GD Capstone 09

TITLE: Giving Without Waste
Giving Can Make a Difference
Mariam Abdulqadr Almulla
200421897

COURSE: ART 499 GRAPHIC DESIGN CAPSTONE

INSTRUCTOR: YUNSUN CHUNG-SHIN

BACKGROUND
1. 09 CAPSTONE BRIEF
PROJECT TITLE: Alternatives
Reflecting on who we are and who we are not in this hot, flat and crowded planet

We are living in a place and time that imperatively requires the most urgent care for our planet, nations, and cities due to Climate Change. The UAE has the highest ecological footprint according to Living Planet Report 2006. This complex and discomforting news is a call for designers to exercise their social responsibilities. We designers have done much horrific harm to the planet with toxic materials, structures, processes, and developments that are not eco-friendly or harmful to both humans and nature alike. It’s time to examine the problems surmounted in front of us and to ponder potential solutions; in order to initiate positive changes in our lives. A promising solution, and perhaps the most vital, is to begin by educating the public with a creative communication of addressing these issues; whether they be immense or trivial.
This project focuses on redefining sustainable living and reflecting a current brand image of Dubai. Currently Dubai images have been established by a diverse range of people and perspectives; this project grants a chance for young Emirati designers to take ownership of shaping Dubai branding and envision a scenario of holistic city lifestyles covering various aspects of Dubai culture and urban living. It is a process of actively engaging in our duties as designers as we understand and exam contemporary definitions of Tradition, Fusion, and Vision of Dubai as a place and people.
This project aims 1)to understand sustainability problems and solutions 2)to envision city images and formulate customized solutions to address environmental issues specifically in Dubai from an Emirati perspective 3)to develop a campaign interacting with the public to participate in proposed campaign activities.
A design solution can be a campaign poster series as well as a media campaign to raise the awareness of the problems, or a more complex systematic design process. The final products include branding, promotional media and/or print products. Students will exercise their creativity, research skills, execution capacities, time management, and responsibilities through their unique stories and designs reflecting their creative solutions as a graphic designer.

2. GENERAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN RESEARCH
“We all know that our environment’s resources are limited and that our world’s natural balance has become disrupted. Toxins and byproducts from manufacturing not only harm our environment, but also our health. We are a consumer-based culture with a desire for the next best thing.  The key to a sustainable future lies in finding a way to satisfy our current society’s lifestyle in a more constructive manner.”
“If we learn from nature and change the quality of the energy and materials we use, then we can move closer to being fully sustainable.  For example, if we use solar energy, there may be no environmental impact at all, so we could use as much as we like or could afford.  Another important idea is that the flows of materials in nature tend to be cyclic, so you can never run out of resources.  By recycling more minerals we can mimic nature.  And obviously, using materials that have been grown is also a good thing-there are now some very high- tech and high performance plastics made from corn as well as wood and soya biocomposites to choose from.”

3. EMOTIONAL STATEMENT
I started my research researching on different environmental problems, especially waste problem.  I always believe that packaging is a huge part of our waste. Since we don’t need it after we finish with a specific product, so it is thrown in the trash and making waste and damaging the environment.  The first thing that come to my mind to solve this problem is to reuse those packaging especially the paper and cardboard packages, by making workshops and showing people how to reuse stuff, but then I thought that after recycling people might also throw these packages, so I didn’t solve the problem. So I understand that without carefully designed packages we can’t avoid these problems.  Since most people care about giving gift with a fancy packaging, I decide to change those criteria of gift giving, because all these things turned to be waste by the end and even the gift itself sometimes.

4. INSPIRATION (S)
Signature images:

Inspiring Quotes:
“If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it”
Gift Quotes:
“Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third”
“Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends.”
“Love is a gift. You can’t buy it, you can’t find it, someone has to give it to you. Learn to be receptive of that gift.”
“The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention.”
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”
Environment Quotes:
“The World we all share is given to us in trust. Every choice we make regarding the earth, air, and water around us should be made with the objective of preserving it for all generations to come.”
“It takes a noble man to plant a seed for a tree that will some day give shade to people he may never meet.”
“Our house is burning down and we are blind to it. The earth and humankind are in danger and we are all responsible. It is time to open our eyes. Alarms are sounding across all continents. We cannot say we did not know! Climate warming is still reversible. Heavy would be the responsibility of those who refuse to fight it.”
“We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.”
“The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”
“The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.”

