Nathan Shedroff - Sustainable Innovation

     

     

      On Wednesday November 18^th, 2009 I heard Nathan Shedroff  speak on the UC Davis Campus in California. His major theme of his lecture was “sustainable innovation.” There are three main ideas that are key in creating sustainable innovation: Design – Sustainability- Business. Overlapping they lead to meaningful connections and experiences that are key. Nathan started off the lecture by asking some questions that are nearly if not impossible to answer. The first was “What’s amore sustainable future look like?” Although we cannot answer this question at this time we can look to other countries, which are moving toward or already are living a more sustainable life such as Brazil and Cuba. Currently Cuba is the most sustainable nation on the planet currently. Brazil is leading the way in making changes toward a more sustainable life. The second thought provoking question Shedroff asked was “What’s a more meaningful world look like.” This is a question that we may never be able to answer. Interaction and meaning define the world we live in. The next question was “What’s a post-consumer world look like?” One way Brazil has cut back on their “visual clutter/noise” was by outlawing any outside advertising. Although we don’t have the answers to these questions, that is what design is good for – helping to answer them.

      Nathan Shedroff’s lecture was communicated very effectively. I thought he spoke well and he articulated his speech. His PowerPoint demonstrated ideas without being over cluttered with words, but mainly focused on images. In addition he had ideas that seemed to be new and enlightening. I personally was excited that this wasn’t just another lecture on “how to be green.” It was actually quite the opposite, it was more about how we can all make life changes toward a better future. He asked though provoking questions, that made the audience wonder about what our future will hold. 

[Photos from: http://estimulo.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/nathan.jpg, http://2009.dconstruct.org/images/speaker-badge-nathan-shedroff.png]