SEGD Workshop: Material, Process, and Green Design

   
Material, Process, and Green Design
Themes: Documentation & and the Design Process, Sustainability, Materials
September 15, 2011
5:00 - 8:30pm
Prophet
160 5th Ave., Fifth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Click here to register.

The SEGD Documentation and the Design Process Practice Area is sponsored by Design Communications Ltd. with Creo Industrial Arts and Principle Group.

The workshop is sponsored by iZone, Jones Sign, and SignComp.

In today's environment, it is often difficult to know what materials and processes truly are sustainable and which are nothing more than an empty sales pitch. Even when we have a clear creative vision for a green project, what are the key points in the development process that we can focus on to ensure that vision isn't lost in translation?

This workshop will take a global look at environmental graphic designers' responsibilities toward sustainability, and provide perspective from experts in the fields—people who are making a change.

This course will:

• Identify strategic communication tools to help your clients understand the tangible advantages of going green
• Examine how to streamline your creative development and documentation process to integrate your sustainable vision into a final product
• Help you learn how to apply a green checklist to your material and method selection process
• Hear about the sustainable aspects of commonly specified substrates and fabrication techniques, while discovering greener alternatives
• Explore new possibilities for environmental graphic design through materials samples provided by Material ConneXion

JOIN the ISA Sustainability Subgroup on LinkedIn

The ISA Sustainability Committee (formerly ISA Environmental Subcommittee) has created a group on LinkedIn that will follow the work of the committee and discuss industry related events and topics. 

The Sustainability Committee has aggrressive plans for 2011 and would like to hear from as many people as possible on all issues relating to sustainability and signage. The more people who get involved the better the committee can serve the industry at large.


CLICK HERE to join and make sure to tell a friend!

Sustainable Design Studio Open House in Richmond

Yesterday I attended an open house at Acorn Sign Graphics for their new design studio which is located across the street from their fabricating facility in Richmond, VA. The studio incorporates a variety of green and sustainable strategies and show cases the many green solutions Acorn provides.

Acorn has been a leader in green and sustainable design by not only designing green signage but also in the way they run their business and treat their employees. The design studio shows how companies can incorporate green in their every day businesses.

Below is a short video that highlights many of the green features of the studio. My favorite is the conference room door which uses all recycled or re-used component. 

A New Life for Plastics

GreenBiz.com is hosting another interesting webinar on plastics and bioplastics. Below is a brief summary. CLICK here to register. A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials

October 5, 2010, 8:30 AM PDT / 11:30 AM EDT Plastics in the waste stream have long been a concern, and companies have been finding new ways to address this challenge. After all, why must a polymer that has the potential to last thousands of years in the environment be used in single-use packaging applications? Many companies are now turning to biopolymers instead of traditional petrochemical-based plastics to address waste management challenges and create localized energy. Biobased plastics can degrade in two ways: in oxygen-laden environments, and in environments that lack oxygen. Certain biopolymers have been shown to have characteristics that allow them to degrade in an industrial composting setting. This free, one-hour webcast will shine a light on how global biotechnology and chemical firms are driving innovation to help find a solution to plastics in the waste stream. Join us as we explore recent trends in the plastics industry, including: Use and inclusion of biopolymers Innovative technologies linking plastics to energy generation End-of-life considerations from the design phase Standards development You will learn: the benefits of using biopolymers over traditional plastics the differences among commonly-used biopolymers and their end-of-life solutions challenges faced by the plastic manufacturing, waste management and packaging industries how degradation of biopolymers can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels

Upcoming Events

There are a couple green/sustainable events coming up that I thought I'd share.

SEGD Teleconference  
LEED and your EGD Strategy
Teleconference Course
Theme: LEED and Sustainability
September 24, 2010
1:00pm EST

Click HERE for more info and to register.

A New Vision for Sustainability
P&G Webcast with GreenBiz.com
September 27 at 11 AM EDT

Click HERE for more info and to register.


The International Sign Association presents the webinar:
Compliance Training for the EPA’s Surface Coating Rule
Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Last Chance - click HERE for more info and to register.

segdDESIGN Sustainability Issue

Open publication - Free publishing - More graphic

The May issue of segdDESIGN No. 28/2010 — the Sustainability Issue — is now available.  If you haven't seen this yet, please take a look as you will notice something a little different about this issue.

The focus of this issue is on sustainability and environmental graphic design. The issue is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled-content paper (both cover and text). Processed chlorine-free and made with BioGas energy, the paper is certified by EcoLogo, the Forest Stewardship Council, and Permanent Paper. Also, it was printed using vegetable-based inks and zero-VOC aqueous coatings.  

The issue’s focus is on sustainability, including Guest Editor Naomi Pearson’s foundation article on Life Cycle Assessment and feature stories on model “green” EGD projects such as the Green Depot store, The Nature Conservancy’s Design for a Living World exhibition, and Portland’s TriMet transit system, among others. 

In tandem with the issue’s publication, the SEGD Sustainability Forum has launched its new SEGD Green Resource Ghttp://greenresourceguide.segd.org/, a site focused on sustainability and EGD. It outlines SEGD’s Green Audit approach, focuses on strategies geared toward sustainability, and provides a wealth of resources for EGD practitioners striving to minimize the environmental impacts of their work.

This issues is a true success and provides information, stories and content specifically related to EGD. 

SEGD Green Resource Site Goes Live

Yesterday was the official launch of the SEGD The Green Resource Guide website. The Green Resource Guide website is the latest in a series of green initiatives by the SEGD Sustainability Forum, a group of designers, fabricators, and consultants committed to promoting sustainable approaches to environmental graphic design.

The new website provides green audits as well as case studies, environmentally preferable resources, a sustainability-focused bibliography, a glossary of green terms, related web links, and this Green Resource Guide blog.

The goal of the new website is to provide educational content and share specific information relating to the things that are being done in EGD and signage. The website will continue to evolve over time with more case studies and information.

Please share your thoughts, comments and any ideas you have for improving this site. A consistent theme throughout the industry has been that there are few resources on environmental issues that are specific to our industry. This new website is a huge step in the right direction and the more participation we receive, the more successful it will be.

http://www.greenresourceguide.segd.org/

Greenbuild 09

It is hard to believe that November is almost here. Yes, that means Thanksgiving is right around the corner and then before you know it we'll be celebrating the New Year. But before all that there's Greenbuild in Phoenix, AZ.

I've been to last 3 Greenbuild Expos and every year they seem to get bigger and bigger. As I think about the expo this year, I wonder how many people from the EGD world will be attending. We know the weather will be nice as it typically is in AZ this time year, but how many of us see a benefit in attending the expo itself?

Although I'll admit there are few sign companies and direct supplies who exhibit, I find it fascinating to see what is occurring in the larger industry we serve. I promise to give feedback for those of you who can't attend and hope to see those of you how do.

http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/

LEED and Your EGD Strategy Teleconference

SEGD Teleconference

LEED and Your EGD Strategy
Theme: Sign Codes

September 10, 2009 1:00pm EST

(Course lasts 80-90 minutes)

Designers, fabricators, and manufacturers all face the same question when it comes to green products and projects: What does certification mean? This course will provide an overview of LEED and of other green certifications, resources for products and projects, and strategies for utilizing certifications.

Speakers: Dawn Craft, ASI; Danny Schneider, Vista System; Naomi Pearson; Michael Santos, Nova Polymers; David Miller, Nova Polymers

Member Price $40
Non-member Price $120
Click here to register.