I Love (World) Infographics-Luis Llabres 2015 online version

“I love world infographics, a fully integrated Design Dissertation
through ethical lenses, global footprint and love of diversity”
Luis Llabrés. Schumacher College, 2015.
Guidelines for a Cross-cultural Graphic Campaign
aimed at a more Ecological Lifestyle
4
abstract
5
ABSTRACT
In the beginning I wanted to change the
world –first I had to change myself. This
change meant making myself a promise that
from now on my work would contribute to
the lives of others and that I would include
others in the process.
The Ecological Design Thinking Masters at
Schumacher College; combined a genuinely
international perspective with concepts of
spirituality, ecology, science and economy.
I had never seen these words together
anywhere before and I knew immediately that
this was going to be my next step.
It felt a very good to be part of the
Schumacher community and to be able to
collaborate with my new learning family.
My dissertation process connected me
with a broader vision of the world and
allowed me to find my own understanding
of the ideas that we had shared. My area of
expertise is graphic design and my mission
was to use these skills to simplify the
complex data which we had been exploring
on the course and make it accessible to
a wider audience. This process resulted
in the creation of a series of guidelines
to communicate ways of achieving
sustainability and ultimately provided an
example of Infographics as the application
of these guidelines.
6
contents
1-3
cover
4-5
abstract
6-7
contents
8-13
personal
journey
introduction
38-39
40-41
chapter4: chapter4:
‘the big
‘foodpicture’
print’
42-43
44-45
chapter4:
chapter4:
passenger past, present
travel and future
example of infographics
46-47
chapter4:
renewability
index hive
7
CONTENTS
14-17
chapter1:
the world:
what is
wrong?
18-23
chapter2:
an
ecological
design
thinker’s
perspective
24-33
chapter3:
guidelines
for an
awareness
campaign
34-37
chapter4:
‘i love world
infographics’
campaign
52-53
acknowledgements
54-57
appendix
d i s s e r t at i o n
48-49
references&
links
50-51
bibliography
&data
appendix
8
A brief summary of the journey
I took before embarking on this
design dissertation.
I hope it will help to guide you
towards a better understanding
of the way I have come to see the
world around me and my part in
it… as an explorer.
9
I was born in 1977, two years after the death of
Francisco Franco, to a lower middle class Spanish
family. At that time Spain, unlike the rest of Europe,
was still in a state of transition towards democracy. I had
difficulty acquiring normal childhood skills such as
speaking, writing, swimming and even riding a bicycle; as a
result I often found myself on my own. During this time I
developed an exceptional ability to see my surroundings in
terms of their spatial proportions. At an early age I
found that I was able to draw accurately and
showed that I had a good sense of perspective.
My father and others encouraged my
ability which boosted my
self-confidence.
2
1
1
ENCOUNTERS WITH DEATH
My life changed drastically as a result of a series of
distressing events. At the age of thirteen my parents decided
to separate and four years later, when I was seventeen, my
father died of lung cancer. These experiences brought an abrupt
end to my childhood –I took on new duties and assumed the role
of ‘father figure’ within the family– this increased responsibility put a
stop to my drawing and disrupted my studies. Finally a horrifying
motorbike accident, at the age of nineteen, left me in a coma during
which I was kept on a life support machine. I had to undergo several
operations before I eventually regained consciousness. I felt fortunate to
be alive and began to take stock of my life. I thought about what I
had done so far and what I might do for others in the future..
DESIGN STUDIES
I recovered better than the doctors expected, although it
took me almost three years. During these years of
recuperation I finished High School and began to work as a
trainee designer in a small firm. After the motorbike accident the
insurance company paid me a substantial amount of money which
allowed me to follow my dream to become a designer. I moved to
Barcelona to take a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design. Having gained the
degree I took up a teaching post in one of the most prestigious
Schools of Printing in Spain. My fascination with the work
of Leonardo da Vinci drew me to Florence where I
continued my studies taking an MA in
Industrial Design.
3
1
PERSONAL JOURNEY
CHILDHOOD
PERSONAL JOURNEY
10
ECONOMIC SUCCESS
After completing my studies in Italy I accepted an
offer to work for a publishing company in Barcelona
where I became the Art and Production Director. By
this time I was living a capitalist lifestyle and began a
stressful three year period during which I taught Graphic
Design at a variety of universities and set up my own design
studio. I worked hard to promote my clients
financial success and encouraged new designers to
imitate my hectic lifestyle. Production and
consumption was everyone’s goal.
3
5 AWAKENING
1
1
DOING
FOR OTHERS
I began to feel unhappy and unfulfilled, I knew
something wasn’t right –this way of living was
beginning to make me ill and I escaped to
Amsterdam. This was the beginning of a new way
of living and working, my intention was to learn
new points of view and new meanings of success
from the openness and tolerance of Dutch society.
I decided to operate as ecologically and sustainably
as possible, only keeping a couple of clients who
respected my new unpretentious way of working
–from now on I would only work with
organisations that were environmentally aware.
Sadly my Dutch episode had to come to an
end as my mother became very ill; I decided to
return to Mallorca to care for her during the last
months of her life. After her death in 2010 I tried to put
some order into my broken life. The severe financial crisis in
Spain had forced me to let go of my design work and I
undertook a new project and began to rebuild my old
family house – employing affordable and sustainable
methods wherever I could –I also created an organic
vegetable garden that fed me during the refurbishing
process. I saw this project, which took me two years, as
personal challenge and as way to honour my
parents.
11
When the house was complete I went back to my design work, only
this time, as accommodation and food were covered, I was able to
offer my design services free. I enrolled as a volunteer
coordinator for Economy for the Common Good as well as
working as a communications expert for an independent
group of water management specialists in Mallorca. I also
attended the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ seminar in the
Netherlands.
7
8
PERSONAL JOURNEY
5
STEPPING
INTO A NEW MINDSET
1
EXPLORING
& UNDERSTANDING
After travelling, and exploring several new countries and cultures I
began to understand the world better and realised how difficult it is
to provide universal solutions. At this time I became aware of an
innovative new program that was being created at Schumacher
College which combined ecology and design, in which
students from around the world would be collaborating. I
knew immediately that the MA in Ecological Design
Thinking would be the right thing for me.
PLAYING WITH
THE DEVIL
This mini biography would not be complete
without a mention of the court case which has
consumed me for the past eleven years. The case
centres on the award winning typeface I exhibited in the
"2003, Year of Design of Barcelona"; the typeface was taken
without permission and used in an international ad campaign.
Naively I hoped to be able to resolve this situation in a fair
and objective way. Despite having truth on my side, I
continue to pay the penalty for trusting in the justice
system. Although these circumstances forced me to
re-enter the world of commerce, I remained committed
to a more ethical and sustainable way of working.
3
6
12
PERSONAL JOURNEY
Thumbnail of the ‘Personal Journey’
poster which was reproduced on
80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign
10
DOING IT TOGETHER
I have learned that if we want a better world, truth
alone is not enough. We need to work together,
therefore, we need accessible guidance for the
people who are beginning to realise what the world
needs. I offer this contribution as a way to help
those wondering how to do things in a better way
for the world.
13
PERSONAL JOURNEY
EXPLORING
& UNDERSTANDING
STEPPING
INTO A NEW MINDSET
After travelling, and exploring several new countries and cultures I
began to understand the world better and realised how difficult it is
to provide universal solutions. At this time I became aware of an
innovative new program that was being created at Schumacher
College which combined ecology and design, in which
students from around the world would be collaborating. I
knew immediately that the MA in Ecological Design
WITH
Thinking would be the right thing for me.
When the house was complete I went back to my design work, only
this time, as accommodation and food were covered, I was able to
offer my design services free. I enrolled as a volunteer
coordinator for Economy for the Common Good as well as
working as a communications expert for an independent
group of water management specialists in Mallorca. I also
attended the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ seminar in the
Netherlands.
DOING
PLAYING
THE DEVIL
FOR OTHERS
This mini biography would not be complete
without a mention of the court case which has
consumed me for the past eleven years. The case
centres on the award winning typeface I exhibited in the
"2003, Year of Design of Barcelona"; the typeface was taken
without permission and used in an international ad campaign.
Naively I hoped to be able to resolve this situation in a fair
and objective way. Despite having truth on my side, I
continue to pay the penalty for trusting in the justice
system. Although these circumstances forced me to
re-enter the world of commerce, I remained committed
to a more ethical and sustainable way of working.
7
Sadly my Dutch episode had to come to an
end as my mother became very ill; I decided to
return to Mallorca to care for her during the last
months of her life. After her death in 2010 I tried to put
some order into my broken life. The severe financial crisis in
Spain had forced me to let go of my design work and I
undertook a new project and began to rebuild my old
family house – employing affordable and sustainable
methods wherever I could –I also created an organic
vegetable garden that fed me during the refurbishing
process. I saw this project, which took me two years, as
personal challenge and as way to honour my
parents.
