I was recently on Broadway—not in the latest production of West Side Story—but at the Hudson Theatre for The Green Event.  The two-day conference brought together textile industry stakeholders—suppliers, buyers, designers, and regulators—to share ideas for developing eco-conscious practices across the board.

I had an opportunity to participate on the “Creating Green” retail panel alongside Marks & Spencer’s veteran cotton expert, Graham Burden.  I shared Continuum’s insights about the consumer perspective on sustainability, sparking a conversation about the need to consider the demand–side of the sustainability equation.  My talk followed an excellent keynote by Andrew Winston, author of Green to Gold and founder of Winston Eco-Strategies.   Mr. Winston spoke passionately about the business case for sustainability, citing numerous examples of companies that had achieved true competitive advantage by identifying upside opportunities or eliminating downside risks in this space.

Ian Yolles, a co-founder of the novel sustainable clothier, Nau, was one of the most compelling voices at the event.  He explained how he and a few friends (ex-execs from Nike and Patagonia got together in 2005 to create a new form of “business activism” by founding a company on the ideals of sustainability and social responsibility.  Their corporate bylaws turned the traditional clothing retail model on its head in a number of ways, including: mandating the use of more sustainable materials and processes (for example, recycled PET soda bottles become recyclable polyester garments), providing a 5% donation of sales to non-profit philanthropy (to be specified by customers at POP) and selling directly to customers through an assortment of low-impact retail outlets (both the internet and their novel store-meets-internet “webfronts”).
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Our mission, when we launched Ecolect was simple, yet ambitious: to help designers find sustainable materials, to provide makers of new materials a space to showcase their innovations and create a forum for environmentally-minded designers to share their inspiration, occasional frustration, new information and everything in between

It was an honor to hold last week’s Materials Petting Zoo at Continuum’s studio in West Newton, Massachusetts. We connected with their large community of in-house designers, engineers and business professionals who were eager to learn about the latest and greatest in alternative eco-materials. It was a chance to speak with designers, developers and the business owners one-on-one about material needs, options and ideas.

The atmosphere was fun, lively, and inspirational, with designers, engineers and other eager staff actively engaged in discussion about emerging material design alternatives.

To take advantage our free database of green materials, visit http://www.ecolect.net.

Lucky Break

Gufflumpgufflumpgufflump. OMDG this can’t be happening, I thought.  I was on the uphill portion of a bridge to Cape Cod when my very new Mazda 3i started bucking.  Quick glances: plenty of gas, temp was fine, battery ok.   By the way,  I don’t have a house on Cape Cod.  I mooch off other people’s houses.  On this particular Saturday, we were going to visit friends who themselves were mooching their friend’s house.  That made us moooooches.  I turned to my wife, “Call info and find a Mazda dealer on the Cape, whatever this is, it’s bad.”

We bucked over the bridge, breathed, and then bucked all the way to Hyannis Mazda, on a bleak stretch of road.  If Hyannis is where the Kennedy’s live, then it must be a big town, because there was no appropriate housing for Kennedys in sight.
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On October 4th, 12 of us from Continuum joined the Rodman Ride for Kids, the country’s largest single-day biking event to benefit different organizations throughout Massachusetts that help at risk children. Continuum has a tradition of generously supporting the Italian Home for Children at this event.  It gives us the opportunity to challenge ourselves and make a difference for a worthy cause.

The ride is a 25, 50, or 100-mile non-competitive cycling tour. It was inspiring to see riders of all abilities and limitations participate. “There were a number of people not only riding recumbent bikes, but the ones you pedal with your hands and arms rather than your legs. I was impressed,” said Gianna Ericson, who rode the 50 mile route.

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Targus recently launched their first-ever line of Mac accessories. I bet you are thinking, “Wait…Targus…I know them, don’t I? Laptop bags right?” Well, you’d be correct in this thinking and as it turns out, they have expanded their business into several other areas.

Targus is a major global supplier of mobile computing cases and accessories (Targus’ own words – from their website). When I first checked out their website I was amazed by the number of different computer peripherals they offer. The next time I was in Best Buy (I seem to often find myself aimlessly wandering their aisles); I couldn’t help but notice that Targus was getting great placement alongside some impressive names like Kensington, Microsoft and Logitech. Who knew this relatively quiet “laptop bag” company had such a significant presence in this category?
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During a recent trip to Chicago, I stopped by Oak Park to tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio. Built in 1889, this estate set the tone for Wright’s long and successful career. Wright started working as an independent architect here and it was here that he began developing his famous prairie style.

I always knew that Frank Lloyd Wright was a great architect; what I realized on the tour was that he was also a savvy experience designer, even if that term wasn’t around in the late 19th century. Every aspect of the buildings he designed was part of an integrated vision intended to impart his values and convey a particular experience.

