Deadline Approaches as Impressive Lineup of Judges Announced
For Sustainable Wood Design Challenge
New York, NY (April 2009) - Following the announcement of the winners of the Wood, Paper, Checkmark competition, DESIGN 21: Social Design Network is still accepting submissions for its green initiative companion, Going With the Grain. Looking to raise awareness about the importance of FSC-certification, DESIGN 21 members FSC-US and The Nature Conservancy are calling all designers to conceptualize an item using only one sheet of sustainable wood. The contest is open until June 2nd and will be judged by leaders in the sustainability movement and the design industry to promote the concept of better design for the greater good.
Alongside DESIGN 21's ongoing series of competitions, the Going With the Grain challenge was developed to engage thousands of designers while raising awareness about the global threat of deforestation and the necessity of designing responsibly. As Haruko Smith, director of DESIGN 21, notes, "Designers play an integral role in protecting our resources, especially when it comes to the materials they choose to use in their products. For this challenge, we wanted the design process itself to educate designers about the ease of using sustainable materials, which will then in turn encourage conscientious consumerism."
Co-hosted by The Nature Conservancy and FSC-US, the Going With the Grain challenge asks designers of all disciplines to create an object made from a single sheet of FSC-certified plywood (measuring 4' x 8' x 1"). Submissions will be judged on their originality, functionality and aesthetic appeal. Deadline for submissions is June 2, 2009.
A manufactured sample of the winning design will be auctioned in conjunction with the opening of The Nature Conservancy's traveling exhibition, Design for a Living World, at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York on May 14th. The overall winner, who will also receive a prototype of their design, will be chosen by forward-thinkers and leading design professionals including: Sara Elliott, Project Director of TNC's Design for a Living World exhibition; Ezri Tarazi, industrial designer, writer and educator; Ellen Lupton, curator of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum; Andrew Personette, Executive Director of EcoSystems; and George Beylerian, Founder of Material ConneXion.
For more information, please visit http://www.design21sdn.com/challenges/15
About DESIGN 21: Social Design Network
DESIGN 21: Social Design Network is a joint venture of Felissimo and UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Functioning as an online community that brings together socially conscious designers, non-profits, individuals and organizations, DESIGN 21 promotes better design for the greater good. To date, the network includes nearly 20,000 members from more than 170 countries and over 340 organizations from the non-profit, corporate, education and government sectors. Membership is free. www.design21sdn.com
About Forest Stewardship Council-US (FSC-US)
Forest Stewardship Council-US is the US chapter of an international non-profit organization. FSC certification is a critical tool in the race to save the world's forests. Working in more than 70 countries, FSC sets high standards that ensure that forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable way. www.fscus.org
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is an international non-profit organization at work in more than 30 countries to preserve the plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. www.nature.org