6
8
3
1
9
8
DOING IT TOGETHER 10
AWAKENING
I began to feel unhappy and unfulfilled, I knew
something wasn’t right –this way of living was
beginning to make me ill and I escaped to
Amsterdam. This was the beginning of a new way
of living and working, my intention was to learn
new points of view and new meanings of success
from the openness and tolerance of Dutch society.
I decided to operate as ecologically and sustainably
as possible, only keeping a couple of clients who
respected my new unpretentious way of working
–from now on I would only work with
organisations that were environmentally aware.
2
1
I have learned that if we want a better world, truth
alone is not enough. We need to work together,
therefore, we need accessible guidance for the
people who are beginning to realise what the world
needs. I offer this contribution as a way to help
those wondering how to do things in a better way
for the world.
7
5
9
3
6
4
5
1
3
CHILDHOOD
I was born in 1977, two years after the death of
Francisco Franco, to a lower middle class Spanish
family. At that time Spain, unlike the rest of Europe,
was still in a state of transition towards democracy. I had
difficulty acquiring normal childhood skills such as
speaking, writing, swimming and even riding a bicycle; as a
result I often found myself on my own. During this time I
developed an exceptional ability to see my surroundings in
terms of their spatial proportions. At an early age I
found that I was able to draw accurately and
showed that I had a good sense of perspective.
My father and others encouraged my
ability which boosted my
self-confidence.
ECONOMIC SUCCESS
2
1
ENCOUNTERS WITH DEATH
My life changed drastically as a result of a series of
distressing events. At the age of thirteen my parents decided
to separate and four years later, when I was seventeen, my
father died of lung cancer. These experiences brought an abrupt
end to my childhood –I took on new duties and assumed the role
of ‘father figure’ within the family– this increased responsibility put a
stop to my drawing and disrupted my studies. Finally a horrifying
motorbike accident, at the age of nineteen, left me in a coma during
which I was kept on a life support machine. I had to undergo several
operations before I eventually regained consciousness. I felt fortunate to
be alive and began to take stock of my life. I thought about what I
had done so far and what I might do for others in the future..
4
3
After completing my studies in Italy I accepted an
offer to work for a publishing company in Barcelona
where I became the Art and Production Director. By
this time I was living a capitalist lifestyle and began a
stressful three year period during which I taught Graphic
Design at a variety of universities and set up my own design
studio. I worked hard to promote my clients
financial success and encouraged new designers to
imitate my hectic lifestyle. Production and
consumption was everyone’s goal.
DESIGN STUDIES
I recovered better than the doctors expected, although it
took me almost three years. During these years of
recuperation I finished High School and began to work as a
trainee designer in a small firm. After the motorbike accident the
insurance company paid me a substantial amount of money which
allowed me to follow my dream to become a designer. I moved to
Barcelona to take a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design. Having gained the
degree I took up a teaching post in one of the most prestigious
Schools of Printing in Spain. My fascination with the work
of Leonardo da Vinci drew me to Florence where I
continued my studies taking an MA in
Industrial Design.
“My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with
my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities.
I am truly a ‘lone traveller’ and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even
my immediate family, with my whole heart; in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of
distance and a need for solitude”. –Albert Einstein
14
chapter1
THE WORLD:
WHAT IS WRONG?
An elaboration on three current
dangers to our planet
15
The supply and demand model seems to be working well. The market
regulates itself efficiently, finding better prices for final products through
competition between producers and providers. How do most big companies
offer such cheap prices –by means of an established model: They use
unregulated resources, decentralized labour from places with poor human
rights policies and inadequate pollution restrictions, they pay low wages or
rely on automated systems which override the need for human contribution,
and always manufacture on a large scale.
Broadly speaking, the world is no longer ruled by politics. It is ruled by
the pressure of the economic system on governments to use all available
planetary and social resources to survive, ‘As if there were no tomorrow’ as Jorge
Riechmann said1. Capital seems to be the tool which measures power, and
only a small percentage of the population owns the majority of it and it is
used to control the vast majority of the population who work for it.
People cannot easily intervene to change the system within these economic
rules. Paradoxically, society and its labour –and not money– is the real target.
Are we choosing to be slaves of the system?
“Those who are inspired by a model other than Nature… are
labouring in vain.” –Leonardo da Vinci
In our densely populated world, cheap merchandise seems ideal for low
budgets –especially to families coping with small wages or unemployment.
However, this situation creates a vicious circle; it is an invitation to overconsume, encouraging the purchase of more low-quality stuff, probably
even more than is needed, which generates greater waste. ‘Planned
obsolescence’2 also accelerates this process.
“The problem is not consumption, but this consumption will cause
harm to others” –Angus Deaton, 2015 Nobel prize-winning
economist
That is how capitalism works; finding cheap labour markets, increasing
production for a society which demands more and more, letting the country’s
GDP increase. Most private companies prefer to make personal profit rather
than benefit the community. As Jorge Riechmann says in a recent interview3
“The symptom is called Global Warming , but the illness is called Capitalism. Now we
are waiting for a new meeting in Paris in December 2015, but the limits are incompatible
with the wild capitalism.”
SYSTEM
AS A DESTRUCTIVE
MACHINERY
YOU
AS INDIVIDUAL
THE WORLD: WHAT IS WRONG?
THE ECONOMIC
SYSTEM
THE WORLD: WHAT IS WRONG?
16
We are informed by a system which is focused on individual success, and
which encourages us to maintain the status quo rather than changing it.
A society which values ownership, is proud to own a fortune, and admires
leaders who persuade us to become the people we are not. These are
invitations to be successful but alone, invitations to over consume which
resonate with adages like, “Because I’m worth it”, the maxim publicised by
L’Oreal for the last forty years. Our lives will never be compatible with a love
of nature if we are only focussed on possessions and financial success.
“People where you live,” the little prince said, “grow five thousand
roses in one garden... yet they don’t find what they’re looking for”
–Antoine de Saint-Exupér y, The Little Prince
INDIVIDUALISM
17
Our world is in a harmful, self imposed transformation process, compelled
by the need to grow and consume as much as possible. Money is not a
planetary resource, it is man-made medium used to deplete the world and
drive people toward individualism.
In 2009, a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists led by Johan
Rockström –environmental science professor in Stockholm University–
quantified nine planetary boundaries5 within which humanity could develop
and thrive for generations to come. Crossing these boundaries could
generate irreversible environmental changes. In an update of the convention
on 16 January 2015, they identified four of nine planetary boundaries which
already have been crossed as a result of human activity. The four were:
climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change, altered
biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen). Two of these, climate
change and biosphere integrity –“core boundaries”– would “drive the Earth
System into a new state”.
“We cannot look to the economists or to the politicians to act for
us. Both the economy and the political system operate because we let
them operate. We buy the oil, the food, the cars and the newspapers
and vote for the politicians that keep the whole system going. Nobody
forces us to do this, although they certainly tr y hard to persuade us;
but in the end we choose to do it.” –Robert and Brenda Vale
THE WORLD: WHAT IS WRONG?
“ACCELERATING
THE PLANETARY
TRANSFORMATION”
...As the storyteller and
economist Benjamin
Butler4 calls it.
18
chapter2
AN ECOLOGICAL
DESIGN
THINKER’S
PERSPECTIVE
Recovering natural equilibrium
in a world out of balance
19
Most of humanity acknowledges that human beings are the most intelligent
species on the planet. If this is true, we should use this ability to recognise our
self-destructive practices, and find ways to stop and return to natural planetary
self-sufficiency. Nowadays strong evidence demonstrates that human actions
are the fundamental cause of this disruptive process. At the end of September
2015, the UN unanimously approved a new ‘Sustainable Development Goals’6
outlining aims for the next 15 years –a new chance to eliminate poverty,
promote prosperity and protect the environment. In nine of the seventeen
short goal descriptions the word ‘sustainability’ appears twenty-six times,
which suggests that sustainability might be a large part of the solution. If we
want to work towards implementing sustainability, we need to understand its
meaning.
In an attempt to find a more comprehensive meaning for the term
‘sustainability’, a road-trip around the UK to visit eco-villages, sustainable
communities and other environmental projects was planned. This decision
was prompted by the discovery, while studying the MA in Ecological Design
Thinking, of the existence of EIGG –the first official sustainable island in the
UK. The intention of the trip was not only to observe how these communities
and projects worked but also to absorb a variety of different landscapes;
this excursion covered areas of Wales, the North of England, Scotland and
some of its Isles. A few of the places visited were traditionally self-sufficient
while others were more experimental but in the majority of cases they had all
reached their approach towards sustainability through community structure.