As an unconventional architect, Wright was looking to cultivate clients that would be receptive to his work. And he communicated his values to the potential clients before they ever entered his work space.  He designed for people who were curious, so he made his studio entrance hard to find.  If they were tenacious enough to explore the façade and find the door, they were a step closer to becoming Wright’s client. If they gave up looking, they didn’t have a high enough tolerance for uncertainty to be the right clients for him.

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Fellow Design Strategist Sean Brennan and I recently participated in an IDSA event entitled Next Up: Sustainability After the Trend. Hosted by the burgeoning Rhode Island chapter, it was an intimate gathering of the area’s design professionals, educators and students housed in the new atrium of the Peerless Building in Providence.

Sean and I presented Colorblind, Continuum’s consumer-focused project on sustainability. Many in the audience had historically been focused on the latest and greatest in green product innovation. Yet Colorblind placed consumer needs squarely in their sightline. It was a perspective that resonated, reminding us that real change will happen only if sustainable designs are created not with other designers in mind but the average consumer.

We were followed by Emily Pilloton, founder of Project H Design, and Meaghan O’Neil, founding editor of TreeHugger and editor for Planet Green. While Meaghan shared a wide range of green design innovations collected in the TreeHugger archives, Emily’s first slide pictured the gold-painted plastic trinkets that she vowed never to design. With hints of the passion you’ll find in her manifesto, Emily managed to impart the do something imperative that clearly drives Project H to address social issues around the world through design innovation.

Indeed, that was the spirit of the evening. Conversation topics in the forum discussion that followed ranged from the future of green design to the value of professional collaboration. Ecolect’s Materials Petting Zoo topped off the night on the rooftop amid local brews, gourmet pizza, and great conversation. Overlooking the sparkling city with so many engaged designers, it was easy to be optimistic about what’s next. So, let’s do something!

Marie from HMS is nice.

Driving up the Garden State Parkway, enduring brutal summer beach traffic, we were forced to pull into a rest stop.  This is a rant-free blog column, so I won’t get started on the condition of the bathrooms or the gall of able-bodied people galavanting out of cars that were plated for and parked in handicap spots.  But I would like to put out a commendation to Marie, a uniformed employee of HMS Host Corporation which runs the rest stop, including the gift shop.  We collect snow globes, even on beach trips.  When my daughter brought her preferred snow globe (and a keychain) to the counter, Marie said, “You picked a great one.  That’s my favorite snow globe in the store.”  Then she offered a very kid-savvy option, “I’ll wrap up the snow globe so it’s safe, but would you like to hang on to the keychain yourself?”  Of course.  Walking out of the store, into the hot and crowded rest stop, destined for hours of crawling up the Parkway, my daughter was bouyed by the extra attention and glowed, “She’s really nice.”

Rule #4 of great service: Be nice to the kids.

Stunningly handsome, wickedly fast, and equipped with plug-in hybrid technology, Henrik Fisker’s newest creation, the Karma, is paving the way to a cleaner future for the performance-luxury market. Fisker, whose résumé includes the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage, is hoping to capitalize on what the company is calling the ECO-CHIC sensibility: environmentally conscious, futuristic, and uncompromising in quality. Delivering on that ideal, the Karma is an astonishing feat of automotive design. The proprietary technology, Q DRIVE, delivers an initial 50 miles of gripping, ultra comfortable travel with zero emission. And a full-length solar roof allows for cord-free charging and self-contained cooling for the interior, while the car is parked.

The flagship Karma will be priced around $80,000 with additional models to follow. For Americans who aren’t willing to trade their Maserati for a Prius, the Karma will be music to their ears.

Here is an exercise for you. Match up the following celebrities and the brands you think they endorse.
(See answers below.)

Recently, the latest Lord & Taylor radio advertisement captured my attention. In the ad spot, style expert and TV personality, Robert Verdi interviews young women about their shopping experience at L&T. While not everyone will recognize Verdi’s name, fashion-conscious listeners will likely respond to the confidence and enthusiasm in Verdi’s voice as he appraises shoppers’ looks. As executives attempt to revitalize Lord & Taylor’s brand, the introduction of Verdi may be a wise choice.

Consider Applebee’s. Wanda Sykes may not be a gourmet, but I bet you know her voice and her now unforgettable line “Get it together, baby!” Let’s face it, you’re probably not going there for the fine dining anyway, but Wanda Sykes makes lunch at Applebee’s sound like fun.

How about Sam Waterston? When you hear his voice you will likely trust him even if you don’t know his name. Why? For many years Waterston has portrayed the noble Jack McCoy on NBC’s Law and Order. He sounds kind, honest and fatherly. Wouldn’t you take his advice? TD Ameritrade hopes you will.

And what about a Bud with George? I’m in.

(Answers: 1. D, 2. H, 3. G, 4. F, 5. C, 6. B, 7. A, 8. E)