Consumption-Free Design: Material Discovery and Personal Interaction

James Pannafino, Assistant Professor, Millersville University

Materialism and consumption are out of control. Students often think that they need to buy, have and consume everything. What happens when you give students a design brief and tell them that they are not allowed to use any materials and may only reuse materials? This concept can be applied to any design project, anywhere and at any level. To accomplish this task students are not permitted to buy, use or consume any new materials at any step of the design process.

The project starts out with students sketching in used phone books, dumpster driving and creating multiple personal interactions. Students leave the classroom and interact with different people and different materials. They form solutions through discovery and personal interaction throughout the project.

Topics Covered:
• Lifestyles: How people embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed. – Freegan.info
• Resources: Reducing waste saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills, while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community. – Freecycle.org
• Personal Interaction: Asking for companies left over materials, walking and health, educating the general public, and furthering communication skills.

The key idea is to understand that this concept can be applied to almost any project. It allows students to appreciate consumer goods, increase personal resources, and gain a better understanding of how materials are used. Furthermore, it reveals to them how as designers they can affect change.