“Have you noticed that inspiration comes when you are not looking for
it? It comes when all expectation stops, when the mind and heart find
rest.” –Krishnamurti
Travelling through these rural landscapes and thinking about the questions
surrounding the meaning of sustainability Luis began to be aware of the
complexity of divers conditions and realised that there was a substantial
distance between what he sensed and what he had learnt. The experience
shook his beliefs about his previous understanding of the meaning of
sustainability –he saw other practical ways in which sustainability had been
applied.
“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we
understand about life, ourselves and the world around us.” –Socrates
On his trip he found that the concept of sustainability is attached to a goal,
but to reach this ‘goal’ it needs ecological aims. In other words, sustainability
has as many meanings as the diverse stages in its process –or the ethical
approaches based on the local conditions. Therefore there are as many
meanings as fields in which the term exists; such as ecological sustainability,
emotional sustainability, demographic sustainability, sustainable development
or even sustainable growth.
AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE
WHAT IS
SUSTAINABILITY?
AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE
20
In a conversation with Michael Braungart, author of Cradle to Cradle, Luis
remembers him saying:“The only way to be 100% sustainable would be not to exist.”
Luis replied, “So, we cannot reach perfection yet?”...and continued “What would help
so much would be to have a 100% renewable context.” Braungart smiled, and Luis
understood that humanity does not need to reach perfection, it simply has to
remain as “unnoticed” as possible within the natural process.
“Perfect is the enemy of good.” –Voltaire
This dissertation intends to inform the reader about practices that can be
sustained far into the future and hopes to find longer lasting solutions (unlike
the defined options used towards the oil problem.) In this context a summary
of the term sustainability would mean: thinking before consuming, doing
more with less, sharing resources by living in communities, using more energy
efficient transport, eating less and doing it in a responsible way, making things
last longer, reusing them, repairing them, rethinking them, and ultimately
recycling or composting them before discarding them as waste.
“When everything is connected to everything else, for better or for
worse everything matters.” –Bruce Mau, Massive Change
21
Our problem with the system is not simply to do with our pursuit of money
but is also to do with our use of time; if we use time well, we will have time
enough to do everything we need in order to be successful. José Mújica7, refers
to the importance of time in the documentary ‘Human,’ where he suggests
that time is the currency we use to buy well-being.
Luckily Luis had taken lessons from the difficult moments in his life; at an
early age he had learnt about the satisfaction of making action without wasting
time or resources and understood the importance of leaving sufficient space
in your life to experience the delight in finding economical answers. As others
have done, he discovered ways of doing more with less. He saved money,
saved energy, cooked less food, had fewer showers, created less waste and
travelled lighter. He used the smallest room and the least amount of paper for
his drawings... moreover, whenever he needed something new, he tried to do
with the least amount possible and to know when he had enough.
Our individualistic western way of life is focused on the quest for money,
rather than on increasing the amount of free time we have to feel, to identify
and to understand what we really need. The Enough Theory proposes the
opposite; it proposes that we reduce consumption, have more control, be
aware of unnecessary pressure from the system and make space for curiosity
and exploration. We need to understand the difference between what we need
and what we want and begin to live in a way that is closer to satisfying our own
needs than the requirements of the system.
“There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and
no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself.”
–Henry David Thoreau
AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE
THE ‘ENOUGH
THEORY’
AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE
22
As briefly outlined in chapter one of this paper the car firm Renault ‘pirated’
a typeface designed by Luis. In the ensuing court case, the judge chose to rely
on ‘insinuated’ evidence which left Luis with no other option than to try to
prove something that had not in fact occurred. Being on his own Luis lost
the case; he could not deal with the power of a big company which used wellpaid lawyers and allied itself with a politicised justice system. After the trial,
Luis had an unexpected conversation with someone from inside the business
fraternity who wanted to help but remain anonymous. This person suggested
that the best way to fight a large company was to damage their image in the
market. The aim, rather than working alone, would be to build an aware
community of supporters and to solicit the interest of rival companies that
would like to take a percentage of Renault’s trade. What was needed
was a way to expose the truth to the public and, as a result create strong
opposition.
“The only restraint that the politician, the economist or the notary
know, when they reach evil heights of power, is the fear of a free press”
–Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Following this suggestion the Luis VS Goliat blog8 was launched in 2014. It
has an increasing number of visitors and supporters led by a few famous
typographers and design personalities. The experience of setting up this blog
had shown Luis that a well organised group of people can be a powerful
resilient force against an oppressor who relies on the public’s good opinion
to survive. A sentiment affirmed by Margaret Mead who is quoted as saying,
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Luis also wondered if there might be a connection between the treatment he
had received in the court and the difficulties some of the sustainable projects
he had visited on his road-trip were dealing with. For instance, he knew the
Centre of Alternative Technology in Wales was struggling to cope; CAT had
started small and tried to be as self-sufficient as possible but had friction to
survive as it was initially designed as a learning centre. Another example was
the Scottish Isle of Eigg, a traditional, small, isolated island with few citizens,
which the community stopped the private ownership scheme buying all the
land. They were both different, but both had similar difficulties trying to
survive within the structure of the national system. Eventually Luis came
to the conclusion that most problems could be solved by creating a strong
community structures.
The example of being resilient as a community is easy to find in nature. In
the book ‘Cradle to Cradle’ Michael Braungart describes behaviour in an
ant community; “Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years. Yet their
productiveness nourishes plants, animals, and soil. Consider a community of ants. As part
of their daily activity, all their materials, even their most deadly chemical weapons, are
biodegradable, and when they return to the soil, they supply nutrients, restoring in the process
some of those that were taken to support the colony….They truly are, as biologist E. 0.
THE POWER OF
THE COMMUNITY
23
Can we learn to solve problems from Nature which “doesn’t have a design
problem? We can certainly observe and respect the answers Nature provides.
Many indigenous tribes achieve sustainable lifestyles by understanding that
they are just one species within the whole. These indigenous peoples, natural
species and ecovillages have something in common: they live, work and share
for a common good and are organized in communities. Communal behaviour
is very different to the individualistic pursuit of happiness through economic
success presented in chapter 1. Fortunately, societies are beginning to exploring
ways to develop ecological awareness, and community projects are appearing
exponentially –a few examples are briefly described in the appendix.
As Max-Neef, Chilean Economist known for his taxonomy of Fundamental
Human Needs and Human Scale Development thinks, “I’ve always said that
you cannot do anything for the poor, unless you get in, see what potential there is in a poor
community. However, from your office, air conditioning and all the statistics, the big plan, as
they do in the World Bank, is useless”
CONCLUSION: AN
INTERPRETATION
OF ECOLOGICAL
DESIGN
THINKING
In every place, every being has a unique legacy: In each situation
there are a million different conditions, and each situation has its own
set of problems which cannot be solved by outside solutions. It is
important to have local feedback; the best answers come from the
context within which the problem has arisen and are best addressed
at the moment at which they arise. We need to observe, explore and
experience unnoticed, far from an anthropocentric view. We should
explore each situation meticulously and provide help from a distant
but inclusive view, facilitating a balance within the diverse systems
of nature. Bringing a wide-open personal awareness to others and a
deep and comprehensive understanding that we are not only here to
serve ourselves.
AN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN THINKER’S PERSPECTIVE
Wilson has pointed out, the little things that run the world. But although they may run the
world, they do not overrun it. Ants do not inevitably work to destroy competing species.
Rather, they compete productively from their niches. Nature doesn’t have a
design problem.”
24
chapter3
GUIDELINES FOR
AN AWARENESS
CAMPAIGN
Ways to stimulate change
through design
25
This dissertation has been written from the view point of a privileged person;
someone who grew up in a world of opportunity and freedom: Living under
the new Spanish democracy with good public health, education and security
systems in place and the expectation of attending university and eventually
owning one’s own home. However, after completing a personal journey facing
many ups and downs it became clear that what brought most satisfaction was
‘working for the whole,’ for the feeling of an ‘inner world balance’.
The object of the campaign is world-wide ecological awareness, a beneficial
mind set encompassing everyone and everything. There are many different
ecological approaches and many ways to adopt change; these changes should
not be enforced but supported. To this end, the intention is to facilitate
awareness by communicating, through design, the realities highlighted in this
paper to a range of cultures.
FINDING
TRENDS IN PAST
EXPERIENCE
As described in the ‘personal journey’, the open and holistic attitude the Dutch
demonstrated towards common good provoked a change of consciousness.
There was a vast difference between the Dutch and Spanish approach –doing
good, went beyond politics and propaganda and became reality. This was
probably the first step towards understanding there were a ways to a better
future.
