Majority of the world is obsessed with having the most up to date items. Whether it is updating the phone to the new iPhone XR, getting the limited edition Playstation 4, or buying the new 2020 BMW X3, everyone is yearning to have the next big thing.
This obsession, however, has trapped us, the consumers, in a vicious cycle. Since we are always craving the next “big thing,” we can never be fulfilled because we will always wonder what is next. The items that are outdated and old are put to the side and eventually end up in the trash. Then, the consumer cycle repeats, and the landfills increase.
We have a complicated relationship with manufactured objects. This complex relationship is not only rooted in the consumers but also the people who designed these objects. Designers are stuck in a similar cycle as the consumers. They are continually updating their designs and planning what to make and sell next. These cycles, however, are dangerous and are polluting the oceans and putting us, animals, and our planet in danger.
We, as designers and consumers, must shift our focus away from buying and designing objects that have short lifespans and wear out quickly. We have to start designing and promoting items that get better with use.
My goal as a designer is to redesign designer’s and consumer’s minds and lives to help change the trajectory of our planet drowning in trash.
In order to redesign our lives, the process will have to start small, like focusing on a plastic toothbrush. I aim to design the brush with less plastic. The base will be made out of a sustainable material that will last for years and is easy to clean. Also, it will only have a small portion of the top be plastic for the brush. Even though plastic will still be thrown out, it is a much better alternative throwing out a small piece of plastic instead of an entire toothbrush. I hope that minor alterations like these on everyday objects will have a chain reaction on how we view other items. And hopefully, shift the way we think about what we use and how it affects our planet.
Then, I want to redesign our minds. That has to start with where we buy items and what we are buying. Shopping at Target and IKEA may be nicer on the wallet, but the lifespan of the objects are short. The items sold at these stores will be replaced relatively quickly and end up floating in the ocean. I want to stop people from buying things that are mass manufactured because those items will not last. Instead, we need to encourage buying from smaller companies that take time in mastering a design that will last for years to come.
There are many ways to help our hurting Earth, and one way is to be precautious during this era of consumption and to limit what we put in our trash. We need to take a step back and realize that Earth is drowning in the piles of trash that we created due to poor designs and distasteful consumer habits.
In the future, I aim to design objects that are praised because they have lasted for centuries and helped eliminate waste. And I hope to inspire other designers to do the same.
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