TreeHugger Asks: Who Are Some Great Industrial Designers?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 10.27.06
TreeHugger has a few favorites when it comes to industrial designers and design firms; we can't really think about the words without including people like Bill McDonough, Ross Lovegrove and the Salm brothers at MIOculture. They represent some of the best things about sustainable industrial design: aesthetic innovation, form following function and minimal tread left on the planet, and we could go on and on about each of them. But we know there are more out there. Who else should we know about? What designers and firms are at the top of their games when it comes to industrial design and sustainability? Please leave your ideas in the comments below.
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How can you even consider putting Ross Lovegrove on a blog which trumpets environmental design? The man has designed a die cast Magnesium chair, possibly one of the worst materials for the environment in terms of energy footprint in addition to a mass produced water bottle which currently clogs waterways and landfills.
I agree with Richard--to design an incredibly beautiful disposable plastic water bottle should put him on some Treehugger blacklist.
Paradoxically, Lovegrove is known as Captain Organic! In his defense, I would say there isn't a "brand name" designer on the planet that isn't thinking sustainable and that doesn't pitch it ardently to clients. Problem is, most designers are like the rest of us, they have to earn a living and, well, the clients just aren't buying sustainable... at least not the majority. That will change gradually because of movements like Treehugger. Because of economics and other factors it's the younger, lesser known designers that are doing the most apparent/innovative sustainable design; Seth Eshelman of STAACH, Michelle Butler of Isolyn, Bleach Design, redstr/collective, Glen Hunter, Greg Ball, all the designers at the THAW 2006 show, Patty Johnson of North-South Project, and the list goes on...
I love my Mac, but I hate that it is made of polycarbonate. Ross Lovegrove is not a sustainable designer.
Wait your just worried about the plastic on a Mac? I think electronics have other things to worry about.
4247 designers and / or organizations from 95 countries entered in a contest to design a "shealter for the homeless". The jury picked 5 winners, one of which was designer: ing-tse chen from china
http://www.designboom.com/contest/view.php?contest_pk=10&item_pk=6530&p=1
the ross lovegrove comments are more than true ... i once tried to engage him in a true eco design project that he'd already started some work on ... his office told me he couldnt speak to me for just one minute in the following six months ... he was too busy flying around the world, clocking up tonnes of emissions, presumably in his trademark designer white jacket, no doubt made out of some non biodegradable nightmare material
Check out Rana Creek - ranacreek.com ... no industrial design per se, but very interesting sustainable engineering.
Design doesn't have to be biodegradable to be eco friendly. If a plastic (or electronic) product is designed well enough that you feel the need to keep and use it for an extended lifecycle, is that not good design? I think if you keep that criteria in mind you'll find that the vast majority of great design is not being done by "stars" but by anonymous designers making products so good at their intended purpose that we fail to notice how good they are until we must reluctantly part with them. Usually long past the point where cutting edge "star" designs have ceased to be useful.