annual report

2007-2008

contents
Directors letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
About us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Story so far. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Objectives and outputs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Events and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Timeline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12
Sit up / Sitting comfortably?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
[re]design @RFH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-20
Contains. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-24
Climate cool by design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-28
[re]design tree at NESTA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-30
[re]design retail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31-32
re-forum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
[re]design at Grand Designs Live London. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35
Plastic Fantastic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Upcoming events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Lighten Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Greengaged. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-40
Achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41-44
Financials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45-46
Future Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47-48
Walking the Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49-50

DIRECTORS
LETTER
Thanks to the support [re]design has been shown by designers, partners and clients this year, our reach
and influence have grown and engaged extensive new audiences in the [re]design of design .
The landmark Climate Cool By Design exhibition (p25), produced with the British Council, was a highlight
bringing fifty UK designers work to huge audiences in three Chinese cities.
Closer to home, Design Event helped us put on Contains (p21). This high profile exhibition took sustainable
design to a wide public audience. It showcased one hundred products and offered Newcastle shoppers
a new tool to simplify greener buying.
The Sit Up project (p13) was more focussed on the design industry. We examined in depth the stories
behind 16 sustainable seats, in an exhibition which featured at 100% Design London and the Singapore
Design Festival, and a book set to inspire young designers for the next decade.
We unlocked the creative talent of public audiences too. For two weekends [re]design took over
the ballroom of the Royal Festival Hall with engaging workshops (p17) that developed new skills and
encouraged participants to view waste as a resource.
These key projects were supplemented with appearances at trade fairs, conferences and universities that
have helped to cement [re]designs reputation as an organisation that delivers inspiring, forward-thinking
quality content on sustainable design.
Id like to thank all the organisations that have collaborated with us this year 100% Design, British Council,
Design Event, Falmouth University, Goldsmiths, London Design Festival, NESTA, Royal Festival Hall, Singapore
Design Festival, Singapore Furniture Industries Council, Spring Fair, UKTI, World Retail Congress. And the team
who have made it all happen, my fellow director Jason Allcorn, stalwarts Emma Berry, Hannah Lewis and
Oliver Bishop-Young, along with numerous enthusiastic freelancers and interns. Not forgetting the 150 talented
[re]designers who took part in our exhibitions it really wouldnt have been possible without you!

Sarah Johnson, Founding Director

The London Design

Festival would not be
the same without the
wide-ranging contributions
[re]design have made to
the Festival programme
over the last five years.
Their distinctive approach
always delivers quality
content, and has a
long-lasting and positive
impact on everyone,
professional or public,
that takes part in their
events. By approaching
the defining issue of
our time in a grounded,
personal and truly
engaging way, [re]design
are thought-leaders in
the sustainable design
arena and an organisation
I always enjoy working
with and learning from.

ABOUT US
[re]design for designers who dont want to make landfill. We are
a non-profit-distributing social enterprise that propagates sustainable
actions through design.
Our purpose is to support and promote design for sustainability through
creative engagement with everyone who plays a part in the design
industry, including designers, manufacturers, specifiers, retailers,
and consumers. Effective engagement is achieved by applying design
approaches to communicate in visual, tangible and practical ways.
[re]design believe that design skills and methods play a key role in
innovation for sustainability and true quality of life. As creative thinkers
and doers, designers are uniquely placed to review, rethink and remake
the products, services and systems that shape our future.

William Knight
London Design Festival

STORY SO FAR
[re]design has been helping sustainable product
designers and makers like Pli since 2004 when we
started meeting up with them in a pub in Clapham. The
[re]design brand and community has grown exponentially
since then, in fact I cant think of another self-supporting
initiative in Londons design world that has grown so
fast or attained such tangible influence in the same time.
When I look at where visitors to my businesss website
come from, the number one referrer has always been
[re]design: it really does have deep roots in the design
community throughout the UK and further afield.
Christopher Pett, Pli Design

The first time I came across [re]design, at [re]design

06, I was so inspired it helped to send me down the
sustainable design path. [re]design has definitely made
me want to continue designing with waste products.
Seeing other designs and meeting other people who are
also focussed on same idea of reuse and recycle (and all
the other res) has really helped me to see different ways
of doing this.
Lucy Norman, Lula Dot

[re]design was founded in 2004 in response to the lack of a UK forum

dedicated to the exploration and promotion of sustainable design.
Ecological imperatives were gaining urgency and public profile, and
research among creative professionals suggested increasing demand
for a sense of ethics and personal fulfilment in their work. But most
designers lacked access points for sustainable design knowledge,
and perceptions of sustainability as a dull, worthy, limiting or minority
interest were a barrier to adoption of green approaches. [re]designs
founder Sarah Johnson wanted to raise the profile of sustainable
design, offer examples of best practice, and encourage industry debate.
Through [re]design, she set out to defy stereotypes of sustainability
by demonstrating that design could be both good and gorgeous.

