Last week I got down to the serious business of discussing how graphic design can help build a powerful and effective sustainability movement.The discussion was moderated by Susan Szenasy, editor of Metropolis Magazine and, in addition to me, the panelists, were  Michael Bierut (Pentagram), Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), Jeremy Osborn (350.org), Dmitri Siegel (Urban Outfitters) and James Slezak (Purpose.com). (The event was sponsored by AIGANY and Distributed Artist Publishers.)

In organizing this panel, we wanted to come to real, concrete conclusions and to open up some real pathways for artists to contribute meaningful work towards a movement that has the capacity to radically affect our political thinking. Let’s cut right to the chase. Here are the highlights: Read more…

The back cover of the book Green Patriot Posters, published by Metropolis Books.

Seems like we have been predicting the end of the printed matter for a while now.  But whatever happens to newspapers and magazines, books are here to stay – for the simple reason that people love them.  Books, to some, are objects of worship.  

Now, I am willing to bet that there is significant overlap in the population of book lovers and the population of people that self-identify as “green” or are concerned about things like climate change. That makes sense, given that reading books is about acquiring knowledge and concern about our ecological crisis is founded on a trust of knowledge, as opposed to ideology or wishful thinking. Yet, how many book lovers, or more importantly how many book publishers, pay attention to how a given book is printed? I would say very, very few and that needs to change. Here is how it could work: Read more…

When, during the State of the Union speech last Tuesday night, Obama brought up and lingered on the topic of clean energy I literally fist pumped.  Here at last, the President was voicing the one topic that can unite the country:  investment in our economy, national security and continued prosperity through creating energy independence, sustainable technologies and fighting climate change…. But wait. Come to think of it, he did not mention the climate change part!

It is my view, argued here and elsewhere, that we need a sustainability movement that creates an image of hope and possibility, but that also does not shy away from the urgency and moral imperative of our dilemma. This most certainly includes acknowledging the threat of climate change, which somehow George Bush managed to do, but not Obama. Read more…

Right now The Canary Project, a climate change-focused art and design collective I co-founded, is raising money from its supporters to buy up public ad space in San Francisco and give it over to artwork from our latest project, Green Patriot Posters.  We are working with a great new start-up called LoudSauce and their mission is to “transform the medium of advertising from one that primarily drives consumption to one of civic participation.”

From our very first project, The Canary Project has been interested in the possibilities of co-opting ad space. And at times we talk about what we do in terms of branding.  This is particularly true with the Green Patriot Posters campaign and book.  The explicit aim of Green Patriot Posters is to improve the brand of the sustainability movement.  We want to connect with younger people and give the damn thing some edge and urgency.  Because the climate is changing fast and so is China, but we aren’t. Read more…