Green Graphic Design

I wrote another article for All Graphic Design's blog on the subject of being a green designer. Check it out if you have time. Otherwise, the article itself is below:

Why Green Design?

“According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.”1

Both our individual lifestyles and the way we run our businesses contribute to this rapid decrease in resources. If we as small business owners or freelancers can control our services easily and lessen their harmful effects on the environment, why wouldn’t we? Many people are under the impression that running an environmentally friendly operation at work or at home costs loads of money and time. This isn’t necessarily true at all. In my experience, going green has helped me to reduce costs on utilities such as electricity and water and keep less paper in my printers (which means more money in my bank account). It’s also helping my clients save money as well. They’re no longer paying for the printing of single-sided, countless brochure inserts; they’re using double-sided pages instead or moving their information online entirely. But this isn’t the portion of the article where we discuss the “how-tos” of going green; that’s later.

On a global scale, going green is good for the earth. It joins the worldwide effort to save our planet and to preserve the resources we have for generations to come. In a business sense, it can work to your marketing advantage. It can also keep your expenses down all while giving you a warm and fuzzy feeling. And finally, in terms of design, it uses the skills we have for the greater good. We can use our knowledge of self-promotion to help our clients to market themselves in a more eco-friendly manner. Imagine how much paper could be saved if all designers thought this way!




Going Green: Starting With Your Work Environment

Before we start talking about ways to “green your design,” we must first visit the office space in which you’re working. I feel it’s important to practice what you preach. For example, if you’re telling your clients to use less paper, don’t keep your trash can filled with old print-outs while your recycle bin is empty.

Paper
Start by evaluating how much paper you use versus how much paper you really should be using. Printing out endless mock-ups for client approval is not the most tree-friendly option. Send your proofs via pdf in an email. Keep paper out of it all together if you can. But what about client signatures? What about having them sign off on a project? According to the American Bar Association (http://www.abanet.org/scitech/ec/isc/dsg-tutorial.html), digital and electronic signatures are fully adequate. Furthermore, computer software providers such as Adobe now have programs that are entirely created for Digital Signature recording and security (if you’re interested, check out Adobe Digital Signatures here.

Secondly, for those times when we do need to print off directions from Google Maps for our next client meeting, try printing on paper that is already using a percentage of post-consumer content. Then, use it again. In other words, save sheets of paper that have been only used on one side. Reprint on the back-side and you’ve just gotten twice the amount of printing paper for your buck.

Finally, invoicing takes up lots of paper. I send my statements once a month using pdf files via email. While this may not work in certain instances, it certainly saves on paper, envelopes and postage. PayPal (http://www.paypal.com) also has an electronic invoicing tool for credit cards. Check out the Merchant Services portion of their website.

Lighting
Designers need adequate lighting when it comes to looking over those Pantone swatch books. But do costly fluorescent light-bulbs really do the trick? Lucky for me, I’m able to position my desk under a skylight. On sunny days, I use absolutely no electricity to light my workspace! Don’t have a window? Try investing in Compact Fluorescent day-light light bulbs. They require far less energy and won’t make your own skin appear green.

Recycling
Being that graphic designers do use so much paper, it’s important to look at our recycling methods. Did you know that “for every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months”?2

Try to be better about recycling old mock-ups, client print-outs, and even mail. Nothing is a greater distraction than flipping through those beautiful full-color stock-photo catalogues, but at 20 pages a piece, a lot of trash can be created. If you’re not interested in receiving those offers or notifications all together, be sure to get your name removed from their list as opposed to just throwing them out and calling it good.

Website Hosting
Most designers and design firms have websites. Some provide web design services and offer hosting as a service to their clients. Move both to an eco-friendly hosting company next time your contract is up for review, if you can. I’m about to make the switch myself and have found a lot of great companies out there. Some run entirely on solar and wind energy while others buy carbon credits and “pay back” the carbon emissions they create. The preference is up to you, but either way, there are many green providers out there. The list below is just a few that I’ve come across in my search for a greener hosting alternative:

• ThinkHost: They plant a tree for every new customer!
• Sustainable Websites
• Elfon.com

The list can go on and on about how to have a more eco-friendly office. A great podcast that I’ve listened to is hosted by GreenLivingIdeas.com. Their Green Talk Radio host Sean Daily has uploaded several podcasts where he discusses green office ideas with actual consultants. Check out the podcasts directly on itunes to download previous episodes. Otherwise, the direct link is here.