[re]design has encouraged

me to continue with my
design ethics, making
me realise it is worth
the struggle!
Lucy Turner, Higher Market Studio

[re]designs early focus was on engagement with the design industry.

We created a new language for sustainability and built a community of
interest through show-and-tell events for designers and collaborations
with the Hub and Goldsmiths, before going on to instigate the London
Design Festivals first major sustainable design exhibitions, [re]design
05 and 06. Events for consumer audiences began on a small scale with
installations at Spitalfields Market (2005), Newcastle Art Gallery (2006),
Potassium boutique (2006) and Conrans Bluebird restaurant (2007).
This year has seen breakthroughs to larger scale public engagement
and a more targeted approach shifting from broad multidisciplinary
design exhibitions to events with a deeper focus on specific issues.
As a small and agile organisation that has built strong relationships with
key organisations and individuals across the design industry, [re]design
is strategically positioned to make extremely effective use of resources
and is able to respond flexibly to a rapidly changing field. [re]design
continues to evolve through partnerships, acting as a key enabling node
in the network of sustainable design thought and practice.

OBJECTIVES
AND OUTPUTS
Committed, charismatic and, crucially, professional
Jason and Sarah are two of the most effective
eco-warriors I know. They have devoted a huge amount
of energy, time and personal resources to foster products
that diminish landfill and reduce energy consumption.
In so doing, they have parented innumerable designers
and fostered many brilliant ideas, particularly through
ambitious well-executed exhibitions with a high public
appeal. Their books / catalogues are essential reference.
And their engaging motto good and gorgeous speaks
for itself.
Barbara Chandler,
Evening Standard

[re] designs purpose is to support and promote design for sustainability

through creative and effective engagement with all stakeholder groups
in the design sector. This core purpose unfolds into four objectives:
1. Inspiring Designers to make sustainability a core consideration, and
to perceive environmental and social challenges as opportunities
rather than constraints.
2. Motivating Consumers to make more sustainable choices,
demonstrating that these can be attractive, desirable and viable.
3. Helping Industry (manufacturers, specifiers and retailers) to discover
and choose more sustainable products, materials, processes and
systems and seize the opportunities presented by the demand for
sustainable products.

All of my designs have

sustainability as a goal
from the outset through
my education gained
through exhibiting and
visiting [re]design events.
Its not good design if it
isnt green design!
Alex Harris, Overend

4. Equipping Learners with the tools they need to make positive

decisions around design and sustainability, to ensure that the
next generation of designers and consumers are skilled and
knowledgeable in this field.
[re]design achieves these objectives by working in partnership with
private companies and public, third sector, educational and cultural
organizations. Our range of outputs includes:
Exhibitions
Workshops
Talks
Seminars and show-and-tells
Publications
Online content
Specific outputs delivered in 2007-8 are described in the Events and
Projects section below, with key objectives listed for each output.

EVENTS AND
PROJECTS
[re]design organises innovative, accessible events that engage diverse
audiences consumer, education and business in the [re]design of
design. These range from public exhibitions with tens of thousands of
visitors, to hands-on making workshops and lively debates for design
or public audiences, to inspiring in-house events tailor-made for partner
organisations.
[re]design events examine the ecological imperatives, social and
political drivers, and creative strategies that shape sustainable design.
We seek out and showcase outstanding products and projects that
are friendly to people and planet. We also partner with a wide range of
organisations to pioneer sustainable innovation and share knowledge
on best practice.

10

timeline
September 07

October 07

Sit Up @ 100% Design

November 07

December 07

January 08

February 08

March 08

April 08

Sit Up @ Utterubbish

May 08

June 08

Sitting Comfortably?