Feedback from sharing these discoveries with the online community showed
clear but diverse trends. Some were simple supporting ‘likes’, others gave no
reaction, on a few occasions comments with superficial personal opinions were
posted, rarely these were comments against the subject, mostly made by people
who felt uncomfortable. By broadly analysing a six-year period of news and
posts relating to environmental sustainability two polarized reactions can be
identified:
•
•
The minority considered the topic hard or uncomfortable, especially when
the data presented was negative or problematic. In these cases the subject
was seen as off-limits and the images challenging –perhaps because they
identified direct responsibility or judgement.
When successful solutions, explaining or solving the problem mostly using
graphic comparisons and or poetic images, were posted, the majority liked
the discussion and commented on, followed or shared the ideas widely.
Are we prepared to see reality as it is? The few results gathered from activist
campaigns against consumption, or supporting animal rights, show us that
we are not prepared to accept reality without stepping out of our comfortzone. Most people run away from real facts, some simply want to see a happy
‘Hollywood’ end to the problem, this is where concern remains. We do not
want to see the challenges that we need to face, we simply want to see the
solution.
GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
INNER WORLD
BALANCE
GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
26
“Look at the data, look at the facts about the world; you will see how we are today and how
we can move forwards with all these billions on our wonderful planet.” The ever positive
opinions of Prof. Hans Rosling9 paradoxically go against the idea of identify
and solving the problem. However, what it is interesting is how he engages
people through optimistic dynamic infographics9; his analogies are more likely
to empower people to action than gloomy, complex statistics.
THE POWER OF
THE COMMUNITY
The example of the successful Luis Vs Goliat blog8 and, more recently, the
group of participants in the Ecological Design Thinking MA showed that
diverse opinions can make a better argument for a healthy, resilient community.
Our cultures are so different; the ability to embrace diversity maybe the
ingredient which helps shape self-sufficient communities. All adherents
of sustainability now ‘play with a common enemy’ –the economic system;
movements like ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ or the ‘The Butterfly Effect’ emphasize
the fact that all action is related. If we all make small steps –small changes–
communities could have considerable impact on a complex system.
EMPOWERED BY
AND FOR THE
COMMUNITY
“The big key to tackling climate change lies with the consumer, not politics”
–Javier Gregori10
27
Ethics: plural noun.
Moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of
an activity.
This work started with a clear definition of sustainability; however, a roadtrip across the UK disclosed that there were a vast number of definitions of
sustainability, all of them connected in some way. All of them were validated
by their context, process-in-time, culture or location –it seems there is not a
golden rule when it comes to achieving sustainability along ethical grounds. A
summary of all these separate interpretations would be the best to approach
an inclusive definition of what infinite sustainability might mean.
A set of human ‘Eco-ethical Lenses’ towards ecological sustainability can
be identified. A selection of the most common among hundreds, perhaps
thousands are listed as follows: alternative education, being outdoors,
community ownership of land and resources, Fair-Trade, population control,
local markets, nature’s renewal, non-governmental organizations, organic farming,
recycling, renewable Energy, rights for all living beings, transport sharing
schemes, spiritual values, technological efficiency, tree planting, vegan/
vegetarian food schemes,... see in appendix for brief descriptions.
As has been said before, it might not be possible to solve our ecological
problems through just one ethical lens, but all of them eventually arrive at
a common goal through different journeys. As Joanna Macy described in
‘The Great Turning’, “the largest social movement in history is created by millions of
individuals making their own individual choice to act for the sake of life on Earth.” Ethics
are a set of behaviours created by humans; they propose subjective common
goals toward good, from different anthropocentric approaches. Nature’s
systems work in a different way, what is important in nature, is whether species
are able to adapt themselves to their conditions and predators. Nature found
its balance over millions of years, as Charles Darwin proposed in the ‘Theory of
Evolution’, or as James Lovelock explains in the ‘Gaia Theory’.
This paper suggests all different human eco-ethical perceptions seem to have
a common goal. (See the bi-dimensional figure 1 in next page). However,
the sum of these ethical approaches does not yet conform to create the
perfect definition of sustainability. It would need the aspiration of all living
species to shape the closest approach to Perfect Sustainability –or 100%
re-newability– or ‘Gaia’ in equilibrium. (See the following tri-dimensional
simulation where all the species overlap, figure 2). Could Gaia be the sum of all
living consciousness? –it would be interesting to do further research into this
question.
GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
‘ECO-ETHICAL’
LENSES TOWARDS
SUSTAINABILITY
GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
28
YOUR
JOURNEY
GOAL
YOU,
aiming
sustainability
BOUNDARIES OF YOUR
ECO-ETHICAL LENS
common
sustainability
goal
Figure 1. Structure of an individual
Eco-Ethical lens within the community.
29
GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Figure 2. 3D Simulation of species combination
of common sustainable goals.
GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
30
Accessible ............. Using language as universally understandable as possible
Simple ......................... Complex data simplified into intelligible information
Choices ...................... Decision making remains with the audience/participants
Community .......... Multiple opinions included for a more holistic approach
Respect ...................... Acknowledging different current processes
Sustainable ........... Respecting natural systems and their recovery
Love ............................... Honouring difference through lack of judgement
Distribution ......... Proliferation of the ideals within the campaign/guidelines
GUIDELINES/
PRINCIPLES
FOR A CAMPAIGN
TO RAISE
AWARENESS
I would like to offer my experience in design to create an optimistic
analysis of ways to provide alternative solutions for a better future.
I will provide examples which show my truth and invite diverse
consumers, whatever their stage of awareness, to participate and
consider where they stand regarding current trends, and to choose
where they want to be. It would be great for nature if we could create
world-wide ecological awareness. Not just through teaching, but also
by creating a simple and understandable bridge, for different cultures,
showing the reality in current trends and inviting them to act by
making suitable choices. The message will have to be improved in
the future, adding different people’s feedback and tuning the existing
anthropocentric approach towards a greater inclusivity of nature,
encouraging a more humble and respectful lifestyle.
CONCLUSION
31
GUIDELINES FOR AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
32
Thumbnail of the cover poster which
was reproduced on 80x50 cms.
for the proposed campaign
chapter4
‘I LOVE (WORLD)
INFOGRAPHICS’
CAMPAIGN
An example of a future campaign
outlining possible outcomes from
the guidelines proposed in this
dissertation
w
W
..
.
r
vr
w
wr
r
p
‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN
34
The intention is to give information about the environmental responsibilities
that lie behind any lifestyle. A guiding tool to provide a check on how
dependent our lifestyle is on the market and demonstrating how responsible
we are for the consumerist decisions we make. A necessary mode of behaviour
for us and ultimately for those who might copy us.
THE GOAL
“As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to
consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do
as they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the
outcome” –Noam Chomsky
The campaign must remain accessible to all cultures, providing guidance to
the users while accepting further opinions and showing respect to divergent
methods; allowing differing campaigns to evolve through a wide-ranging
understanding of sustainability and love.
GUIDELINES
AND VALUES TO
TRANSMIT
The name of the campaign is a balance between its meaning and how that
is represented. It supports the play of ‘I’ to engage us with world’s love for
graphic information. It uses Milton Glaser’s famous formula –see figure 1
below– to create a strong relationship between the audience and the message.
The ‘I Love World Infographics’ logotype is a mix of five concepts –audience,
world, love, information and graphics– that fits harmoniously among the
guidelines of the campaign.
THE NAME
AND IMAGE OF
CAMPAIGN
Figure 1. I love New York logotype by Milton Glaser
David Orr, as well as David Abram and David Thoreau proposed that a
natural context is mandatory when reconnecting with nature. We should be
‘inside’ nature in order to learn about it. In the book To Know as we are Known:
Education as a Spiritual Journey1, Parker J. Palmer explores the concept classroom;
he uses the example of nomadic gatherings in the dessert where the speaker
is just part of a circle. This method of application would support the ‘inside
nature’ idea, exploring the Latin concept of ‘Campaign’ as Campania, pertaining
to the countryside. These conditions would also constrain the shape of the
group of interested participants. See appendix for some photographs of the
genuine campaign package.
THE CAMPAIGN
35
An ‘Inside Nature’ graphic campaign needs particular requirements –it cannot
take the form of a simple booklet to be read individually, it has to recall more
ancient ways to transmit knowledge, sometimes around a fire, sometimes
sheltered in a cave, sometimes in a deep forest, mostly talking with a group.
It would be pointless to provide the campaign in a normal format, produced
using a mainstream printing processes and materials; the product design would
need to incorporate the ethics of the whole project. The product design needs
to be a clear application of my principles.
The physical format of the campaign, at this time, is the result of finding the
cheapest, most sustainable way to comfortably address a group of people
in the countryside. It is a biodegradable result, easily compostable and
combustible. It uses recycled brown paper and natural string to label and to
sew each poster to its structural canes –no glues, artificial or toxic materials.
