The design world is shifting. Global concerns including resource scarcity, climate change, and social injustice are increasingly dominating public debate and influencing our surroundings, including what we see every day.
Product development and research
Manufacturing firms, as well as product and industrial designers such as furniture makers uk, have long been involved in activities beyond bulk commodity production and molding. Sustainable designs are in demand, which means that ecologically friendly and renewable materials should be utilized in production, as well as socially equitable working conditions. It’s also important to establish new sales channels and get new customers. Attention is a precious commodity in a society controlled by the media, where current events and transitory fashion fads usually take precedence over values and content. What subsequently differentiates unnecessary kitsch from really innovative and important items is determined during the design draft of a new product. Durability, flexibility, adaptability, recyclability, and reusability have long been hallmarks of good product design. More than ever, economic concerns, social compatibility, and ecological need – all of which may be summed up as “Ecodesign” – all play a part.
Design that will last a long time
Many of Vitra’s products are excellent instances of well-known businesses setting the bar high. The furniture’s timeless and innovative design ensures not only aesthetic and functional longevity, but also environmental sustainability: Greenguard certification, the “Blue Angel” environmental mark, and 94 percent and 92 percent recyclable, respectively, are all features of the MedaPal desk chair.
An ecologically friendly forestry industry
Kalon, a small firm in the United States, is a great example of eco-design. Kalon was created in 2007 by the Simmerings and was designated one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Green Companies in the World in 2008. The family firm is recognized for its high-quality baby and children’s room design, as well as its manufacturing openness. The furniture market in Europe is also made in the United States, cutting down on needless transit routes and helping to conserve the environment.
Upcycling
Muuto, Hay, and Emeco are experimenting with new eco-friendly and creative materials. Items manufactured of so-called PET felt, for example, are part of the company’s offering. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is well known for its PET bottles, which are used to create felt-like objects. There’s not much that can’t be created from recycled Coca-Cola and water bottles, from storage baskets to seats. Other composite materials are also common, such as ceramic-plastic mixes and wood-plastic composites, such as wood-plastic composites (WPC).
Natural resources
Other firms employ natural felt, hemp, linen, jute, or bamboo as sustainable raw materials. For example, the Hey Sign line is totally composed of natural felt goods made of 100 percent fresh wool, which is also used to produce a variety of textile products such as pillows and carpets. Felt is air-permeable, skin-friendly, elastic, heat-insulating, and dirt-repellent due to its natural fat content. As a result, pure natural goods typically surpass their synthetically manufactured equivalents in terms of environmental friendliness. Many designers, producers, and manufacturers have recognized the importance of eco-design and have linked product creation and the whole product life cycle with the proper social, economic, technological, and legal framework. Obsolescence has passed us by; long live longevity!