[re]design @ RFH

[re]design Trail

R&D: Contains

Contains

R&D: Climate Cool By Design

Climate Cool By Design

[re]design Tree at Nesta

R&D: Plastic
Fantastic?
[re]design retail
@ Spring Fair

Plastic Fantastic?

[re]design retail @ World Retail Congress

Re-Forum

Grand Designs Live London

R&D: Lighten Up

R&D: Greengaged

July 08

August 08

Sit Up / Sitting
Comfortably?
Key objectives: Inspiring Designers, Helping Industry
100% Design, Earls Court, London, 20-23 September 2007
Utterubbish, Singapore Design Festival, 28 November - 16 December 2007
NESTA The Innovation Edge, Royal Festival Hall, London, 18 May 2008

[re]design are very unique

and innovative in what
they are trying to achieve.
Andrew Millar, SIT UP exhibitor

The best stand here

spot on!
Lady Frances Sorrell,
Sorrell Foundation, on SIT UP
at 100% Design

SIT UP investigated sixteen sustainable seats and their journeys from

inspiration and development into production and use. Together these
tales built up a picture of sustainable design approaches in the UK with
relevance far beyond the field of seating design.
SIT UP was the first [re]design event in partnership with 100% Design,
who provided space for the exhibition and promoted it as a feature. We
launched the SIT UP book here, [re]designs first full length publication.
SIT UP then travelled to Utterubbish, the feature event of Singapore
Design Festival, where [re]design gave a talk as part of the Useless
conference, and ran design workshops for members of Singapore
Furniture Industries Council and exhibition visitors.
The SIT UP exhibition received over 40,000 visitors and critical acclaim,
including being awarded Best Appearance during the London Design
Festival by Hidden Art.
A selection of the SIT UP seats, together with some new additions,
were exhibited as Sitting Comfortably? at NESTAs flagship conference,
The Innovation Edge, at the Royal Festival Hall. The exhibition catalogue
doubled as a notebook for conference attendees.

14

KEY THEME:
Storytelling
A number of [re]designs outputs focus on a specific theme or issue
such as sustainable seating, lighting design, or disposable carrier bags
and alternatives. The stories told combine breadth (bringing together
a diverse range of different approaches to one problem) with depth
(exploring the story of each product in detail, from inspiration and
development to production and use).

[re]design exhibited SIT UP, an inventive take on the

stories behind the manufacturing process of sustainable
seating as part of the first 100% Futures. This was the
central feature within 100% Futures and it provided
essential commentary on sustainable design solutions
and invaluable direction for young designers. We look
forward to working with [re]design in the future.
Peter Massey, 100% Design

Not only did I get an enormous amount of positive

feedback about the piece I showed in [re]designs
SIT UP exhibition at 100%, I also received a significant
commission from a boutique hotel who inspired by
what they saw on the stand decided to incorporate
the idea of reuse into their own interiors.
Lou Rota, SIT UP exhibitor

SIT UP was one of the highlights of the Utterubbish

exhibition, showcasing many interesting and innovative
ways to design seats. It also inspired a lot of participation
from the audience to [re]design their own chairs.
Jackson Tan, Utterubbish Creative Director

16

[re]design
@RFH
Key objectives: Motivating Consumers, Equipping Learners
Royal Festival Hall (RFH), London, 15-17 and 22-23 September 2007
The Queens Official Commemoration of RFH Re-Opening, 9 October 2007

REsourceful,
Demonstrably
Delightful
RE-Design!
Thank you.
Cherie,
[re]design@RFH
participant

[re]design organised a series of workshops at the Royal Festival Hall

as part of the London Design Festival (LDF), utilising household waste
and sustainable materials to make fun and desirable products.
There was something to appeal to everyone adults, families and
children. Activities included [re]design badges (with scrap textiles
and paper), Monster Masterclass (toys from old blankets), Knitting
and Knotting (with plastic bags), Wishing Benches (from reclaimed
cardboard), Sunday Papers (newspaper furniture), and Multi-Sheers
(recycled polyester panels). 4000 people participated with enthusiasm,
over two weekends and on the LDF launch night.
Following on from [re]design@RFH we brought together a selection of
sustainable design pieces to mark the Queens visit to the Royal Festival
Hall on 9 October 2007, when she officially re-opened of the building
after its refit.
The pieces created for this celebration were produced collaboratively
with designers and community groups. They included Wishing Benches
made in school workshops, where 250 children contributed their wishes
for the planet and themselves; collaged furniture; and stands covered
in graffiti from the Southbanks skaters.

