Unlike the first project, this project research focus that is nature and the Earth. This is difficult and challenging because we learned a lot of professional languages about environment , like "upcycling" "fast fashion"

• What have you learned so far?

Sustainability means finding ways to meet today’s needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.

"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." Environmental protection and sustainability are important topics for the future of humanity.

• What did you find difficult to understand?

In business, how can we ensure that people are truly making efforts for the sustainability of the Earth rather than just for making money?

• What are your thoughts on sustainability in your own industry?

In graphic design, we can use environmentally friendly materials, design themes that protect the environment, and use AI technology to hold online design exhibitions (without physical products), etc.

• Do you think this will be a challenging project?

Yes, I think this is a social issue. We need to think deeply about profound issues (such as human development and technology), but at the same time, we must also pay attention to people's lives.

• What could you research?

I don't have a very exactly answer. So far, I have been more interested in graphic design works, buildings and interactive installations, and micro films related to sustainability (such as some episodes of Love, Death & Robots and Black Mirror).

For most graphic designers, "sustainability" still mainly refers to the selection of physical materials. In the business industry (I think design relies on the business environment), "sustainability" is like a "hot topic".

The more significant role that designers have to play involves the communications challenges surrounding sustainability, which is a complicated, multi-faceted issue that has a wide variety of implications for different industry verticals, communities and demographics—and serious consequences for the future.

• Describe the solution that was proposed

Develop communities of practice.

Engage other disciplines in dialogue on the topic.

Look to analogous efforts in other industries.

Evaluate the communications materials and objectives of your own clients.

Prioritize your efforts.

Familiarize yourself with corporate governance issues.

Channel your nonprofit efforts into designer activism and socially-responsible projects.

Seize the opportunity to put a new face on a hoary old movement.

• My opinion

These methods are valuable, but there are still challenges:

Business challenges
Education and support are very important
Long-term benefits are worth it
Smart mix of digital and print

1. If I created for a sustainable furniture brand, I would design goods made from renewable materials.

2. If I were a artist, I would created grand works, like Akiya Kageichi's.

3. If I designed a coffee VI, I would use coffee grounds into ink for their packaging.

4. If I made a poster, I would use flowers and leaves to paint it.

5. If I designed a T-shirt, I would draw with Cyanotype process – painting in the sun.

6. If I made shopping bags, it would print slogans for protecting wild animals.

7. If I designed a snack bag, you could eat the wrapper too.

8. If I taught design history, I would use VR to help my class.

9. If I made street posters, I would use degradable paper instead of plastic.

10. If I created museum maps, they would light near exhibits you haven't seen, like "Harry Potter".

How does the project relate to our Sustainability module?

Gumdrop Ltd recycles discarded chewing gum, converting it into a sustainable material called GUM-TEC®, which is used in a variety of products. In line with the "resource recycling", "waste reduction" and "green innovation" in the sustainable development module.

Which subject specialism does it relate to (e.g. fashion, product design, games, film)?

Product Design.

Sustainable Materials.

Social innovation / Public governance

What was the sustainability problem?

Environmental pollution: Chewing gum is a kind of garbage that is not easy to degrade naturally, affecting the beauty of the city.

Economy: Relevant governments and enterprises need to invest a large amount of money for cleaning.

Resource waste: Chewing gum contains recyclable synthetic rubber, but it has long been treated as garbage.

What was the proposed solution?

Set up "Gumdrop Bin" and "Gumdrop on the go" portable collectors in public places and encourage the public to sort and dispose of them properly.

The collected used chewing gum is recycled and processed by Gumdrop Ltd into GUM-TEC® recyclable material.

Material reuse.

What was the problem shown in the video?

The production process of T-shirts and the environmental pollution problems

What industry does it relate to?

Agriculture (cotton cultivation), textile industry, transportation industry, and commerce

What were some of the proposed solutions?

Buy second hand /repurpose/donate/buy organic cotton / line dry

What surprised you?

It takes as much as 2,700 liters of water to make a T-shirt.

What could you do differently as a consumer?

Try to buy clothes made of organic cotton, although I don't know if this material will be comfortable for me.

How can you become a more responsible clothing consumer?

Buy less, but better. Pick lasting clothes, not fast fashion.

Tongyang and Yiwen have similar research directions, both focusing on sustainable design.

