7 Sustainable Design Studios to Be Inspired By

Discover the studios that put our planet first when it comes to developing a design project

Spanish creative director and graphic designer Núria Vila Punzano (@nuriavilapunzano) fuses her passion for the visual arts with today’s most pressing issues: sustainability and protecting the environment.

While at university, Núria was drawn to experimental books and learning about alternative production techniques. Worried that her work lacked purpose (after all, what was her objective, just to make money?), she decided to turn her attention to environmentally-conscious design. She was disappointed by the standard of what was being classed as "ecodesign" around the world and decided to become the Irma Boom of sustainable design. Her Domestika course, Introduction to Sustainable Graphic Design, seeks to train other designers and creatives to focus their work on these issues, encouraging people to develop an aesthetic that respects and defends the planet.

Below, we present seven design studios that prioritize sustainability and which Núria considers important references:

La page

This Catalan design studio sets out to develop projects with a zero-carbon footprint and analyses how much damage each stage of the process causes to the environment, from production to distribution. La page has launched BlueTool, an eco graphic design tool for public use.

Ciclus

Founded by Tati Guimarães, one of Ciclus' slogans is: "ingenious solutions that maximize sensory impact and minimize environmental impact.” For them, sustainability is not a passing fad but an unavoidable aesthetic issue. For this reason, they pay extra special attention to the materials they choose. Their work has been shown in international museums, from the MoMa to the Joan Miró Foundation.

Thomas.matthews

This London agency, founded by Sophie Thomas in 1997, has sustainability in its DNA, believing sustainable practices have the power to transform people's professional lives. They work with governments and various NGOs and focus on reducing the emissions of everything they produce.

Estudio Emmi

Another London studio, this time founded by Finnish designer Emma Salonen in 2005, Studio Emmi seeks to help its clients change the image of companies and bring about changes that will lead to a better world.

Smäll

This independent agency from Barcelona seeks to put a stop to multinationals having a monopoly. They believe sustainability is the way for small agencies to compete against dominant competitors in their market.

La Casa de Carlota & Friends

Defining their work as "creative activism," this studio is dedicated to promoting social change through creative work. The company offers consults for different brands and respects and values intellectual diversity, giving neurodivergent people, such as those with Down syndrome or autism, a voice. They are based in several cities, including São Paulo.

Ordinary Things

This San Francisco studio recognizes that graphic design is part of the problem since it produces an enormous amount of pollution that ends up in the ocean. For Ordinary Things, making this known can bring about radical change in the industry. Believing it necessary to rethink the entire process involved in making a product, this studio has developed a kit that can guide all designers interested in revising their practices.

Discover the work of these studios and ways to change production practices around the world. Next, sign up for the Domestika course, Introduction to Sustainable Graphic Design, and get involved in the movement!

English version by @eloise_edgington.

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