18

What a fantastic workshop! Beautiful materials, helpful

staff and a great way to make people think about
reusing things they might throw away. I hope you run
more workshops like this one.
Elaine and Ruben, [re]design@RFH participants

With some other organizations I have exhibited

with information and logistics always could do with
improvement, but [re]designs organisational skills
means that the exhibition runs very smoothly, calmly
and lets me focus on interacting with the public.
David Stovell, David Stovell Design

KEY THEME:
User as maker
[re]design makes a point of highlighting the human side of
sustainability. People are more likely to treasure and keep things if
theres a personal connection and one of the closest connections
is making something yourself. We challenge the idea that design,
making, and repair can only be done by experts, and encourage
more people to get hands on. Designs in the form of instruction kits,
to be made with local (reused) materials, are also an innovative way
to save energy in transport.

20

Contains
Key objectives: Motivating Consumers, Helping Industry
Monument, Grainger Street, Newcastle, 19-28 October 2007

As part of Design Event and Dott 07, Contains housed 100 thoughtprovoking sustainable designs, all from UK designers, in shipping
containers at Newcastles Monument in the heart of the citys shopping
district. Taking sustainable design into such a prominent public space,
and exposing it to a much wider audience, was a significant step for
[re]design. Approximately 40,000 shoppers engaged with the exhibition.

[re]design has contributed

to me developing a
language to describe
my practice.
Barley Massey, Fabrications

The exhibition was curated as a series of themed shop windows

designed to mimic the High Street shopping experience and draw
a consumer audience. Oversized swing-tag labels exposed the real
contents of each product the makers, the materials, the energy consumed, the distance travelled showing how good design can make
a difference. The use of shipping containers referenced the distances
products typically travel (in contrast to the fact that many of those in
the show were UK-made or more local).
As the first large scale [re]design exhibition aimed primarily at the
public rather than the design sector, Contains required a new way
of categorising different approaches to sustainability. We developed
the ER? words as a guide to help consumers get a handle on
shopping sustainably, available as a credit card sized fold-out leaflet
which is also downloadable from our website.

22

ER?
[re]designs handy guide for
confused consumers heres
what to look for when shopping
green.
Cleaner...?
Products that avoid polluting
our air and water.

KEY THEME: Tools

[re]design develops tools to help different user groups get to grips with
sustainability. The [re]strategies introduce designers to a wide range
of approaches they can take to bring sustainability into their work.
The ER? words show consumers what to look for in sustainable
products, while the Climate Cool Top Tips combine buying choices and
behaviour change. The [re]design Retail Strategies identify key ways
retailers can build sustainability into their work.

Closer...?
Products that are made locally
or made to be loved.
Greener...?
Products that use natural,
biodegradable materials from
well-managed sources.
Lighter...?
Products that are more efficient.
Longer...?
Products that are built to last.
Recycler...?
Products that use materials that
are reclaimed or easy to recycle.

I always try to consider several factors before

designing a product, one of them being: would [re]design
pick me up on its environmental impact? Designers and
manufacturers do need to be educated about sustainable
issues; however, I think the consumers also need to
understand what responsible purchasing is.
Charlie Davidson,
Charlie Davidson Studio

24

Climate Cool
By Design
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, 17-25 November 2007
Guangzhou Jinhan Exhibition Centre, 29 November - 1 December
Grandview Plaza, Guangzhou, 5-16 December
College City Arts Museum of Guangzhou Art College, 20-30 December
Paradise Walk Shopping Mall, Chongqing, 11 January - 28 February 2008

Key objectives: Motivating Consumers, Helping Industry,

Equipping Learners

Climate Cool By Design was an exhibition of 70 innovative designs from

the UK, highlighting designs role in action against climate change.
Curated by [re]design for British Council China, Climate Cool offered a
fresh look at the challenge of climate change, UK designers responses,
and how we can all make a difference through what we buy and do.
Climate Cool was the first [re]design exhibition to explore the why?
of sustainable design in detail, with an illustrated introduction to the
causes and effects of climate change, and the projected scale of
behaviour change needed. Outstanding examples of UK designed
sustainable products, furniture and fashion followed, aiming to inspire
consumers to consider their own contribution to the solution. Nine
Climate Cool Top Tips offered guidelines for sustainable living.
The accompanying programme of wraparound activities included
workshops featuring a specially designed customisable cardboard
house moneybox sponsored by B&Q; pedal-powered fun with the
Spin Art bike; and a series of talks from [re]designs Directors and
Climate Cool designers.
The exhibition was seen by 300,000 visitors at 5 venues in 3 cities,
and had a media reach of over half a billion!

