Dec 15, 2012

The Great Recovery

Sophie Thomas

About this video

Description

With 80% of the environmental impact of a product determined prior to the concept design stage, what we think of as good design probably isn’t. A simple change of material to a recycled alternative no longer garners serious brownie points. New innovations around a “closed loop” model calls for investigation into materials at molecular scales. They demand true co-creation with everyone involved in the cycle and require collaborative systematic thinking, helpful chemists and new types of logistics to capture and re-circulate materials. So where do we start?

Sophie Thomas

Sophie has been working in the fields of sustainable design and material process for over 15 years. In addition to her position as Founding Director of thomas.matthews, she co-founded Three Trees Don’t Make a Forest, to inspire designers through practical tools and advice, and Greengaged, an organization that advances the design industry’s capacity to address environmental challenges. thomas.matthews’ client list includes Unilever, ClimateCare, London Development Agency, Olympic Delivery Authority, Design Council, the Government of Hong Kong and ActionAid. Sophie works with UK government to define the role of designers in the discussion around sustainability.