By Contributing Writer Melissa Chungfat.

Design Goes Green - The first of a series of articles by Green Printer on the cross-section between the environment, business and the creative communications industry.

Every day we hear about companies going under and pub meals having more value than bank stocks. At at time when profits are low across the nation, some company executives think that now is not the time to implement environmental initiatives. So why did companies committed to sustainability in 2008 perform better that those that didn’t?

Management consulting firm A.T. Kearney did a study comparing the performances of  99 companies with strong commitments to sustainability against industry averages from May to November 2008. Companies that leaned towards green outperformed industry averages by 15% over the six months in 16 of the 18 industries.

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Green business owners are realizing that green marketing and design is a business asset that’s here to stay as momentum in the green movement builds. The graphic design industry is responding by opening more and more dialogues about sustainability and greening their practices. In this vein, Incite / Insight 2008 in Chicago focuses on the importance of green design.

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Simran Sethi, host of the Sundance Channel’s The Green will moderate a panel on the green redesign of tornado devastated Greensburg, KS. The green salon will feature BNIM Architects’ urban planner, Stephen Hardy and Greentown director, Daniel Wallach. The Sundance Channel will screen segments from The Good Fight Series.

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Sustainability has become a buzz word in the design industry. Graphic design industry magazines such as HOW and Communication Arts are publishing articles (and even entire issues) devoted to green design regularly. Designers are starting to pay attention and change the way they work.

Sustainable and eco-conscious design has been a long time in the making, but the proliferation of web sites and resources on the subject in recent years and months shows that momentum is building. One growing resource, AIGA Center for Sustainable Design, represents, to me, a benchmark in the green design movement.

AIGA, the professional association for design, is a major force in the design industry. The fact that they have begun paying attention to green design represents a big step in the right direction. AIGA is the oldest and largest membership association for professional designers. Accordingly, designers tend to pay attention to AIGA, and hopefully to its sustainability resources.

 The Center for Sustainable Design provides a discussion forum, green design news, event information, case studies, and information on sustainability all in a well-designed, easy to digest web site. The site has grown from almost nothing to an invaluable tool for any designer concerned with sustainability. AIGA describes their mission in creating the site:

The AIGA Center for Sustainable Design is dedicated to providing designers with practical information regarding sustainable business practice. Through case studies, interviews, answers and discourse the Center will encourage and support designers as they incorporate sustainable thinking into their professional lives.

Sustainability is a growing concern for many designers. Accordingly, it will be examined from a wide range of perspectives: from the nuts and bolts of daily studio life to the larger marketplace dynamics and global concerns within which designers operate. This will be accomplished primarily through the community website, conferences and an online forum.

Currently the site has definitions of sustainability, downloads, industry news, and a great article on 11 questions to ask before you design, specify, or buy anything. You could literally spend hours on this site, which gathers many useful readings and web links in the resources section. New articles and features are being added every time I visit, so it's definitely one to bookmark and return to often. I hope that the Center can continue to serve as a comprehensive database. With the growing popularity of green design, it's good to have a solid resource to bring it all together and make sustainability the norm in the design industry.

I never thought I'd say this, but I wish I lived in Los Angeles. Not because I like big cities, celebrities, or smog, but because the Los Angeles chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, recently held an event called CO[LA]BORATE: SEEing Green that brought together two of my favorite topics: design and sustainability.

CO[LA]BORATE: SEEing Green was held on April 19th, just in time for Earth Day. Although I wasn't there, I got the inside scoop on the event from people who were. Hopefully, events like this one will become more common as awareness of green issues spreads through the graphic design industry. AIGA is encouraging designers to get together on a local level and hold Green Design Salons such as this one, so I'm anxiously awaiting one closer to home.

According to AIGA Los Angeles, the event was a great introduction to green design and event organizers certainly practiced what they preached by making the event carbon-neutral:

AIGA Los Angeles, the professional association for design, presented Co[LA]borate SEEing Green on April 19th, 2007 at CiscoHome in Los Angeles. The event offered an opportunity for designers and other creatives to learn about new products, tools and services that are Sustainable, Environmental and Ecological. And because AIGA Los Angeles took into account the potential carbon footprint required to host and execute such an event, the organization purchased offsets from the Carbonfund, making Co[LA]borate SEEing Green carbon-free!

Phil Hamlett presents on green design practices.
Attendees experienced presentations from leaders in green design, including Joy Evans of Mohawk Fine Papers, who discussed the impact of paper manufacturing on the environment, what certification really means, and how Mohawk is future-proofing its paper production and distribution in order to protect the environment. Phil Hamlett of the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design gave an insightful presentation about how to implement green design practices in your own business, while giving voice to these efforts through client branding and communication projects. Cisco Pinedo, co-founder of CiscoHome and host of the event, talked about how he was first inspired to change his manufacturing processes by using FSC certified and organic materials. His message was a passionate plea for designers to pay keen attention to the materials we use in our offices and homes so that they support sustainable practices and a healthy planet.

Those who attended also got to sample organic, local, sustainable and vegetarian food and beverages. Sustainable and well-designed products were on display, and not only was the event carbon-neutral, but attendees were encouraged to take the Metro to the event to lower their transportation impact.

Events like this one renew my hope that my industry will be part of the force that changes the world for the better. Designers are in a unique position to create change and lead the world towards sustainability, and as they realize this, there will hopefully be more discussion on green design and more designers incorporating sustainability into their practice.

I would like to thank Natasha Wang, Bonnie Powers, and others at AIGA Los Angeles for sharing photos and information with me about this event.

Links: AIGA Los Angeles, AIGA Center for Sustainable Design, SEEing Green.