Going Green: Greener Graphic Design Solutions

Obviously all design projects and clients are different, so telling you that your brochures should be of a certain size and be only a one-color job won’t really work. However, there are some definite points to keep in mind when assigned to a particular project. Thinking in terms of creating a more eco-friendly design solution tends to keep the end-result more in mind. Asking yourself, “What will happen when the user no longer needs this piece? Can it be turned into something else? Is it something that people would want to hang on to? Can be recycled?” become routine questions.

Below is a list of several possible design projects and some eco-friendly alternatives I’ve come up with. I would definitely recommend throwing some of these ideas in your “save for later” box as they can make great self-promotional ideas as well.

Email Campaigns, Not Postcard Campaigns
As said previously, one of the best ways to help the environment overall, is to create less trash. As graphic designers, we can contribute largely in this area. Direct mail campaigns may be effective, but they're also costly. Between design services, printing and postage, the dollars really begin to add up. Furthermore, having a 7% response rate, on average, is considered "doing well." That means 93% of the postcards or direct mail pieces create little or no response at all. Where do you think they've ended up? Yep, most likely in the trash.

Not only are email campaigns paperless, but they've been proven to create better results. It's delivered directly to one's email inbox, it creates easy viewing, and there's a level of convenience. If the viewer wants more info, all they need to do is click and they're at your website. That's instant gratification, and consumers love that. Try convincing your client that this may be a more cost-effective and sustainable way to go.

If You Have To Print, Print This Way
So you're client’s all about making postcards and they seem to get great results. Great, but if you have to print, do it wisely. Print the quantity the client will really need; not enough to store on their bookshelves in boxes behind their desk, nor enough to leave you with 400 “samples.”

Talk to your printer about paper options that are created from post-consumer content; options that also won't hinder your design or the project objective. Find out if your printer can use soy or vegetable-based inks. Sometimes, some printers only have these inks in specific colors. Make sure you find out these color restrictions, if applicable. If your printer isn’t into the “green thing,” you can try out a few of my resources:

*On A National Level: Greener Printer
Very eco-friendly and easy to work with online.

*On A Local Level: Graphic Design, Inc.
Located in Hastings, Minnesota. A full print shop with many green capabilities.

*On An International Level (label printing): Metro Label Group, Inc.
I've never worked with them personally, but understand they actually run their business in an environmentally-friendly building. Located in Canada, this company offers label printing solutions.


Better Banners
If you or your client has decided to do a tradeshow, the most typical signage pieces are banners. There are actually printers out there that specialize in printing not only with environmentally-friendly inks, but on eco-friendly, durable banner materials as well. A good example of such a printer is Green Banners.


Put Catalogs Online
If your client prints and distributes product catalogs, there's never been a better time to inspire them to sell products online. E-commerce websites can be pricey and time-consuming to initialize, but once they’re up and the products are listed, it will take less time to manage and advertise them, than it would to redesign and print them however often. Sounds like you just got an opportunity to put a client on retainer and gain a little security.

E-Coupons, Not Paper Coupons
Coupons are great and they tend to be very effective. You can help your clients cater to their lazy customers (and to the earth) by not printing and mailing paper coupons. This creates work for the customer (they have to cut!) and trash. Instead, feature coupons on the client’s website or in an email campaign with a promotional code. Your client now has an effective coupon with no paper and no cutting.

Again the possibilities are endless. But it’s not about having a check-list of what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to being a green designer. It’s about determining the so-called “after-life” of a project and thinking about its affect on the environment up-front.

Make the Commitment
If you’re really finding that green design is a new passion for you, there are several organizations you can join to mingle with your Green Designer counterparts. Some of these design groups can make great resume builders and others are just great networking opportunities

Design Can Change: Graphic Designers Unite to Address Climate Change
Make the pledge here to be a more sustainable designer and to do your part when it comes to the welfare of the environment.

Co-Op America: Economic Action for a Just Planet
Join Co-Op America and if your green membership is approved, you’ll be placed in their National Green Pages, a directory of environmentally friendly business nationwide. You also get a nifty approval badge to display on your website.


AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts)
Not necessarily a green organization in itself, but they host conferences on green design. Check out the sustainability section of their website: http://sustainability.aiga.org/


Minnesota Green Pages Directory
For the locals – become a member of Do It Green Minnesota and you have the option to be listed in their directory.


Renourish
An online resource for green graphic designers. Contains links to blogs, the ability to share case studies and tools for the environmentally concerned designer.


1 Go Green Initiative’s website, http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/content/WhyGoGreen/
2. Go Green Initiative’s website, http://www.gogreeninitiative.org/content/WhyGoGreen/