26

Climate Cool
Top Tips
REDUCE IT How can you get
better outcomes with smaller
inputs?
REUSE IT How can reuse help
you maximise the value of what
you buy?
RECYCLE IT What can your
waste be transformed into?
POWER IT How can you tap
into free sources of energy?
BUY GREEN How can your
actions and buying choices help
keep the natural world in balance?
BUY LOCAL What can you find
close to home?
MAKE IT Who created the things
you own? Could you do better?

KEY THEME:
Growing
Audiences
[re]design brings sustainable design issues and solutions to the
attention of new audiences. By making sustainability visible,
desirable and digestible to influential groups (particularly designers,
and trend-setting consumers) we have been part of a major shift in
attitudes, helping green to go mainstream. We have also engaged
a much wider public through major exhibitions such as Climate Cool
by Design and Contains.

I was very inspired to be part of your project and

am sure it will have a tremendously positive impact on
the hungriest nation in the world! Hats off to you guys
Im sure the Chinese designers you encourage to improve
their ways will have a greater impact on cleaning up the
world than many in the West...
Galahad JD Clark, Terra Plana

PERSONALISE IT How can you

make your stuff unique?
LOVE IT How can you build
enduring relationships with the
things you own?

28

[re]design
Tree at NESTA
Key objective: Helping Industry
NESTA, London, December 2007

[re]design was commissioned to create a green Christmas tree for

NESTAs front of house. The interactive design incorporated a shredder
that staff and visitors could use to fill the tree with paper ready for
recycling, and was illuminated with low-energy LED lights. Presents
under the tree introduced the [re]strategies.
Labelling focused on paper use in offices. On average each UK office
worker prints out twenty-two A4 sheets of paper a day: thats two 40ft
trees every three years. The [re]design tree offered a few simple tips:
Think before you print
Print on both sides
Specify recycled stock
Use scrap paper for notes
Recycle paper

30

H1/ST15/C1

H1/ST15/C1

BELTS
A YSTORY
Y
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AT STORY
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.
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.
E
WE
OW
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OF

H1/ST15/F1

H1/ST15/C1

H1/ST15/F1

HOWIES
RECYCLED TYRE BELT

BUTT BUTT
SHACK UP

H1/ST15/D4

H1/ST15/C1

BUTT BUTT
SHACK UP

H1/ST15/D4

H1/ST15/F1

H1/ST15/F1

H1/ST15/F1

H1/ST15/F1

H1/ST15/F1

H1/ST15/F1

H1/ST11H1/ST11-

THIS SHAP
PELY
PELY
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NEATL
LLYLLY
THIS
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AGA AGA
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RECYCLED TYRE BELT

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Constant throughout 3 days

H1/ST15/D4

[re]design
retail
H1/ST15/D4

Constant throughout 3 days

Constant throughout 3 days

Constant throughout 3 days

[re]design Retail Strategies

Key steps for responsible retailing:

Key objective: Helping Industry

Spring Fair, NEC, Birmingham, 6-7 February 2008
World Retail Congress, CCIB Forum, Barcelona, 9-11 April 2008

[RE]LATIONSHIPS
Get to know your consumers, suppliers and supply chain
[RE]ALITY
Be authentic, dont greenwash, apply values through everything you do
[RE]TELL
Communicate product stories - who made it, what is it made from,
where is it going?
[RE]SOURCE
Ensure that you source sustainable and ethical products
[RE]DUCE
Look for products and services that save packaging and waste
[RE]TURN
Take responsibility for afterlife of products and packaging
[RE]FILL
Where appropriate use packaging materials more than once

[re]designs Creative Director Jason Allcorn gave two talks on the theme
of [re]design retail on the Future Trends Stage at the UKs top retail
buying event, Spring Fair. Jason teased out the implications for retailers
as more and more consumers make ethical choices and seek out the
stories behind the products they invite into their homes. With the help
of a new tool the [re]design Retail Strategies he explained how
retail can fit into a sustainable virtuous cycle of design, manufacture,
retail and consumption.
The [re]design Retail Strategies were made into a feature for the
World Retail Congress the global retail industrys annual gathering.
The feature helped to focus delegates on the topic of environmentally
sensitive retail during three days of insights and discussion around
trends, issues and challenges facing retail.

