour that overprint. I want to do some with a really cutting but simple message on it. I want everyone to wear one when we overthrow our corporate overlords.

Can mushrooms save the world?

Make a cuppa, get comfortable and watch Paul Stamets give a 17 minute talk on his research on fungi. Really amazing stuff. There may be hope for us yet.