Yiwen tends to do innovative designs related to environmental protection, while Tongyang prefers themes for exhibitions promoting recyclability. I focus on sustainability and recycling in packaging and printing. Our starting points are similar.

Yihang doesn't have a better idea for now. For game design, choosing a sustainable research direction is a bit challenging.

But we discussed together the issue of waste conversion and secondary utilization. We mentioned a Chinese artist called Xu Bing. He made a phoenix out of scrap iron from the garbage dump.

"The Seed" – Aurora

2019

Climate change and the destruction of nature.

"The Seed" is a strong song about nature and the damage people are doing to the Earth. This song is not just about the environment—it is also about greed, destruction, and the urgent need to change. It is both beautiful and scary.

"Big Yellow Taxi" – Joni Mitchell

1970

Joni saw green spaces replaced by buildings during a trip to Hawaii.

It is a famous environmental protest song.

Even though it sounds like a happy song, the message is serious—protect the earth before it’s too late. It is one of the earliest pop songs to talk about the environment.

"Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" – Marvin Gaye

1971

Marvin Gaye was worried about pollution and the planet’s future.

This song is soft and soulful, but its message is very serious. It talks about pollution, dying animals, and dirty oceans. Marvin Gaye’s voice is full of pain and emotion.

"Feels Like Summer" – Childish Gambino

2018

Climate change and people ignoring the danger.

People loved the relaxing sound, and the animated music video became popular.

This song sounds calm and peaceful, but it talks about something very serious—climate change. The lyrics mention rising temperatures, dying bees, and how people are not paying attention. The music feels like a lazy summer day, but the meaning is sad.

This is an article from the official blog of Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD).

It talks about how graphic designers can help the environment by making better design choices in printing and packaging.

The article shares clear ideas, like using fewer colors, choosing eco-friendly tones and fonts, and thinking about how do a sustainability design from the beginning. These ideas match my idea that we should change how we share information from the very start.

_PS：

_{What is an "eco-friendly font"?
Bold fonts use more ink when printing. If we choose thin fonts, we can use less ink. Some fonts are small and take less space, so we can put more words on one page. This helps to print fewer pages.}

_{What is an "eco-friendly color"?
Colors with low ink coverage need less ink. Dark colors use more ink, but light colors use less. Neon and metallic colors often need special chemicals. These can be bad for the environment because they have heavy metals or are hard to break down.}

This is a blog from Pakfactory, a business website that offers custom packaging solutions.

The article talks about the rules of minimal packaging design and types like mailer boxes. It explains how this kind of design saves materials, makes less waste, and helps with recycling.

It gives useful ideas for the “sustainable packaging” part of my project. It also matches my ideas — that “packaging is communication” and “less is more.” It can help designers make better and easier design plans.

This is a research article from the journal Sustainable Production and Consumption.

It shows how a minimalist lifestyle can help people use fewer things and feel more happy.

This idea fits well with design thinking like “less printing, more meaning.” The article gives strong support for the human and emotional side of my project. It shows that using less does not mean having less, but finding deeper meaning.

Why do I think it's important to connect with nature?

For me, nature is the source of my ideas. In both painting and design, I get my first ideas from nature — like light and shadow, colors, or the shape of a flower. When we stay away from nature, our work becomes more “repetitive” and “same.” We lose important feelings, and then our work becomes boring, like a robot.

_PS:

_{On the balcony of my home. My sister's cat is called "Doctor".}

Some people think UK should make new laws (be called EPR). Some brands, like Zara said the circular model system needs to change. I think if some brands help Ghana change their recycling system or give some money to the local government, can be well. In fact, Some brands and governments have made attempts, such as recycle clothes or don’t send waste abroad. But the problem still happening, so may be they are not doing enough.

Companies should check where their clothes go and help build recycling. Governments should make strong laws to stop waste from going to poor areas. Everyone should works together.

Firstly, energy use on set lead to many environmental impacts in film production. Traditional film lighting uses large and high-wattage bulbs. This can easily lead to high carbon emissions, because the bulbs powered by fossil fuels. Of course, some studios are start use LED lighting which is environment friendly bulb, it can uses up to 80% less energy and generates less heat (GreenFilmWatch. 2022). In addition, some products in order to less energy impact that start use solar-powered or renewable energy. These changes help people savings in energy, money, and environmental damage.

