Copenhagen and that

Having been involved in the recent Eco Network events setup by ecodesign centre coupled with the goings on in Copenhagen. I have been thinking recently about how 'eco' issues are presented to a client and also where the line exists between design and 'eco'

What I mean by this is that historically 'eco' and more recently 'green washing' have become bolt on's to an existing product. "We have improved this product by making it's packaging out of sustainable materials". So the belief that 'eco' is an added luxury rather than being intrinsically linked within an overall approach to a project/product. A recent product that has been introduced by Kenco is interesting for me.



They have recently launched a new form of packaging. Instead of the traditional glass jar they have moved to a re-sealable poly bag. With over 97% less packaging it seems like a huge improvement. But there are a few questions that come up.

Firstly if this is the best solution why are all the other products that Kenco sell not in these bags?

Secondly with the idea of recycling plastic and paper through our council recycling schemes we come up against another issue. Currently the plastic used for the bags are not recyclable and for them to be of further use in other products etc. It is advised on the Kenco website to send freepost to a firm to deal with it. I wonder how many people will do this?

For me I think people making changes in a positive way is a great start and indeed a start of a very difficult journey. That is if the changes are for genuine change to make a difference rather than for marketing purposes and ultimately to sell more goods.

The Year that was

Well it's that time of year again when people reflect on the year that is slowly losing it's grip. This year has been difficult for everyone. Financially the recession has hit and it's been all doom and gloom, if the media is anything to go by. For us experiencing a recession for the first time it was initially quite daunting. While we are not fully out of it, we seem to have weathered the storm.

I think what has been different from previous recessions has been access to information. People have been able to look historically to see what happened before and what brands came out stronger from these recessions. From our experiences. People seem to be looking at their businesses and brands ever so slightly differently. It's now seems to be a case of looking broadly as to how a business can contribute to society rather than only making money. It has been really exciting to explore this new way of working with people through the strategy and branding process. For us personally it has been something that has been integrated into Hoffi from the beginning.



Having setup NakedWales - a community space that allows for artists and designers to share information. We set it up with the idea of raising the overall profile of design in Wales. With this added awareness we hoped to raise the overall perceived importance of Design. With the idea of raising standards and exposure of design. In a similar way the recent work I have been involved in through ARK which has been set up to try and answer some of the current social issues.

Finally one thing I really need to remember is when attending launch events I need to take home the goodie bags.

Learning about electricals

This last few weeks have been manic getting an advertisement ready for our client Wyeverne Electrical. We have recently produced their brand and have been looking at ways to increase their presence in Cardiff. To this end we have used an empty shop front as an advertisement for Wyeverne's flagship store on Cyfartha street.

This is me being stopped by packaging. Why is packaging always so hard to open?