The Art of Sustainable Living

There is a limited amount of time that our planet has allocated for us to change our consumption habits. We are currently on a track that will not sustain itself, and need to think outside the box in order to shift our mindsets into a lifestyle that will continue to benefit the earth and generations to come. I aimed to explore ways to intrigue and sustain interest specifically with Gen Z to promote a mindset shift towards living a sustainable lifestyle in order to combat the fast-paced consumption cycle that has become so easily attainable in today’s society.

This human-centered design project was initiated by the creation of a design question to guide the research that would inform future design decisions. After critiques and revisions final design question became “How might the creation of a physical platform encourage Gen Z to create more + mindfully consume in order to collectively work towards a more livable and sustainable future?”

The finalized design question was a guide for the structure of secondary research. A wide variety of sources were referenced such as documentaries, journal articles, case studies, and books as well as a wide variety of topics. Research went into co-housing frameworks, creation’s intersection with sustainability and nature, overconsumption, sustainable product design, as well as referencing notes from sustainability lectures.

After gathering a substantial base-knowledge surrounding the design question and relevant topics, the focus shifted to primary research geared towards the intended audience, Gen Z. Both surveys and interviews were conducted in order to grasp how Gen Z specifically feels about sustainability. A series of phrases was presented, ranging from “I would contribute to a community garden.” to “I would live in a commune.” The participants then indicated their level of agreement on a numeric scale. This provided a framework to grasp where Gen Z’s interests lie within the topic of sustainability. The interviews were intended to gather insight regarding the reasoning behind Gen Z’s thought patterns, habits, emotions, etc. surrounding sustainability. The results of the primary research aided in the formation of the tone, direction, and information presented in the design deliverable.

The final outcome became a hand-bound book using a Japanese butterfly stitch. Each page was designed in a way different from the next - visually expressing that living a sustainable life can look different for every person. Many analog processes were used in the creation of the book. For example, a print made from inking a plant in the backyard turned into a pattern used in the book, a scan of natural materials spelling out ‘plants’ became the divider page for Part Three of the book, and more. The front and back covers were printed on handmade paper, and the entire book was printed using a Risograph machine that utilizes soy-based ink.