[RE]PAIR
Keep your customers coming back with maintenance, upgrade
and mending services
[RE]SPOND
Consider all touch-points your brand, services and interactions
as well as products

32

Re-Forum
Key objectives: Inspiring Designers, Motivating Consumers,
Helping Industry, Equipping Learners

[re]design at
Grand Designs
Live London
Key objective: Motivating Consumers
ExCeL, London 3-11 May 2008

The Design Centre, University College Falmouth, 15 February 2008

[re]designs Directors paid a visit to Falmouth as part of Cornwalls

Re-Forum event. Sarah addressed marketing sustainable design with
an audience of designers, businesses and organisations from across
the county that were keen to be green. Meanwhile Jason led a concept
generation workshop with design students using [re]design tools.

[re]designs Directors were invited to take part in two panel

discussions hosted by Max Fraser at Grand Designs Live London,
the UKs top consumer show for design and innovation.
On May 10th, Sarah discussed Design Crimes in front of a packed
crowd of 600 with fellow panellists Kevin McCloud [Grand Designs],
Naomi Cleaver, Sam Jacob [FAT] and Nicolas Roope [Poke].
Meanwhile, Jason explored how to Buy Less, Buy Better from
why we buy so much, to what to look for when choosing better.

Importantly, [re]design dont force the message or make

us feel guilty for our consumption but, instead, suggest
feasible and desirable alternatives that marry human
natures creative instincts with a different approach and
attitude to production. It is no longer about newness
of material, but newness of thinking.
Max Fraser, design commentator and curator

Plastic
Fantastic?
Key objectives: Inspiring Designers, Helping Industry
NESTA, London, April-May 2008
Green and Thrifty, Rich Mix, London, 18 June 2008

Plastic Fantastic? a 6-week installation in NESTAs front of

house focused on single use carrier bags and reusable alternatives.
We created an animation exploring the issues and responses from
politics, community, business and design. The exhibition showcased
imaginative alternatives to single use carrier bags and innovative
uses of old plastic bags from [re]designs network of designers.
Plastic Fantastic? went on to feature at London Remades Green
and Thrifty event, aimed at businesses interested in reducing costs
and waste.

It looks fantastic! Great work. Once again, well done!

Todd Somerville, NESTA, on Plastic Fantastic?

36

Upcoming
Events
Research and development for [re]designs autumn programme has
been underway throughout summer 2008. Here are some of the key
events scheduled.

[re]design has clearly secured a fundamental role for

itself in the creative community. I am in total support
for the initiative. It is cleverly managed and, with skilled
marketing and communications, has unleashed some
of the UKs most exciting sustainable design projects.
Nancy Baynes, Energy Saving Trust

Lighten Up
Key objectives: Inspiring Designers, Motivating Consumers, Helping
Industry, Equipping Learners
100% Design, Earls Court, London, 18-21 September 2008
North Tower of the Tyne Bridge, Newcastle Quayside,
18-26 October 2008
Lighten Up showcases 64 of the UKs most innovative sustainable
domestic lighting solutions. Looking beyond the bulb, Lighten Up
explores the power of design to pioneer sustainable lighting from
new technologies and materials to aesthetics and interaction and
offers insight and inspiration for the next generation of lighting.
Lighten Up continues [re]designs partnerships with 100% Design
London and with the Design Event festival in the North-East. 100%
Design sees the launch of the Lighten Up book. Following in the
footsteps of Sit Up, it explores the story behind each product and is
even more handsomely illustrated we think it deserves to be an
even bigger hit!

