Abstract

The discipline of graphic design has lagged behind other design disciplines such as architecture and interior design in implementing meaningful principles of green, ecologically friendly, or sustainable design into theory and practice. For many graphic designers, a green design project is a project that incorporates recycled paper, or is built upon a rubric of ecological “buzz” words. This is not enough. For the profession of graphic design to truly develop an understanding of sustainability, there needs to be a basic philosophy considering the importance of sustainability for graphic design and the environment. This basic philosophy needs to inspire graphic designers to ask, “How can we make this project ecologically friendly so as to minimize or eliminate the impact on the natural environment?” This philosophy needs to be woven into design projects from the first initial steps to final works and considered simultaneously alongside client and project communication needs. This paper defines sustainability and discusses it in context of contemporary graphic design practice.