Inspiring Story: The Gift of Nothing

CAPSTONE BRIEF:
Giving gifts is a huge part of most cultures, but if we look at the items we give as gifts we will see that they are beautiful custom more than beneficial. Because most of these gifts are made from oil and they are not sustainable at all.  Also these gifts will increase the amount of waste we have.  So do we stop giving gifts to save the environment? No, but we can give more sustainable and environmental friendly gifts and without making any waste.  We as designers should change the way people think about gift and we should give them the solutions.  Also we should promote that gift can be wasteful and problematic and show them example of creative, meaningful and problem solving gifts such as services and emotions.  In addition, when people give gifts they should think of something that will last such as a plant that will grow or a book that people can share and many other things. Furthermore, without having gifts waste we and our friends, family and children will have a better life in a climate friendly lifestyle and that is the best gift we give for us and for others.  Also creating our own gifts form recycling materials might be a good idea to reduce waste.  Also we should promote that Gifts are not on their physical value, but rather they are on their meaning and emotional value.
We give gifts in many occasions in UAE. We give gifts in Eid, marriage, graduation, sick, new baby and birthday.   People waste money and other recourses to give gifts.  Sometimes these gifts are useless, so why we give them.   This project will show people that they should change the way they give gift and they should understand that gift is not on its physical values but in its emotional and meaning value and how to give gifts that will help to sustain our earth and will last forever.
RESEARCH
1. PROJECT SPECIFIC RESEARCH:
So what is a gift? A gift is something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show appreciation toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance.   So as this definition shows that the main purpose of gift giving is to transfer our emotions and to show our care, respect gratitude and love.  According to care2.com, “one of the very best things we can do for the Earth is simply to preserve natural resources by consuming less, but this does not mean that we must forget gift giving.   Gift giving should not increase our earth problems; since we want to show our love for other people we should first show our love for our earth, because we are all living on this earth and if this earth was fine we are all going to have a good life and this is the best gift we give for ourselves and for who we love, so we should encourage giving good for the earth and saving the earth before giving people.
Gift Problem:
According to Elizabeth Royes’s, “much of what we buy never gets used at all.  It is just thrown away.”
“Products are the source of all environmental problems. Major issues such as pollution, deforestation, species loss, and global warming are all side-effects of the activities that provide consumers with food, transport, shelter, clothing and the endless array of consumer goods on the market today. Ecological and social issues are becoming more important than ever before, and a vital new role is opening up for design. Many beautiful-looking products have an underlying ugliness that is hidden to the consumer and is often invisible to the designer as well.”   “As many products are designed with  “built-in obsolescence,” to last only for a certain period of time, to allow – to encourage – the customer to get rid of the thing and buy a new model.”
Every material and component, from wood and steel through to aluminum and carbon fiber, has an environmental story behind it.  Usually it is a tale of effluent, pollution, and scarred landscapes behind an otherwise beautiful looking product.   It is the same with gifts since they are usually made from oil, tree and our limited resources from the environment and they have vary nice looking from outside but they are actually the main source of waste.
As all design has a limited lifespan, whether it becomes redundant, breaks, or simply becomes outdated, gifts are the same since they have a specific time line and they are going to be thrown in the trash some day.  The problem with our gift giving is that most gifts we give are turned to be waste and sometimes are useless and people don’t really need them or have it already.  Also people give gifts because they have to give who ever give them a gift before not to express their love and emotions, so gift purpose has changed.  In addition, we give money for children as gift in Ead in UAE and as children don’t know how to spend the money they tend to make more waste. As they usually buy more toxic toys and computer games.

