PS

Having studied sustainability in past courses, I was are of the issues surmounting, but primarily how it applies to corporations, not designers. I learned a great deal about the design industry's impact on the environment, but that ultimately the responsibility is still held by all of us.
I would like to learn more about design activism because it seems to have a very broad scope. I like how the products serve multi functions and engage the consumer.

Reading Buddy

Though the world can be simply divided into over-consumers and under-consumers, sustainable solutions require integration of all levels. A characteristic shared by both populations is ignorance on the state of the world. Over-consumers are educated, but don’t understand their role or ability in global issues. Under-consumers are ignorant, simply because they are focused on survival. “Under these conditions, quality of life remains an abstract expression. These people are striving to meet basic physiological needs, permanently stuck on the bottom of Maslows hierarchy of needs (Fuad-Luke).”

 Sir Francis Bacon told the world that “knowledge is power” in 1597. His words carry more weight than ever as means towards a sustainable future. Many of the environmental and social issues facing us today are due to a lack of education and a division among populations. I propose a line of  shirts with short stories and visual aids printed on them to be sold to the world of over-consumers, and with the purchase of one shirt, an identical shirt is distributed to an under-consumer. The shirt given to the under-consumer will have the exact short story printed on it and will act as a wearable “book” to aid in literacy. Attached to each shirt you purchase will be an online code which will allow you to track a match to your shirt and the recipient. You can then be put in contact with your match and you have a “reading buddy” across the world.

This line aids in literacy for the under-educated population and brings awareness to the fact that 3 billion people in the world can’t read at all. This is a concept that could be adopted by a children’s book publisher and a large brand such as Hanes who has the resources to develop the software to accompany the line.