A book, a day: Aesthetics of Sustainability, Material Experiments in Product Design by ECAL

Sustainability is all the rage.

One of the most important topics of the 21st century -if not THE most vital one- sustainability is the rule which all design disciplines should follow and serve, it is literally the most vital quality humanity must strive for. 

Authored by Swiss product designer Thilo Alex Brunner, a co-founder of several design firms, lecturer at ECAL/Ecole cantonale d`art de Lausanne and the creative who chaired the master’s degree program Product Design until 2018, and designed by Federico Barbon, a graphic designer based between Lausanne and Milan, "Aesthetics of Sustainability, Material Experiments in Product Design" is an introduction to what can and should be done for a better designed world. 

Published by ECAL and Triest Verlag, the volume summarizes the results of ECAL's "The Aesthetics of Sustainability" research project which brought together master’s students of product design, established materials specialists, manufacturers and researchers with the aim of exploring and defining the aesthetic potential of a new generation of sustainable materials.

The result of this research-through-design project is a series of fourteen case studies involving the development of materials made from textile waste, recycled paper, rubber granulate or vegetable fibers such as algae, rice husks, hemp, flax and wood. The resulting new materials can be shaped, pressed, woven or welded.

The aim is to offer future designers a range of practical tools and applied knowledge about the methods of analyzing and processing seminal materials, utilizing their advantageous qualities and developing functional, yet aesthetically intriguing objects.

The materials further aim to provide proof that sustainable materials are a great market opportunity for manufacturers and consumers alike.

Featuring contributions from Christophe Guberan, Chris Lefteri, Ala Tannir and graduates of the Master’s Program Product Design of École cantonale d`art de Lausanne (ECAL) "Aesthetics of Sustainability, Material Experiments in Product Design" is an introduction to what can and should be done for a better designed world.

"Design, as a discipline of innovation, must play a leading role in optimising the environmental impact of all by-products and processes in the production of designed goods.
All too often, most people take a stereotypical view of 'sustainable products'. They are often associated with dirty colours and unpleasant aesthetics, owing to the use of second-grade, recycled, 'primitive', natural or non-processed materials. Furthermore, they are usually associated with higher prices or inferior quality" notes ECAL.

The publication aims to explore and define the aesthetics of a new generation of sustainable materials, to "push boundaries, explore aesthetics and define a contemporary language of sustainable materials and products through a systematic process of investigation, experimentation, creation and development within the context of product design."

The low impact of products is not only necessary, but it is also about to become a unique selling point for manufacturers. The tipping point when eco-friendly materials become more easily available and financially competitive on a larger scale will soon be reached."

Own a copy of the book and discover the brand new aesthetics of sustainable design here.