Another major sustainability problem is transport and logistics. Sometimes the crew and equipment need to travel large car or air to far places.  It's increased fuel use, air pollution and adds to costs. The source explains that the good news is some studios beginning use digital communication tools and VR, another studios choosing “localising” shoots(Lee, 2023). These methods save money and protect the local environment.

In conclusion, the film industry creates many environment pollution, especially from energy and transport. But with new technology, companies can take responsibility and help make the industry more sustainable. 

Last week I was working on group presentation and some team discussions that about my new project. And in the Monday I learned a new technique when I was made ps1 interview. It is about preparation before a interview and presentation skills.

I was a bit exciting because I made enough prepare, such as full understand bibliography and get familiar with my viewpoints and new words. I was interested in this research topic - sustainability. My major enables me to talk a lot.

It was useful to learn how to presentation skills as if I am a speaker, I will be very concerned about the feedback from the audience. I enjoyed the process of learning how to organize a group presentation and self interviews. It was exactly what I had been hoping for. I use speaking and listening methods to help me pay attention to how to do better.

But I still have problems. For example, I speak quickly that lead to I can't clearly express point. I see that I need to work on my speaking speech, I should spend more time thinking what I want to say. To deal with this problem, I will

exercise my logical thinking and adaptability. This can help me adapt to more situations, not just presentations and interviews.

My project is about printing and packaging. This article shows that some packaging is hard to recycle. It helps me understand the problems of packaging waste. It also helps me think about better materials for design.

I found it on the Packaging Technology Today website

The article shows new ways to make packaging better for the environment. It talks about using paper, reusable systems, and recycling. This helps me think of better ideas for my design project.

I found it on the FlexoTech website in a sponsored content section, published in April 2025.

The article shows that digital inkjet printing uses less energy, creates less waste, and supports paper packaging over plastic. It describes print-on-demand to avoid overproduction.

At the beginning, I felt a bit nervous, because I thought my research was not deep or wide enough. But during the Q&A part, I felt much better. I was happy with how I answered the questions. I shared my own observation from shopping at Starbucks — I noticed that brands like IKEA and MUJI have recycling stations, but Starbucks does not. This made me wonder: if Starbucks cups are made of plastic, how can they be recycled?

One good thing was that my structure was clear. I used some tips from the “Presenting Effectively” PCA, such as signposting (“First…Then…Finally”), a clear voice, and meaningful visuals. However, I noticed I sometimes spoke too fast and didn’t explain technical ideas clearly, like the issue of recycling plastic lids.

I learned that adding personal experience can make the message stronger.

I also liked Clara’s Coca-Cola presentation — her logic was clear, and the atmosphere was calm. One strong point she made was about a Coca-Cola bottle in Taiwan that said “Recycle Me” but didn’t tell people how to recycle it, what material it was, or where to recycle it. This made me realize that clear, real-life examples can make a point much more powerful.

Next time, I want to include one strong case like Clara did. I will also try to improve my tone and body language to create a better speaking atmosphere.

In my Identity project poster, I think I did a good job with color and layout. The poster was clean and not too crowded. I also used clear headings, which helped people understand my points. I felt satisfied with the final result.

My classmates gave me helpful advice. One said I should use more signposting language in my presentation, like “first,” “next,” and “finally.” This can help the audience follow my ideas. Next time, I will practice my presentation more. I will write down some key words to help me. I will also use stronger images in my poster, and check my font size and spacing.

One thing I learned from this video is as one of the creatures on the earth, we should protect the environment. Human activities have caused irreparable damage to the Earth (especially the excessive carbon dioxide).

Every year, more than 100 billion pieces of clothing are produced. 1,000 kinds of chemicals enter nature. 3to5's clothes are wasted (sent to landfill) in 12 months. One thing I learned from this video is that we should protect the environment. For instance, we can use recyclable materials and buy high-quality clothes and clean consider fashion. We need a healthy Earth.

One thing I learned from this video is the importance of recycling resources and environmental protection, especially animal protection. This behavior can relieve the stress of farmers and animals, such as sheep.

At first, I felt a bit confused because the articles had many new words. But I liked the topic, and I was interested in how movies can be more eco-friendly.

I think this activity was useful. It helped me see how a good essay is organized. The introduction should give background and a thesis. Each paragraph should have one main point and a topic sentence. The conclusion should bring everything together. This helps the reader understand the message better.

Next week, I will also read more model essays to learn how other students write their topic sentences and organize their ideas.