When I hear the words “green” and “fashion” in the same sentence, I immediately think of organic cotton and hemp. From you vantage point, what are some of the coolest innovations in sustainable fibers happening right now?

You could win a £10,000 cash prize courtesy of Finish and see your very own kitchen innovation produced by Lakeland – in total a package worth an estimated £50,000. You’ll work with Lakeland to develop the design and help bring your innovation to market, receive royalties from future sales, and you’ll benefit from extensive business support and publicity.
Ten finalists will be invited to attend a judging event in London in August 2009, where you’ll pitch your design to the judging panel. Four runners up will receive £1,000 worth of Lakeland vouchers and a year’s supply of Finish Quantum dishwasher tablets.

Jo Swinson, Lib Dem MP for Dunbartonshire East, has been campaigning against excess packaging for several years.

"Easter eggs are obviously one of the worst examples of excessive packaging you can find. It is going to taste the same whatever box it comes in. It doesn't make any sense to pay for excess packaging."

Last year she named and shamed various overpackaged eggs including one from Nestle. This year the confectionery giants have seen which way the wind is blowing.

Nestle has eliminated many of the plastic inserts - used to hold the egg in place and protect it - from its boxes and reduced the amount of cardboard used.

BIG REDUCTIONS Cadbury's: Treasure eggs which have no box, other eggs' carton sizes cut by 25% Nestle: Many plastic inserts removed, packaging reduced 30% Mars: Carton weight reduced 42%, plastic insert weight reduced 35% M&S: Packaging reduced 30%

Mars is using print ads to trumpet its reduced packaging, and Cadbury's is shrinking boxes, having also introduced its Treasure Eggs range that don't come in a box.

But Ms Swinson says the confectionery giants still have some way to go and that further reductions in box size are required.

Andy Dawe, from waste and recycling action group WRAP, says it is important to remember that there is a functional element to egg packaging.

If packaging prolongs the shelf life of an egg, then waste is avoided. If packaging stops eggs being damaged in transit, then again waste is avoided.

"But one of the biggest concerns for consumers is when they can't recycle the packaging that is presented to them."

Anything from $6 to $60 an hour by my reckoning. Sure it's more complicated than that, maths-wise...

Swatch Group owner Rado Switzerland will launch a networking website for designers next month.

The website is aimed primarily at new designers and graduates looking for work. It will allow users to upload a portfolio that they can share with peers and, Rado hopes, potential employers.

‘Our goal is to make the site a platform for young professionals to share work ideas, gain increased visibility and use the many networking features built into the site to contact each other and potential employers,’ says a spokeswoman for Rado.

The free, global website will launch at the Milan furniture fair at the end of April.

[...]
A registration page is currently viewable at www.radostar.com.

Design Week has an article on the state of salaries in design (mainly, it seems, graphic design) and what people can do to increase them.

There are also calls for designers to become more integrated, with consultancies keen on multi-tasking talent. Print designers especially should gain experience and qualifications in digital software, since the dearth of talent in the digital arena is as pronounced as ever, with the market consistently bucking the downturn trend.

'There is an ever-increasing amount of business moving online, as technology and capability transforms the way we live and work. Inevitably, there is a skills gap developing as the digital workforce strives to keep up with the constantly evolving environment,' explains Sue Pilgrim of MacPeople. 'Senior digital candidates are always in demand.'

Demand for print specialists and artworkers is in decline, while jobs in brand identity, packaging and fmcg are still reasonably healthy, report the recruiters. However, brand-owners are increasingly squeezing budgets, says Beasley, and they commission less new product development and innovation work.

'It's tough-going for candidates across all areas, especially for print designers,' says Vidler. But as consultancies work increasingly hard to keep existing business and bring in new work, experienced account managers and business development executives are very much sought after.

[...]

Graduate prospects

Talent, dynamism and enthusiasm will be particularly important for this year's graduates, as their prospects in the downturn are bleak. Beasley warns that 'only the best will survive', and that completing good work placements is vital. 'Those who will be graduating in 2010 should also be looking at getting placements this summer to get ahead of the rest,' she says.

Colleges and universities should also encourage different skill sets, says Snell. '[They] still seem to be encouraging too many graduates to leave with just graphic design skills, when there has been a clear trend in the past four to five years of needing more Web and digital technical and creative people,' she explains.

Bangalore Express
Indian Restaurant in Waterloo Road, London. The client required a re-invention of the traditional curry house to match their vision for fast, healthy, Indian food. Linear grooved walls with abstract painted blocks lead the eye through the inter-connecting spaces. Tube steel furniture gives a purposefully harder edge, while the double height booths provide 24 extra covers for the same floor space.