38

greengaged
Key objective: Inspiring Designers
Design Council, London, 15-23 September 2008

A groundbreaking series of events and spaces dedicated to sustainable design the first of its kind as part of the London Design Festival
greengaged takes place at the Design Council in Covent Garden.
Hosting a fantastic mix of contributors, from chemists to magicians
and engineers to entrepreneurs, greengaged sets out to challenge and
inspire the design industry on sustainability.
Packed with debates, practical workshops, seminars, exhibitions,
screenings and networking events, greengaged explores sustainable
design strategies across disciplines from product design to graphics
and service design to fashion, bringing together the design industry
to exchange ideas and carve out new roles for design.
greengaged is being developed and organised in partnership with
thomas.matthews and the Sustainable Design Research Centre at
Kingston University

KEY THEME:
Thought
Leadership
[re]design recognises the power of public discourse whether
exhibitions, talks or publications to shape opinion and ideas. By
making sustainability a part of the conversation at key events in the
design calendar and major public venues, we have pushed it onto
the agenda for larger segments of the design sector and the public.
We always combine an uncompromising search for truly innovative
products, projects and thinking, with an accessible, friendly style
of presentation that introduces the new or unexpected into the
mainstream.

40

ACHIEVEMENTS

Partnerships with key players

New partnerships have been forged in 2007-8 with influential
organisations in the design sector and beyond, including 100% Design,
Southbank Centre, Icon Design Trail, Dott, Singapore Design Festival,
British Council, B&Q, Grand Designs, Energy Saving Trust, and the
Design Council. We have also built on existing partnerships with London
Design Festival, Design Event, NESTA, and London Remade.
Cross-discipline collaboration
Greengaged (planned for LDF 2008) is a significant step into a crossdisciplinary approach to sustainable design as an integrated part of
London Design Festival. Together with thomas.matthews and Kingston
Universitys Sustainable Design Research Centre, [re]design is developing
a programme of events at the Design Council which will bring together
designers, scientists, engineers, business people, educators, publishers,
activists and architects to challenge the design industry on sustainability.
Book publication
Our first book, Sit Up, was launched in September 2007 at 100%
Design and is available through our website and Amazon. The sequel,
Lighten Up, will be published in September 2008.

2007-8 has been a landmark year for [re]design, with big strides forward in several significant areas:
Broader public reach
We engaged large non-specialist audiences with eyecatching and
thought-provoking events in busy public venues like Grainger Street in
the heart of Newcastles shopping district, Londons Royal Festival Hall,
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, Grandview Plaza Shopping
Mall in Guangzhou, and Paradise Walk Shopping Mall in Chongqing.
Wider geographical reach
We took [re]design events beyond the UK for the first time, with Climate
Cool By Design touring China, Sit Up travelling to Singapore Design
Festival, and the [re]design Retail Strategies featuring at the World
Retail Congress in Barcelona.

Speaking engagements
[re]design Directors Sarah Johnson and Jason Allcorn were invited
speakers at events including Spring Fair 2008 in Birmingham, Grand
Designs Live London, and Cornwalls Re-Forum, and gave talks at
several Chinese universities as part of the Climate Cool by Design
programme.
Engaging with retail industry
Following Jasons talk at Spring Fair 2008, we were invited to feature
the [re]design Retail Strategies and selected products at the World
Retail Congress in Barcelona.
Making workshops
With [re]design@RFH, we presented our first Make It Yourself (MIY)
workshops to an enthusiastic response from a public audience.

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Project1

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2:47 pm

Page 1

Performance indicators
2007-8
500,000 people attended [re]design events.
[re]designs website attracted 10,000 unique visits per month.
[re]design showcased the work of 150 designers.
4000 people participated in [re]design make-it-yourself workshops.
60,000 copies of event publications (catalogues, leaflets and booklets)
were distributed.
[re]design events and projects featured in many international
publications, with wide UK coverage including The Evening Standard,
Icon, Metro, thelondonpaper and Design Week.
Chinese media coverage of the Climate Cool By Design exhibition
included 8 national television mentions and 26 print media
appearances and amounted to over half a billion hits!