Because four copies are needed, it uses ink-jet printing. However, I avoided
the use of solid black (100%) to save ink, and used other colours as little
as possible; other colour inks are often based in heavy metals. The multiple
components are wrapped in packaging that protects and helps to carry the
whole, once opened, the same packaging –a natural fibre blanket– may be
used to spread on the ground or to keep people warm.
Inside the package are nine posters with information printed on both sides:
1. Front: Introduction poster and Abstract. Back: Personal journey.
2. Front: Dissertation poster 1 of 2. Back: Bibliography, appendix and
references.
3. Front: Dissertation poster 2 of 2. Back: Bibliography, appendix,
references and acknowledgements.
4. Front: Poster for the campaign example. Back: This Briefing and
bibliography of this campaign example.
5. Front: ‘The Big Picture’. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources,
bibliography and measuring methods.
6. Front: ‘Foodprint’. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources,
bibliography and measuring methods.
7. Front: Passenger Travel. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources,
bibliography and measuring methods.
8. Front: Past, present and future –of population and resources. Back:
Author’s notes/conclusion, data’ sources, bibliography and measuring
methods.
9. Front: ‘Renewability Index Hive’. Back: Author’s notes/conclusion,
data’ sources, bibliography and measuring methods.
The posters are ultimately designed to be unrolled and hung from the branches
of trees or hung indoors. A future update will include Colour filters or ‘Gels’2
to filter colours and information in the comparisons, according ‘Eco-Ethical
lenses’.
‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN
A GENUINE
COMMUNICATION
FORMAT,
INVITING
PACKAGING
‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN
36
The aim is to design, using graphic information, an accessible bridge between
existing complex data and a wider audience –a cross-cultural, comprehensible
work for different languages in different stages of development.
REASON TO
REPRESENT DATA
GRAPHICALLY
“Design is a profoundly humanistic knowledge discipline that can lead
us to alternative and better futures”3 –Dr. Mariana Amatullo
A campaign without words is almost impossible, therefore the text used is
limited in order to encourage other cultures to be more focus on the icons or
images; this will make it simpler, more memorable, and more appealing and
invite an emotional connection.
These icons should be meaningful enough to achieve the desired bridge
of information across cultures. Supporting every graphic message, textual
information will show data sources and the author’s personal approach.
As shown in figure 2 below, sight is the largest human bandwidth of
communication. The use of image communication can transmit information
as no other, and connects easily with memory and emotion. In his book
Drawing Ideas4, Mark Baskinger points us toward Aristotle’s belief that the
most effective, persuasive presentation of argument includes a balance of logos
(logical), ethos (ethical), and pathos (emotional).
1250 MB/s Sight
125 MB/s Touch
12,5 MB/s Hearing
Smell
Taste
Figure 2. Bandwith of the
senses regarding the book
Information is Beautiful
The campaign is designed to be used outside in the countryside, but can easily
be applied in various spaces. It might be shown as an exhibition or used as the
foundation for a group discussion indoors. One of the objectives is to make an
international lecture tour showing the latest result, gaining experience through
each exhibition in different cultural contexts and eventually creating a more
inclusive version by adding information gathered common enquiries.
AREA OF ACTION
Everyone is welcome to access and be guided by the outcomes of this enquiry.
It would be interesting to gather as many reactions as possible. However, my
primary intention is to encourage young people to think about the world they
live in –they are the future.
AUDIENCE
37
A COMMON
LANGUAGE
THE GRAPHIC
TECHNIQUES
The inspiration for this campaign is Biophilia –or love for nature. I believe that
nature in this work has the key to solving a large part of our problems and
offers the only solution to planetary self-sufficiency. Nature is also the source
of most of the clues humans have compiled about our planet and therefore
nature is a common language across cultures. Graphics representing natural
forms would not only connect with recognizable shapes, they would invite
viewers to come closer and discover wonders of which we are all part –and
some parts we call beauty.
Graphic design methods are used to inspire a reconnection with nature,
such as photography of natural geometry, hand illustration or handwriting.
However, other digital processes have been used to simplify details in order
to reach minimal meaningful expression such as icons or diagrams which
represent non-existent concepts or tri-dimensional simulations. The digital
typographies used –Trajan Pro and Garamond– are also intended to connect
with the beauty of proportion and detail of old Roman styles.
GUIDANCE
THROUGH
COMPLEX DATA
Comparative visualization via the infographics would allow us to identify our
position on a scale and would offer different options, either better or worse
for the environment, dependant our stage in the process. This analysis would
let us realise which of our actions have maximum or minimum environmental
impact.
WAYS TO
MEASURE DATA
Results will often be based on estimates and for this reason numbers would
sometimes need to be rounded up. Then again, as Professor Hans Rosling
explains, numbers can show lifestyle trends5. This campaign provides a new,
helpful and accessible guide which does not focus on specific figures but
translates occasionally boring, difficult or technical information into a more
approachable layout. The following practices are the methods I used to
find the relevant data, either by focusing on just one or by combining them:
Ecological Footprint6, Earth Overshot Day7, Embodied Energy, the natural renewability
of resources, scale/score comparison with undefined units, –see appendix for a brief
description– for the most complex data I used intuition.
WHAT IS NEXT?
This is not the end. This is simply the application of my values
as a designer. It is a transformative process toward the beginning
of a new life –and these guidelines are my new aims as a creator.
Now is the moment to step out into the real world, to start to
implement changes and to integrate feedback into future versions
of this campaign, as well as any other work that I might do towards
sustainability.
New landscapes await me, I will try to spread the word and ultimately
be a better person not only for the planet, but for myself.
‘I LOVE (WORLD) INFOGRAPHICS’ CAMPAIGN
“If your plan is for one year, plant rice, if your plan is for ten years
plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children.”
–Confucius
38
Thumbnail of the ‘The Big Picture’
poster which was reproduced on
80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign
EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.1
‘THE BIG PICTURE’
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
What I tried to show? It is difficult to get an idea
of the overall effect we have on the planet, especially if we try to measure this impact precisely while,
at the same time, attempting to empathise with all
the Earth’s inhabitants. However, in 2005, the city
of Cardiff made a significant step in this area by
commissioning a report to find ways to reduce its
Ecological Footprint as much as possible –the result
is one of the best studies to date, to have gauged the
Ecological Footprint of local residents. The first of
my information diagrams is one in a series of infographics that uses the Ecological Footprint as the
principal method by which to measure sustainability.
This infographic, using a tree as a natural symbol,
aims to give an overview of how our lifestyle influences the environment.
The design process. A tree, with its hierarchical
structure, seemed to be an elegant choice to represent the seven main areas that take resources and
pollute the Earth. Paradoxically, the tree demonstrates an opposing interpretation to its actual intention: ‘sucking’ the ground (Earth), ‘nurturing’ its
crown (economy and consumption) and ‘soaking
up’ the sun (demand of energy). A stylized Japanese
Black Pine is used because of the simple outline of
the branches; the sun behind it and the colours chosen are also broadly representative of the Japanese
Wabi-Sabi view of acceptance of transience and imperfection.
Outcome. Hopefully this final composition won’t
just help us to understand the bigger picture, but
might also be seen as a decorative poster which provides a memorable message: According to the data,
our biggest impact comes from our eating habits, if
we are keen to intervene, the easiest area in which to
introduce change is in food systems, which could not
only benefit our health but also protect the planet.
MEASURING METHODS USED
Ecological Footprint.
The following table shows the Ecological Footprint on an average person in 2005 in Cardiff, Wales:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Category
Footprint (gha)
Food and drink
1.33
Energy use
0.99
Passenger Travel
0.99
Waste*
0.84
Government, services, holidays
0.77
Infrasctructure/buildings
0.74
Commodities and durables
0.64
Housing
0.16
Total
Fair Earthshare
% footprint
24
18
18
15
14
13
11
3
5.59 (2005)
1.70 (2015)
(*) Waste is counted into the footprint for each heading. Waste is 15%
of the total if it is taken out and considered as a separate category.
HOUSING 3%
%
14
S
AY
LID
BUI
LDI
NG
S
13
%
EN
ER
GY
18%
>
8% >
EL 1
RAV
RT
GE
EN
SS
PA
GOVERN
MEN
T, S
ERV
ICE
S,
HO
our
global
footprint
span
<
FO
OD
&D
RIN
K2
4%
COm
m
itie
d
o
s
11
%
40
Thumbnail of the ‘Foodprint’ poster
which was reproduced on 80x50 cms.
for the proposed campaign
EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.2
‘FOODPRINT’
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
What I tried to show? Taking into account the significance of food systems in our Ecological Footprint
(see ‘The Big Picture’ poster) it now seemed vital to
show graphically how most common foods would be
represent in our footprint. An easy, memorable guide
focused on the point of sale, the place where most
consumers make decisions about how to feed themselves; presenting what is better to eat in order to be
more sustainable in a scale that would let people decide
for themselves, avoiding all the biased information
from trademarks.