2. CASE STUDY PROJECT(S): SOLUTIONS
Solution:
According to Peter Danko, “the furnishings we choose reflect who we are-our values, our heritage, and where we fit in the social hierarchy.  The issue of sustainability has recently become a consideration when we choose products.  Sustainability, however, will never be the sole key to the success of a product.  As always this will be its design and how it reflects our values.  So, in order to become a sustainable society, our values need to evolve so that we perceive products from a different frame of reference.”  I believe that this is the same with gift giving as gifts represent who we are. We should be carful about what kind of gifts we give, because gifts affect who we are as people and others tend to know us from our gifts, so we have to make sure that people take a good attribute about as.
As to solve our gift giving problem, I designed an event that will promote the idea of new gift giving, which is based on giving without making more waste and giving to show our emotions and love.  Also emphasizing that gift should be something that will last and there is nothing last more than our emotions.  In addition, suggesting some symbolic gifts that show love and real emotions such as poem, flower or even only a card since it is the only thing that we keep from a gift.
Furthermore, “Giving experiences you can share, rather than material goods, saves resources. And you can also simply give a gift of yourself. The key to giving a gift of yourself is to know the wants and needs of the person to whom you are giving the gift. Equally important, don’t underestimate peoples’ own special skills and talents. One valuable aspect of giving a gift of yourself is that it is the perfect solution for those who “have everything.”   In addition, “giving a gift that will increase our loved one’s appreciation for living more climate-friendly lifestyle, such as environmental group memberships, compost bins, or gardening tools.”   Also “creating our own personalized artwork-cards, books pictures- using recycled materials”  helps to save our resources and show our emotions in a unique different way.  In addition,  “Many times our busy lives get ahead of us. The gift of time can be more meaningful to many people than material gifts. Create memories by taking time out of your busy schedule to go out or cook dinner, or take in a concert or play with someone special.  Sign-up together for one of the many outdoor and environmental education courses offered through Dakota County. Spending time with you could be just what they needed.”    There are many more solutions on giving without making waste, if we just think out of the normal gift and we think about what the person we are giving really needs.  As I mention before, living a sustainable life is the best gift that we all should give for us and for others.
According to Ezio Manzini, “we all have to learn to consume fewer environmental resources.  We need to create new forms of community, from the local to the planetary level.  In this way we will be able to make the transition toward sustainability.

Case studies:
1- eco gift festival

Their mission is to bring all sustainable products to one place before holiday occasions to solve the problem of our normal products and gifts.
2- eartheasy

3- THE GIFT OF WASTE  from

Which is suggesting some suggestions for a less-wasteful holiday season such as:
* Give homemade gifts, such as cookies, handcrafts, or framed photos.
* Give entertainment, such as museum memberships; tickets to movies, theater, concerts, or sporting events; gift certificates to a favorite restaurant.
* Give learning, such as language or music lessons; classes in cooking, photography, or other favorite hobbies.
* Give your time or talent, such as baby-sitting, pet-sitting, computer help, or home repairs.
* Give fitness, such as gym memberships, personal training sessions, or classes in yoga, pilates, or dance.
* Give pampering, such as a massage, facial, manicure, or pedicure.
* Give to the greater good by making a contribution to someone’s favorite charity.

3. DESIGNER(S)
1)Paula Scher
Areas of distinction: Identity design, packaging design, publication design, environmental graphics
Biography
For over three decades Paula Scher has been at the forefront of graphic design. Iconic, smart and unabashedly populist, her images have entered into the American vernacular.

Scher has been a principal in the New York office of the distinguished international design consultancy Pentagram since 1991. She began her career as an art director in the 1970s and early 80s, when her eclectic approach to typography became highly influential. In the mid-1990s her landmark identity for The Public Theater fused high and low into a wholly new symbology for cultural institutions, and her recent architectural collaborations have re-imagined the urban landscape as a dynamic environment of dimensional graphic design. Her graphic identities for Citibank and Tiffany & Co. have become case studies for the contemporary regeneration of classic American brands.

Scher has developed identities, packaging for a broad range of clients that includes, among others, The New York Times Magazine, Perry Ellis, Bloomberg, Target, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the New 42nd Street, the New York Botanical Garden, and The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. In 1996 Scher’s widely imitated identity for the Public Theater won the coveted Beacon Award for integrated corporate design strategy. She serves on the board of The Public Theater, and is a frequent design contributor to The New York Times, GQ and other publications.

In 1998 Scher was named to the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, and in 2000 she received the prestigious Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design. She has served on the national board of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and was president of its New York chapter from 1998 to 2000. In 2001 she received the profession’s highest honor, the AIGA Medal, in recognition of her distinguished achievements and contributions to the field. She is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale. Her work is represented in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York; the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich; the Denver Art Museum; and the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

Scher holds a BFA from the Tyler School of Art and a Doctor of Fine Arts Honoris Causa from the Corcoran College of Art and Design. She has lectured and exhibited all over the world, and her teaching career includes over two decades at the School of Visual Arts, along with positions at the Cooper Union, Yale University and the Tyler School of Art. She has authored numerous articles on design-related subjects for the AIGA Journal of Graphic Design, PRINT, Graphis and other publications, and in 2002 Princeton Architectural Press published her career monograph Make It Bigger.
2) Mehdi Saeedi
Graphic designer ,Typographer,Calligrapher, Type Designer
Mehdi Saeedi was born in Tehran, Iran. He studied graphic design in the Art Academy and afterwards majored in Art and Design at England’s Cambridge University.
After completion of his academic studies he began work in Asr-e-Jadid Advertising Agency in the capacity of graphic designer and creative director. In 1998 he opened his private studio working with some of the most prominent cultural centers in Iran such as Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Academy of Art, music centers and the film industry, etc.
He has also received a research study scholarship from Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art for innovation and creativity in his posters.
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art published his collection of works in 2004. In addition, his works have been published in reputable international magazines and they are exhibited and kept in collections, galleries and museums around the world.
He organized the selected 5th Generation Iranian Graphic Designers Exhibition in 2006 and has attended many contests and exhibitions as selecting board and jury member. He is also a member of the Iranian Graphic Design society (IGDS) and has taught in the universities in Iran since 2005.

