Life cycle

Products live even if we sometimes forget that they do. Their life don't start and end while we buy, use and get rid of them. There's much more behind and in front of that.

The desirable cycle of every product is the circle shaped one, the one that is closed. The circle start with raw material, extracted from the land. This raw material is transported in different ways and affecting in different amounts our environment. Then manufacturing transform the material into a product. A product that is used and sometimes reused by customers. This is disposed to the land or recycled closing and begining the cycle once again.

All this stages affect both the product life and the enviroment. They affect the planet in many ways but to analyse in quantity you have to choosewhich environmentaal effects are the ones which do it in a bigger way. Moreover, depending on this choice and also the resources the company or process has same data will lead to a conclusion or complete different one.

In environmental issues there´s no right or wrong, just better or worse and even these two are susceptible to be questioned.

The same product depending on where is manufactured have different effects, even if the amount of damage is the same, or do you think that will be the same cutting 10,000 trees in Finland and in Asia where deforestation is a real problem?

Sadly or not, analysis don´t allways direct us to a concrete solution but understanding the problem is the first step to solve or at least improve it.

RE:

REthink, REduce, REuse, REcycle.

Our homes

"Our homes are not just our homes. 

They are the scenes of the most captivating stories of all.

Welcome to the greatest show on Earth.

Life."

    Anonymous                                      

Riding two ways

A bicycle is much more that a simple way of transport. Bicycles have allways mean a way of life for me but yesterday in the design and architecture museum of Stockholm, I realised that bikes are even more, they are history. They have changed as history changed. They have changed their materials, changed the place of females in the society, and changed many lifes on the road. But even with all these changes, with all the historical moments they have suffered, their basics are still the same. Two wheels, two pedals and lots of kilometres in front to go over. Moreover, they are two clear roads to go though.

The first one is the road of freedom, emotion, sustainability, fun, friendship.. The "life to ride".

The second one, is a road with more difficulties, more hills and longer distances. The good thing is that is this road as in nature, after every storm the sun rises.. After all, the " ride to life ".

The most honest city

Reader's Digest reporters dropped 192 wallets in 16 countries around the world in order to determine which cities were had the most honorable citizens. In the least honest cities, less than half of the 12 "lost wallets" were returned.

Each wallet contains $50, a family photo and a phone number, among others.

Helsinki, was the most honest city by far; only one of the wallets was not returned. In the other way, Spain, reaching the 2nd place, only two wallets were returned.

The difference? Education.

+ For knowing more about what happensed in the other parts of the world and the histories behind these wallets: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/least-honest-cities-world-lost-wallet-test_n_3989023.html

Design is..

A way of solving problems.

And what better than finding your own ones in stead of predicting what the problems are?

Today, after practising Orienteering, I can say that I really know WHAT we are designing, the following question is HOW?

Pencils will answer.

Nature is a decoration itself

In the heart of Helsinki

Design District is a place in the very center of Helsinki which is surrounded by design shops, galeries and nice cafes and restaurant to eat and enjoy.

Walking around, I found a space to have a coffe as well as see a really nice exhibition where it was writen: "everything is for sale unless it speaks".

The moral of my story? That I was lost but losing my guide was in fact the way to discover a new path.