Not her. Maybe her. Definitely not her.
We’re standing at the escalators between the north and south terminals, trying to pick Maureen out of the crowd. She soon arrives, wrist splint and all, and we make our way back to the parking deck. When we settle into the car, she laughs, commenting on our dazed expressions.
It’s studio week—she knows the look all too well: the tired eyes, the blank stares, and the general cloud of confusion.
As we discuss difficulties with our current projects and listen to her reflect on jobs past and present, she stresses one emphatic truth that she has come to realize on different levels over the years: walk your own path.
Whether a project or a position, do what makes things happen for you. She explains what she means. She was faced with a project calling for hundreds of thumbnails, but instead of finding a solution amidst all that ink and tracing paper, she felt completely uninspired. She turned to writing and, through that, found a visual answer.
What works for many may not work for you. And what works for one project may not lead you to the answer for the next.
She encountered a similar pattern in the job market. She began working for large firms, but, at the end of the day, she has found happiness working with a smaller team and doing something that she truly believes in: green design at Aveda.
She lights up in discussing her work as the Associate Director of Packaging Design at Aveda. She tells us of the unrelenting consideration Aveda gives to the environment and the community at large. She is part of a company that designs with care, paying attention to the effects that their products have on the environment.
A company with a social conscience is not without its complications, though. Designing green isn’t easy and comes with a long list of restrictions. At Aveda, design falls within tight boundaries in order to uphold the company’s mission. However, the benefits outweigh the limitations. Maureen emphasizes how rewarding her work is now that she is part of a movement that is changing the face of design.
Green design is transforming the way designers think about design. As consumers search for ways to bolster their own social consciences, companies worldwide are crafting brands that gratify that need. Brands that do more than just sell a product. Brands that empower the consumer, giving them a chance to help the environmental cause with a purchase. For those interested in further study, Maureen has compiled a list of green resources below.
Whether it be in green design or elsewhere, Maureen’s message is clear: do what you love; find your own truth.
Green Resources:
Magazines:
Metropolis Magazine
Dwell Magazine
Bloom: A Horticultural View (it's $$, but good)
ID
Dazed
Surface
Books: (there are obviously thousands, but here are just a few)
Cradle-to-Cradle
Design Like You Give A Damn
World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century (designed by Sagmeister, very cool)
Sustainable By Design
Biomimicry
Waste & Want
Green to Gold
Green Essentials: What You Need to Know About the Environment
Websites:
Portfolio Center students share a strong desire to communicate ideas, the willingness to let go of preconceived notions, and the compulsion to learn new ways of thinking. These qualities are fostered by the school’s constant stream of industry bigwigs, who bring their varied and colorful perspectives from all over the country. These creatives, who are always generous with their time and energy, tend to hang out with students, conducting informal workshops and continuing the day’s discussions over dinner. Often, what results are provocative interviews—written, shot, and designed by PC students.