3) Wissam Shawkat
Calligrapher, Type Designer, Graphic Designer
Passionate about Arabic calligraphy since a very young age, Wissam Shawkat taught himself calligraphy by closely observing Turkish calligraphy masters. He has participated in many local and international competitions and exhibitions where his works have been noticed across the Middle East as well as in Denmark, Austria and Germany. In addition of his involvement in the preparation of several international calligraphy events - including the Dubai International calligraphy Exhibition - he is a regular contributor for the Quarterly Hroof Arabiya and has designed many logos for companies, institutions, books, magazines and newspapers as well as unique calligraphic works for museums and private collections around the world. Currently, Wissam works as a senior designer and consultant, specialized in brand identity and Arabic typography with global branding and advertising agencies in the UAE and abroad. In Dubai, his most noticeable works include a calligraphy wall at the Cultural and Scientific Association, the design of the Calligraphy at Mr. Majed Al Futtaim Mosque and the Calligraphy and design of the wall graphics at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

4. VISUAL COMMUNICATION STYLE(S)
Arabesque: Arabic Pattern

Typographic: Arabic and English
Wash away the TYPE:

Typography Tree:

5. SURVEY: QUESTIONS AND RESULTS
Survey
1.Do you like gifts?
2. Do you Know how many gifts you get/ receive every year ?
3. Would you like to change the way you give or receive gifts?
4. Do you know what is the meaning of “Gift From Nothing”?
5. Would you like to have a “Gift From Nothing”?
6. Do you believe that real emotion and love are the real gift?

Survey results
I did a survey for 10 people and the results shows that most people like to get gifts, but by knowing that some gifts might increase the waste we have they would like to change the way they give or receive gifts.  According to my survey, most people believe that real emotions and love are the best gifts.

ART DIRECTION

1. CONCEPT (BIG IDEA)
This campaign is a campaign that aims to arise awareness about gift giving and how gifts are affecting our environment by increasing the amount of waste we have.  The campaign will show how to give meaningful gifts for our friends and family without increasing the amount of waste on earth.  Also this campaign will promote the idea of giving nothing physical but emotional.  In addition, the campaign will arise the awareness of the emotional meaning of gifts.  The campaign will target UAE people on new gift giving since they waste for giving gifts.
Targeted Message:
Aware people about the waste that gifts we give are making and how they can give gifts that will not cause any waste and will last forever. In addition to promoting the real meaning for gift giving not waste making.
Targeted Goals:
The main goal for my campaign is 1) to change peoples’ habit about giving gifts by convincing them to give gifts that will last such as plant, book, or services
2)Also encouraging people to use our meaningful cards to celebrate with their friends and family and show them that these cards are better than any gift they used to give, since cards are the only thing that we keep from most gifts.  In addition, 3)using our web site to send their emotional gifts without making any waste.
Campaign Action:
First people should know about gifts waste by showing our video and posters and going through our website.  After knowing about the problem that gift can cause, we will provide people with the solutions by making an event that will show people solutions on giving gifts and convinces them about it.  Also giving them our promotional items that they can give as gifts and they will send a positive reaction about this new gift giving.
Starting from Ead, as we give money to children in Ead, I think that we should make sure that this money is not making more waste on earth by giving little cards with this money greeting and emphasizing that we don’t need to make more waste on earth and how to use this money for what we really need.

