Definition:
‘Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which in turn depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural resources.’
Sustainability, always a talking point in any commercial category – specifically so in an industry such as graphic design. Why is this? Well, primarily based on the assumption of physical media, commonly paper, as the main carrier of all things ‘graphic’.
However, as technology progresses, our ability to reach target markets extends to a number of different mediums, primarily digital in format. This opens up a whole number of solutions to a vast number of communication problems, the transmission of advertising across this medium is significantly faster, cheaper and easily modified.
With an economic climate that is declining rapidly, the call for physical advertising campaigns and indulgent print media becomes not only an environmentally challenging question but a financial consideration for many clients.
The value of ‘physical’ graphic design is something I think many graphic designers of my persuasion will be sorry to lose, and although I can never envisage it ‘dying’, the necessity for it is decreasing simply due to the popularity of other media. My own mother is now completely computer literate, and reads global news, browses all areas of retail and subscribes to a number of mailing lists through the screen of her laptop. Environmentally sound practice by businesses that also cuts costs, who’s losing out?
Arguably the role of the graphic designer is now to cater to these environmental issues, I am rarely confronted by quality ‘print-based’ design, especially of commercial persuasion. That’s not to say it doesn’t exist though, it does.
It could be said that sustainability restricts the graphic design industry; however I’d like to suggest it adds a dimension of challenge to any brief. Convincing a client of a reason to compromise on sustainability to create a more appropriate solution is something I am sure must occur daily.
So, reflecting upon the definition of sustainability and its importance within the industry, I am able to offer a neutral view. I personally feel more of an attachment to the print side of graphic design upon leaving university, but have a strong feeling my attitude will mould to that of an environmentally aware designer as I become more and more involved in a professional creative environment.