The design process. Initially, I thought that a linear
scale would be easier to understand; however, due to
the exponential growth of the food’s footprint –so
visible in the logistics and packaging cases– I created a
diagram which would invite the viewer to come closer
and see what happens in the center. A nautilus shell,
(which has common biophilic language) would be an
ideal choice with which to represent the geometrical
increase of the impact of every ingredient or related
service beautifully.
Outcome. The result is an excellent example, which
demonstrates that although data is important, on its
own it may not engage us. The ‘Nautilus’ infographic
easily puts into perspective the fact that food packaging
has a greater footprint than all the other ingredients
added together, and helps us to think how we could eat
more sustainably.
During my process an unexpected corollary appeared;
I could see through reading the data I had gathered,
that farming food organically can approximately halve
the impact of almost any ingredient (less consumption of energy, no patented chemicals used to fertilize
or control pests) this invited me to analyze carefully
whether any ingredient with a bigger footprint than
another, could have a smaller footprint if it was grown
organically. Eg. Organic Poultry has approximately ten
times less footprint than a cheese of the same quantity
which has been produced using standard marketing
processes.
MEASURING METHODS USED
Ecological Footprint, Embodied Energy, Scale/Score comparison with
undefined units and Gamification.
Pos
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
mod
mod
mod
mod
mod
mod
Ingredient
Kind
water
rain
vegetable/potato
organic
bread
organic
water
tap
vegetable/potato
non-organic
fruits
organic
bread
non-organic
milk
organic
sugar
organic
eggs
organic
fruit-juice
organic
cereal/rice
organic
biscuit
organic
fruit
non-organic
poultry
organic
yogurt
organic
pork
organic
wine
organic
tea
organic
vegetable oil
organic
milk
non-organic
sugar
non-organic
egg
non-organic
lawn*
organic
coffee
organic
fruit-juice
non-organic
biscuit
non-organic
chocolate
organic
lamb
organic
cereal/rice
non-organic
fish
wild
poultry
non-organic
yogurt
non-organic
cheese
organic
pork
non-organic
wine
non-organic
butter
organic
tea
non-organic
vegetable oil
non-organic
beef
organic
shellfish
wild
lawn*
non-organic
coffee
non-organic
chocolate
non-organic
lamb
non-organic
fish
fish-farm
cheese
non-organic
butter
non-organic
beef
non-organic
shellfish
fish-farm
self-production
local transport
international sea transport international ground transport
international air transport
plastic packaging
Cell size
0.00
0.01
0.02
0.04
0.05
0.08
0.09
0.15
0.17
0.19
0.20
0.21
0.24
0.26
0.29
0.31
0.33
0.33
0.36
0.41
0.47
0.48
0.51
0.53
0.55
0.62
0.63
0.64
0.64
0.65
0.66
0.69
0.71
0.78
0.80
0.88
0.90
0.99
1.11
1.18
1.31
1.41
1.43
1.66
1.69
1.94
2.25
2.52
3.09
3.29
0
3.74
4.59
11.49
34.25
100.00
Score
3.29
3.28
3.27
3.15
3.13
3.10
3.09
3.03
3.01
3.10
3.09
3.08
3.05
3.03
3.00
2.98
2.96
2.96
2.93
2.88
2.82
2.81
2.78
2.76
2.74
2.67
2.66
2.65
2.65
2.64
2.63
2.60
2.58
2.51
2.49
2.41
2.39
2.30
2.18
2.11
1.98
1.88
1.86
1.63
1.60
1.35
1.04
0.77
0.20
0
0
-3.74
-4.59
-11.49
-34.25
-100.00
(*) Lawn is not considered food, however, it is included in the list because is the most world irrigated crop.
area, energy and resources
needed to produce equivalent
amounts of different food
1. Water
2. Vegetables & Potatoes
3. Bread
4. Fruits
5. Sugar
6. Cereals & Rice
7. Fruit juices
8. Eggs
9. Milk
10. Biscuits
11. Poultry
12. Yogurt
13. Pork
14. Wine
15. Tea
16. Vegetable Oil
17. Lawn*
18. Coffee
19. Chocolate
20. Lamb
21. Fish
22. Cheese
23. Butter
24. Beef
25. Shellfish
packaging
organic
eggs
beef
slow
transport
ecological footprint of 1 kg
of packed & imported beef
-104.39
sustainability score
ecological footprint of 1kg
of self-produced organic eggs
3.1
sustainability score
42
Thumbnail of the ‘Passenger Travel’
poster which was reproduced on
80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign
EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.3
‘passenger travel’
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
What I tried to show? Because I have always
enjoyed travelling and often make long journeys, I
have naturally spent time wondering if we might be
more responsible about the way we use transport.
Humans have always travelled, not only because
of their conquering spirit, but also because people
started moving from rural communities to factories
or mines, especially in Western society during the
industrial revolution. This relocation brought the
need for new systems of transport; a problem that
has increased over the years. In most cities today
there are a variety of fast comfortable methods of
transportation and because this of this improved
accessibility, we now travel more and further.
The design process. Since not every mode of
transport is practical for every distance I made an
energy analysis of some methods over three different
ranges: a short one for travel in cities or villages, a
mid-range one to move across regions or provinces,
and a longer one for international journeys. After a
few attempts, I came up with the idea of a ‘globe’
and a set of hand-drawn icons. The infographic
shows modes of transport as piles of icons on the
globe; the one at the top being the most efficient in
each case. There is also a fourth pile showing types
of energy used. Sometimes, these icons on the globe
are blurry because although they may be efficient
enough, they are not renewable or ethically accepted,
and are therefore unsustainable in the long term.
Outcome. What the graphic explanation of the data
revealed is surprising. Some methods of transport
which are renowned for being sustainable, such as
an electric train, a bicycle or even walking, when
employed in certain conditions, are not as efficient
as we thought. If we keep in mind durability over
distance and time, some methods are costly in
terms of embodied energy. The addition of further
associated actions –like having a shower– would
make them slide down the list. Other interesting
conclusions also appear, for instance, the fact that
there are as yet no alternative renewable methods
to replace the efficiency of air or sea transport over
long distances. Recently, this list has been added to
by the new electric car which is efficient even for
one passenger, and may in the future be used for
long distance journeys.
MEASURING METHODS USED
Ecological Footprint, Embodied Energy, linear scale comparison with
undefined units.
Pos Method
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
sail
cargo-passenger liner
bicycle
commuter train
commuter train
tram/light rail
electric car (1 pax)
1.6 litre car (4 pax)
trolleybus
walking
airbus A330 (300 pax)
national train (full)
scooter (1 pax)
bicycle+shower
tram/light train
trolleybus
passenger liner
1.6 litre car (1 pax)
horse
city bus (half-full)
zeppelin (full)
ferry boat (full)
Source
wind
oil
bread
green energy
oil
green energy
green energy
oil
green energy
bread
oil
electricity
oil
bread
electricity
electricity
oil
oil
organic feed
oil
oil
oil
Mj/passenger-Km
0.00
0.015
0.50
0.59
0.74
0.76
0.77
0.80
0.87
0.90
1.00
1.56
1.60
2.10
2.28
2.61
3.00
3.19
3.30
3.50
4.13
9.06
+more efficiency Mj/passenger-km
sYSTEM, SOURCE
because many of our travels have an ecological
footprint, this infographic explores ways to be more
efficient and use less energy to cover the same distance
1
ST
sail, wind
2
ND
cargo-passenger liner, oil NON-RENEWABLE
3
RD
short
distance
bicycle, bread
4
TH
commuter train, green energy
medium
distance
5
TH
commuter train, oil NON-RENEWABLE
6
TH
tram/light rail, green energy
7
TH
electric car, green energy
8
TH
1.6 litre car, oil NON-RENEWABLE
9
TH
trolleybus, green energy
10
TH
walking, bread
11
TH
airbus a330, oil NON-RENEWABLE
12
TH
national train (full) ELECT. NON-RENEWABLE
13
TH
scooter, oil NON-RENEWABLE
14
TH
bicycle+shower, bread
15
TH
tram/light rail, ELECT. NON-RENEWABLE
16
TH
trolleybus, ELECT. NON-RENEWABLE
17
TH
passenger liner, oil NON-RENEWABLE
18
TH
1.6 litre car, oil NON-RENEWABLE
19
TH
horse, organic feed NON-ETHICAL
20
TH
city bus (half-full) oil NON-RENEWABLE
21
TH
zeppelin (full) oil NON-RENEWABLE
22
TH
ferry boat (full) oil NON-RENEWABLE
—LESS efficiency
long
distance
44
Thumbnail of the ‘Past, Present and
Future’ poster which was reproduced on
80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign
EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.4
past, present and future
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
What I tried to show? The evolution of demands on
energy over time and most importantly demonstrating
how a lifestyle of comfort and economic success –plus
the ever increasing population– cannot be sustainably
followed by most of world’s population.
