Design For The Future

PURPOSE OF MEETING
- To meet design minded people who share the same concerns about our environment and wish to take action.
- Discuss the 11th hour and what it means for the future of design
- To set up a non-profit organization for sustainable design.

AGENDA
1 Meet and Greet (as everyone arrives)
2 Introductions:
- Why we are here (Personal thoughts on climate change and the 11th Hour)
- What we are currently doing to change (personally)
3 Discussion:
- Discuss the 11th hour and what it means for the future of design
- Discuss the set-up of a non-profit organization for sustainable design
- Decide if we should continue to meet and move forward in creating a non-profit organization.

Notes:

The boundaries of communication are expanding. We are in a fascinating period where visual, architectual and industrial design are merging into a world of experimentation and innovation. With the onset of numerous environmental issues, I am more optomistic than ever that design will play an important role in transforming how we see our world and that "design thinking" will be crucial in conceiving and building a sustainable world for future generations.

I have learned that our world challenges and conflicts are systemic, meaning that every problem is interconnected and interdependent: climate change, poverty, overpopulation, resource depletion, government /corporate corruption and even terrorism. We are faced with a global quandary that cannot be solved with the type of thinking that created this situation.

We are obviously at a tipping point in society. The question is if our generation will make the shift to change in time. Ignorance is part of the problem. Awareness is needed of the problems and consequences we face if we don't act to change today. Films like Al Gore's An Inconvenient truth, Mark Achbar's The Corporation and recently Leonardo DiCaprio's The 11th Hour are wonderful examples of creating awareness.

But there is more that needs to be done. This is why "design thinking" is urgently needed - from you and me. For the past month I've been working on launching a non profit organization that helps design students pay for expenses and tuition costs. The designers that are sponsored are designers who are advocates for designing a sustainable future. These students will also be able to interact and learn from already practicing designers that are also advocates for sustainable design. Thus creating a "design hub" were all new comming and currently practicing designers can learn from eachother and grow! Hopefully it will become an orginazation that will lay the groundwork for others to develope solutions for the future of all design, through bringing promising talented future design students of all desciplines together who are advocates of sustainable design, and helping them to make an impact in the real world. This will only be the beginning. I need your help to make this happen!

I am convinced that sustainability and government/corporate responsibility will continue to grow exponentally and create new opportunities for designers. This also means; well to put it simply... there is also lot of money to be made here! While at the same time saving the earth and our environment - companies and design firms investing in sustainability have a measurable competitive advantage. We need to create an organization that promotes and encourages the switch to complete eco-friendly design in all facets of design.

Lets gather as many student designers and current practicing professional designers to descuss how we can make this happen! All other supporters are welcom.

Phillip Rubio, [masked]

Please watch the following documentaries below:

An Inconvenient Truth > http://video.google.c...

The Corporation part 1> http://video.google.c...
The Corporation part 2>http://video.google.c...

The Future of Food> http://www.mercola.co...

The 11th Hour > Check local listings for show times