2. BRANDING:
NAMING
Campaign Title: not finalize yet
Gifty
MTG: more than a gift
Walla shay: nothing
Think gift
New giving
GWB: giving without boundaries
Giving Earth
Giving without waste
Gift to earth
LOGO
I started branding by creating different kinds of logos for each name and here are my logos:
Hadiaty+Gifty:

MTG: More Than a Gift:

Walla shay: Nothing

Gift Revolution:

Changing Giving:

GWB: Giving without boundaries

SYMBOL:
Hand
Giving Tree
Spreading
Tagline:
As I didn’t finalize the name yet, I still have couple taglines too such as:
Nothing Can Be Everything
Changing Giving
More Than A Gift
3. STYLE (LOOK AND FEEL)
4. TYPOGRAPHY
5. COLOR

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT (FROM SKETCHES TO FINAL)
1. SKETCHES
2. ELECTRONIC VERSIONS (1-3 STAGES)
3. FINAL VERSION

CAMPAIGN APPLICATIONS

1. POSTERS
* ART DIRECTION
* DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
* FINAL 3 POSTERS
2. MEDIA: PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN ADVERTISEMENT
* STORY
My movie is made of text and here is the text that is in the movie:
Re think Gift

Gifts are given in …

Ead

Wedding

Birthdays

……… ect
But do we need all these gifts?

What happen to gifts we don’t need?

Are they thrown in the trash?

So they are WASTE

And why do we give waste?

Let’s change our giving

Let’s think of what people needs

Let’s think of gifts that will last without damaging our earth

Lets give our emotion and love as our best gifts

Just know that people need more than a physical gift

* ART DIRECTION

I’m using typography only in my movie to emphasize the emotional meaning of gift giving without making more waste in our beloved earth.  I choose black and white to create my movie text to show the simplicity of giving gift without waste.
* DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
* FINAL SCREEN SHOTS 3-6 IMAGES

3. OTHERS
Web site:
The web site will emphasis the new gift giving by providing solutions on giving without waste and to help sending our love and emotions.
Cards
Cards will work as gifts to show emotions and love.

Bookmark
A bookmark will also be used as a gift to show emotions, so it will last for ever and people will remember each other when they use it.
Mug
Brochure
4. CAMPAIGN EVENT
* WHAT Aware people about the real meaning of gifts and how they can give gifts not waste
* WHY Gift is making more waste in earth
* WHEN In all our occasions.  Birthdays, Ead Ect
* WHO UAE people
* WHERE In UAE
* HOW promoting a new gift giving way in a campaign
Conclusion:
I believe that this is a very challenging project, since I’m going to the opposite direction of many people to promote emotions instead of material objects.  Many people don’t know that they are affecting the environment by their product choices and they think that saving the environment is not their responsibility.  So I decide to have this challenge and change people minds about choices they make in their everyday life.  I choose gift giving since we give gift and do not know if these gifts are really needed by the person who we are giving the gift or not.  So on my project I wanted to make sure that our gifts are not increasing the amount of waste we have and that it last for ever and the best gift that last for ever is our emotions and love.
“The goal of sustainable design is to make sure all products 100-oercent cyclic, solar, and safe. Designers must look to a future in which everything is completely compatible with nature.”

Bibliography:
Brower, C & Mallory, R & Ohlman, Z (2005). Experimental Eco Design. Switzerland: RotoVision
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http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gift

Annie B. Bond (1999). Care2. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/25-great-consumer-less-gift-ideas.html
Edwin Datschefski. (2006). Bio thinking. Retrieved April 25, 2009 from
http://www.biothinking.com/quotes.php

Think exist. (n.d) Retrieved April 25, 2009 from
http://thinkexist.com/quotations/gifts/
Changing the present. (2009). Retrieved April 25, 2009 from
http://www.changingthepresent.org/environment/quotes

The Climate Diet.
McDonough, Willam and braungart , Micheal. (2002) Cradle to Cradle. New York: North Point Press
Dakota. (2009). Retrieved April 25 2009 from http://www.co.dakota.mn.us/EnvironmentRoads/EnvirProtect/Recycling/WasteReductionGiftGiving.htm
Eco Gift. (2008). Retrieved April 25, 2009 from
http://www.ecogift.com/mission-philanthropy
Eartheasy. (2009) Retrieved April 25, 2009 from
http://www.eartheasy.com/give_tips_for_susgivg.htm

Finkelstein Newman Ferrara. (n.d) Retrieved April 25, 2009 from
http://www.nyrealestatelawblog.com/2008/12/the_gift_of_waste.html
AIGA.(2009).Retrieved May 2, 2009, from
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/medalist-paulascher
Mehdi Saeedi.(n.d). khatt. Retrieved May 2, 2009, from
http://www.khtt.net/person/1168
Wissam Shawkat.(n.d). Khtt.. Retrieved May 2, 2009 , From
http://www.khtt.net/person/555
spamula.(2007). Retrieved May 2, 2009, from
http://www.spamula.net/blog/2007/06/tales_of_the_arabesque_1.html
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http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/black-white-typography-graphic-design/