The design process. In order to make the comparison between the past, the present and the future, I
chose to symbolise world resources as a planet, and
represented the world’s population, in billions, as teeth
on a cog. The world economic system is expressed by
two properties, firstly by size –where the year 1950 is
equal to one planet and in 2015, when the world would
need 1.8 planets to recover the use of its resources.
Secondly, by the number of icons shown on the cog’s
perimeter –where each icon represents 10 million
people. The population is shown as a rotating cog that
keeps the system turning, grabbing resources from the
Earth.
Outcome. To find the trend over time I made an estimate for the year 2100. It was clear that everything
would get worse as a result of increased population
density, demand for energy, and future depletion of
resources. However, in order to offer a possible, more
optimistic new perspective, I propose a vision of the
world population, detached from the current economic
system, which is self-sufficient and sustainable. If we
followed a nature-centric vision, which would give
hope to everyone by growing products directly from
our natural surroundings, it would no longer matter
how many inhabitants there were in the world.
MEASURING METHODS USED
Earth Overshoot Day.
Year Concept and Units
Data
1950 population in billions (each icon represents 10 million)
2.50
2015 population in billions (each icon represents 10 million)
7.30
2100 population in billions (each icon represents 10 million)* 11.20
1950
1973
2012
2015
2100
energy used, increase interval per year (2,56%)*
energy used, in Terawatt/hours
energy used, in Terawatt/hours
energy used, increase interval per year (2,56%)*
use of energy, increase interval per year (2,56%)*
1950 needed resources, as planets Earth required
2015 needed resources, as planets Earth required
2100 needed resources, as planets Earth required*
1950 size of the world financial system*
2015 size of the world financial system *
31,992.45
54,335.00
104,426.00
112,445.90
227,230.97
1.00
2.50
3.40
similar to Earth
180% of Earth
(*) Estimated values relating the trends as result of the past data’s
analysis.
1950
2.5 billion people of world population
1.0 planet required if humanity follows a european lifestyle
2015
7.3 billion people of world population
2.5 planets required if humanity follows a european lifestyle
you,
and 10 million
people more
which
would you prefer for 2100?
A plan
11.2 billion people of world population
3.8 planets required if humanity follows
a european lifestyle
B plan
11.2 billion people of world population
1.0 planets required if humanity follows
a nature awareness lifestyle
46
Thumbnail of the ‘Renewability Index
Hive’ poster which was reproduced on
80x50 cms. for the proposed campaign
EXAMPLE INFOGRAPHIC N.5
‘renewability index hive’
NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR
What I tried to show? To invite the audience to consider their surroundings; to think about what the world
is made of and what kind of energies we use. Secondly,
to raise awareness about the consumption of materials
of any kind, even food packaging, and to encourage
discrimination before buying any new product.
The design process. The rows and columns of the
data in the first scale I made were too rigid and technical, and likely to be easily forgotten. Therefore, I
looked again to nature for inspiration, to find ways to
organise aligned units into geometrical order. The concept of a beehive came up to my mind, and idea which
was ingenious because it let me show empty cells without the diagram resulting in an ‘unfinished’.
Outcome. The shape of the cell is reminiscent of an
isometric cube which also evokes the idea of volumetric material and allows many alignment directions
(two more than a square would allow). Finally the scale
is aligned in two dimensions; the scoring level (horizontal), and the tilted vertical, as the kind of resource,
that seems to fall to the scarcity and danger, while, like
stairs, invites the viewer to ascend again and reach the
‘Sun’ as the more renewable element.
‘Gamification’. Scoring the 20 row table is easy since
each stage corresponds to a new level of renewability; creating an analytical scoring tool was part of the
primary intention of the design. At the start, there
are three examples of different types of house. The
following methodology was used: every resource used
was coloured in black and took account of two properties: the position level and the number or total points
used.
MEASURING METHODS USED
Scale/Score comparison with undefined units, Embodied Energy, Ecological
Footprint.
Methodology for calculating the ‘Renew-Score’ of the 3rd example:
average west’ home
non-renewable energy
score of all used
resources
1+6+6+8+9+11+11=52
11
9
8
division of amount
of used resources
52/7=7.4
6
renew-score
1
7.4/20
g
er
en
IES
al
ur lS
nat teria
ma
SUN
WIND
straw
ethically unaccepted
me
tal
19
ed
ss
ce l S
proteria
ma
20
s
WATER
cotton
nettle
widely recycled
pre
GEO
TERM
BACT
ERIES
BAMBOO
n
ANIMALS
wood
w
14
paper
e
15
wool
e
16
hemp
r
17
us
cio
18
leather
lime
a
CHARCOAL
stone
i l
12
b
13
cork
glass
sand
iron
Y
10
i t
11
clay
I N
aluminium
COAL
D
9
cement
copper
E
8
X
OIL
plastic
asphalt
4
lithium
3
diamond
1
average west’ home
50% green energy
average west’ home
non-renewable energy
renew-core=14.9/20
renew-score=10.9/20
renew-score=7.4/20
gold
coltan
2
natural home
with solar panels
silver
e
5
i v
6
h
7
URANIUM
48
references&
links
REFERENCES & LINKS
CHAPTERS 1,2 AND 3
(7) Interwiew to José Mújica on 1:15:05 in ‘Human,
Extended version VOL.1’:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=vdb4XGVTHkE
(1) Cómo si no hubiera un mañana by Jorge Riechmann
(Spanish):
http://lecturassumergidas.com/2015/04/29/jorgeriechmann-consumimos-el-planeta-como-si-nohubiera-un-manana/
(8) Luis VS Goliat blog:
http://luisvsgoliat.com
(2) ‘Planned Obsolescence’:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_
obsolescence
(10)“La gran llave para frenar el cambio climático la tiene el
consumidor, no la política” by Javier Gregori (Spanish):
http://www.eldiario.es/norte/euskadi/llave-frenarcambio-climatico-consumidor_0_424157762.html
In order of appearance
(3) Cómo si no hubiera un mañana by Jorge Riechmann
(Spanish):
http://lecturassumergidas.com/2015/04/29/jorgeriechmann-consumimos-el-planeta-como-si-nohubiera-un-manana/
(4) Accelerating the planetary transformation by Benjamin
Butler:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/acceleratingplanetary-transformation-benjaminbutler?published=u
(5) Planetary Boundaries by Johan Rockström:
http://www.stockholmresilience.org/21/research/
research-programmes/planetary-boundaries/
planetary-boundaries/about-the-research/the-nineplanetary-boundaries.html
(6) Sustainable Development Goals by UN:
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
sustainable-development-goals/
(9) Gapminder Project Prof. Hans Rosling:
http://www.gapminder.org/
(11) Tearing Down the Master’s House interview to
Derrick Jensen:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2006/08/12/tearingdown-the-master-s-house/
(12) Wildebeest animated cartoon from Birdbox
Studio:
http://youtu.be/JMJXvsCLu6s
All the links are working on Dic 10th 2015.
49
REFERENCES&LINKS
REFERENCES & LINKS
CHAPTER 4
In order of appearance
(2) Colour filter Gels:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=0PyxLVXDkeY
(3) Interview with Dr. Mariana Amatullo:
http://www.icsid.org/feature/current/articles2071.
htm
(5) Gapminder Project. Prof. Hans Rosling:
http://www.gapminder.org/
(7) Earth Overshoot Day:
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/
GFN/page/earth_overshoot_day/
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/
GFN/page/video_overshoot_expla
ined/
(8) Opinion of Chief Scientist Peter Kareiva about
Ecological Footprint:
http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/
article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001700
All the links are working on Dic 10th 2015.
50
bibliography
&data
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTERS 1,2 AND 3
In order of appearance
Other related reading
Vale, Robert and Brenda. 2009, Time to eat the dog? The
real guide to sustainable living, Thames and Hudson Ltd.
Matson, J. 2013, Renewable Energy’s Hidden Costs,
Scientific American
Dressler, Camille. 1999, Eigg, The Story of an Island,
Edinburgh University Press.
Ashton, Tin et al. 2004, Change the World for a Fiver,
Short Books Ltd.
Hunter, James. 2012, From the Low Tide of the Sea to the
Highest Mountain Tops, Community ownership of land in
the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, The Islands Book
Trust.
Clift, Jon and Cuthbert, Amanda. 2008, Climate
Change, Simple things you can do to make a difference,
Green Books.
Braungart, M. and McDounough W. 2009, Cradle
to Cradle, Re-making the way we make things, Vintage
Books.