FINANCIALS
Redesigndesign Limited
Profit and Loss Account for the year
ended 30 September 2008

2008

2007

Turnover.................................................................................................. 139427........................................................ 54532

Cost of sales...........................................................................................-64541....................................................... -43085
Gross profit.............................................................................................. 74886........................................................ 11447
Distribution costs.............................................................................................0..................................................................0
Administrative expenses....................................................................-41047....................................................... -19369
Other operating income............................................................................. 100..................................................................0
Operating profit/(loss).......................................................................... 33939......................................................... -7922
Exceptional items:
profit on the disposal of tangible fixed assets............................................0..................................................................0
profit on the disposal of investments...........................................................0..................................................................0

0
0

33939

-7922

Income from investments..............................................................................0..................................................................0

Interest receivable...................................................................................... 555............................................................. 919
Interest payable................................................................................................0..................................................................0
Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before taxation...................... 34494......................................................... -7003
Tax on profit/(loss) on ordinary activities........................................ -6924..................................................................0
Profit/(loss) for the financial year..................................................... 27570......................................................... -7003

46

FUTURE PLANS
Context

Opportunities

[re]design continues to operate in an ever evolving national and global

context in which environmental, social and economic factors all have
a part to play in the changing landscape of design.

[re]design interprets the challenge of sustainability as an opportunity.

Developing sustainable design means understanding what real quality
of life means, now and for the future, and creating it. The questions
posed by sustainability challenge designers to develop different
answers: new ideas, aesthetics, making processes, applications of
technologies and materials, and ways of relating to products.

Cutting carbon emissions is a priority for sustainable design. With

widespread acknowledgement that we have less than ten years to
prevent irreversible climate change, its the most urgent driver in the
development of sustainable ways of living. But other environmental
issues, including conserving non-renewable resources, protecting
ecosystems and biodiversity, are vital challenges too. By advocating
a broad range of sustainability strategies including energy saving,
waste minimisation, reuse and recycling, and sustainable production
of natural materials [re]design sets out to demonstrate how design
can address all of these issues.
Sustainable design needs to be friendly to people too. This means fair
trade, ethical production and social responsibility, as well as designing
for better product-user relationships that will encourage people to
keep, treasure, maintain and repair their stuff rather than dispatching
it to landfill.
Economic instability is a key factor in the current context. An economic
downturn poses the risk that sustainability may be perceived as a
luxury. On the other hand, its an opportunity to prove the benefits of
thrift saving money by saving energy and resources. Having a limited
budget can also provoke consideration of deeper values when theres
less to spend, people want to make sure they spend it on what really
matters.

[re]designs work has two key outcomes: awareness and action. Our
events and projects are opportunities for awareness raising, learning,
and facilitating debate around the issues. But they also mobilize action
on both individual and collective levels. Consumers are enabled to
make informed buying choices and ask informed questions. Designers
are inspired by what others have done and see how sustainability can
be a generator of innovation, rather than a constraint.

A glorious, resourceful
and forward-looking
approach to design.
Dr Kate Fletcher,
sustainable fashion and
textiles innovator

Projects where [re]design works directly with groups or communities

in design, education, business, or a local area open up opportunities
for more intensive processes of research, concept generation, design
development and behaviour change.

[re]design has shown me that by using something that

you believe in as a focus for your work, you can achieve
fulfilment and success as well as inspiring the viewer to
act on these important issues.
Claire Danthois, designer

48

WALKING
OUR TALK
We apply the same standards to our own work, our working space
and our day-to-day routines, as to the designs we showcase.
We minimise the environmental impact of our exhibitions by
incorporating materials-light, hired and reusable elements. The waste
from last years [re]design 06 exhibition, where products were strikingly
displayed suspended from a high ceiling, filled just one binbag with
fishing wire which we still reuse. We hired scaffolding to build the
Sit Up stand, and the monoflex sheeting that covered the stand was
reclaimed to make [re]design shopping bags. The shipping containers
used for Contains were also hired, with magnets and fishing wire used
to suspend exhibits inside without damaging the containers. Exhibitions
often feature literature and we strive to be responsible publishers: our
books and leaflets are printed on recycled stock by printers with rigorous
environmental policies, and are designed to minimise paper waste.
We get our office electricity supply from renewable sources, choose
energy-saving lighting, switch off what were not using and minimise
printing. Were low carbon commuters we walk, cycle, train and bus
to work, and out to meetings. We have a water butt for our veggie patch
and dual flush loos. Were avid recyclers and love our wormery. And of
course our studio is full of reclaimed, revamped bits and bobs with
some newer good and gorgeous design mixed in.

50

www.redesigndesign.org