Arthus-Bertrand, Yann. Movie on 2015, Human,
Extended version VOL.1, Bettencourt Schuller
Foundation.
Freire, Paulo. 1996, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Penguin
Clift, Jon and Cuthbert, Amanda. 2007, Greening Your
Office. From cupboard to corporation: an A-Z guide, Green
Books.
51
BIBLIOGRAPHY&DATA
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CHAPTER 4
DATA SOURCES
INFOGRAPHICS
(1) Parker J. Palmer, 1993. To Know as we are known:
Education as a Spiritual Journey, Harperone.
Vale, Robert and Brenda. 2009, Time to eat the dog? The
real guide to sustainable living, Thames and Hudson Ltd.
(4) Mark Baskinger, 2013. Drawing Ideas, a hand-drawn
approach for better design, Watson-Guptill.
M. Wackernagel and W. Rees, 1996. Our Ecological
Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, New
Society Publishers.
(6) M. Wackernagel and W. Rees, 1996. Our Ecological
Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, New
Society Publishers.
Global Footprint Network:
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/
Vale, Robert and Brenda. 2009, Time to eat the dog? The
real guide to sustainable living, Thames and Hudson Ltd.
David McCandless. 2014, Knowledge Is Beautiful,
Harper Design.
David McCandless. 2014, Knowledge Is Beautiful,
Harper Design.
David McCandless. 2010, Information Is Beautiful,
Harper Design.
Keith Albarn et al. 1977, Diagram, The instrument of
thought, Thames and Hudson.
A. Collins, A. Flynn and A. Netherwood. 2005,
Reducing Cardiff ’s Ecological Footprint: A Resource Tool
for sustainable Consumption, WWF Cymru.
David McCandless. 2010, Information Is Beautiful,
Harper Design.
Simon Fairlie, 2007. Can Britain Feed Itself? (paper).
Daniel Dorling et al. 2010, The Atlas of the Real World,
Mapping the Way we Live, Thames & Hudson.
Richard Boston et al. 1979, The Little Green Book,
Wildwood House.
In order of appearance
Bill Mollison.1988), Permaculture: A designers’ Manual,
Tagari.
Ross Porter. 2015, VoyageVert.
52
acknowledgements
53
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Seaton Baxter & Roberto Fraquelli, supervision
Luis VS Goliat, learning process
Sybilla Higgs, reflection,..., correction and editing
Scotland & Wales, mindful exploration
Inez Aponte, external advice
Tamar Correa, external support and acceptance
David Sánchez, companionship
Malcolm Baldwin & Anna Lunk, external advice
Ecological Design Thinking Group, companionship
Dee Cunninson, external advice
Schumacher College Community, livelihood
Rafa Jimenez, external support
Daniel Christian Wahl, external support
Adriaan Alexander Dekker, psychological support
Bob Tomlinson, information
Wirat Rachburi, external advice
Miquel Baidal, external advice
Luisa Ripoll, external support
Margarita Jaume, logistics
Raul Woollands, external advice
...
...and to you, my parents, who believed that I could bring something,
I think this could be it, I wish you could see me now.
Thanks, for supporting me, I always will love you, Luis.
54
appendix
APPENDIX CHAPTERS
1,2 AND 3
Examples of communities
Transition Network is a structure for towns to operate
and be resilient to oil:
https://www.transitionnetwork.org/
Lammas, self-sufficient ecovillage off the grid in
Wales:
http://lammas.org.uk/
Munksøgårds, co-housing model in Denmark that
shares resources and cares:
http://www.munksoegaard.dk/index_en.html
Cohousing, the sharing economy for housing,
explained in an infographic:
http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/
cohousing-test.html
Roxbury Farm, a community-supported agriculture
–CSA–
http://www.roxburyfarm.com/
Centre for Alternative Technology, a laboratory
community about sustainability:
http://support.cat.org.uk/index.php/welcome
Samye Ling is a monastery and residential community
for international Buddhist
training:
http://www.samyeling.org/about/
Findhorn Foundation is a spiritual community, learning
center and ecovillage:
https://www.findhorn.org/
Economy for the Common Good, a new economic
model based in the fair-share between acommunity,
businesses and nature:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/global-governance/ggievents/christianfaber
Common Eco-ethical lenses
Alternative education: Other approaches to education
need to be considered as mainstream education fails to
emphasise the essential values of life.
Being outdoors: People need to connect with nature,
sometimes as a source of inspiration, sometimes as a
context in which to discover their origins or balance.
Community ownership of land and resources: Some
people think that private property, both individual
and corporate, creates a disruption in society and
support common ownership schemes instead.
Fair-Trade: Buying Fair-Trade goods as a way to
contribute to social development, especially in
countries where human rights are being violated.
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/
Population control: World population growth should
be regulated in order to guarantee everyone the right
to their basic needs.
Local markets: Sharing wealth within the local
community by contributing directly to the local
economy and local farmers, also because these
products are healthier more ecological.
Nature’s renewal: Concern to give nature time to
recover green energies, natural materials, and the
ability to produce sufficient food – the need to plant
and harvest during the right season.
Non-governmental organizations: Financial contributions
supporting NGOs around the world; these
organisations are not part of any government,
usually set up by ordinary citizens, and operate on a
not-for-profit basis.
55
APPENDIX
Organic farming: Buying or growing organic food
because it is the healthier for them, the soil and the
world.
Recycling: Investing in properly run recycling
schemes as a way to re-absorb the vast amount of
waste produced by humans.
Renewable energy: Turning to green energy because
it has a less polluting outcome for the environment
and is reliable and cost effective. Living ‘off grid’ is
the best way to achieve this goal.
Rights for all living beings: Respecting all other
species and refusing to abuse them as a resource
to feed our needs whether for animal energy, food
production or leather production.
Transport sharing schemes: Concerns over increased
pollution and cost of personal transport could be
overcome by sharing transportation across a larger
community.
Spiritual values: Believing that ethical values and faith
will give us hope for a world of peace and beauty.
Technological efficiency: Science and new
technologies are inventing more efficient, energy
saving solutions for industry, which may in turn
create a more sustainable life.
Tree planting: Sustaining tree populations on earth
as among other things the tree is the most effective
solution to CO2 absorption. It is also a significant
source of structural and combustible material as well
as being a useful source of food and health for the
soil.
Vegan/vegetarian food schemes: Contributing
towards a sustainable planet by eating vegan or
vegetarian food, and seen as a healthier way of life,
both personally and for the planet, as well as an
ethical approach to animal rights.
APPENDIX
56
APPENDIX
CHAPTER 4
MEASURING METHODS
Ecological Footprint. This concept was developed in
Canada in the 1990’s by Mathis Wackernagel and
William Rees. Their method allows us to compare all
the goods and services. All we use and all the activities
that we undertake in our daily lives; by considering
them in terms of the amount of land required to
provide each of them in a sustainable way. This method
assumes that all the energy is grown and can be reduced
to an area of productive land. Wackernangel and Rees
call a ‘fair earth-share’: the amount of land available for
each person on the earth, currently considered to stand
at 1.70 global hectares in 2015. However, PLoS Biology,
co-authored by Nature Conservancy Chief Scientist
Peter Kareiva, have a more updated opinion: “The
Ecological Footprint had utility in its day8; It alerted the
world to the notion that humans have a huge impact
on the planet, and that eventually there may be limits
that feedback to undermine the global ecosystem. Now
policy-makers and business leaders are demanding
much more sophisticated information about the
benefits we get from nature —information that can
be used to inform smarter investments and decisions,”
he adds. “We need better metrics to support those
demands.”
Earth Overshoot Day. Marks the date when humanity
has exhausted nature’s budget for the year. For the rest
of the year, we will maintain our ecological deficit by
drawing down local resource stocks and accumulating
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We will be operating
in overshoot. On August 20 was the Earth Overshoot
Day 2015.
Embodied Energy. It is the sum of the total energy that
a product, material, service or living being needs to be
made and ready for use for consumption. Food can
be also analysed through this rule as it takes energy to
manufacture and operate the tractors that prepare the
land before the crop is sown; to make the seed drills
and the sprayers; to make, the package and deliver the
fertilizers and pesticides; to harvest, transport, process
and package the food; to transport the food to the
shops; and, finally, to sell it.
Natural Renewability of Resources. They are the
resources that can be recovered naturally in the
planet in time. If we are not able to recover the
non-renewable, eventually we will have a world that
could support us all only with the simplest possible
lifestyle, unless we would find a vast renewable
planet source of food, energy and materials.
Scale/Score comparison with undefined units. Using
the extreme side elements on a list, the minimum
element and the maximum establish a proportional
scale through all the other elements within them.
The smallest element it is considered as the unit to
quantify the others.
57
APPENDIX