2022 Sustainability Prize
Sustainability will be an important part of the design conversation in 2022—we want to recognize the efforts of those looking to change the industry.
Sustainable Design is Restorative Design. Reparative Design. Design for Resilience.
The environmental impact of product design—from material extraction through to consumer waste—challenges both our will and our abilities as creative agents. But keeping sustainability foremost in mind must always be our starting point. Almost 80% of all product-related environmental impacts are determined during the design phase of a product, which also means designers hold immense responsibility when it comes to sustainability and impact.
There has never been a more urgent time to promote progressive environmental action, and that's why we're introducing our Sustainability Prize in the 2022 Core77 Design Awards—an award presented to one outstanding project demonstrating the most innovative, exciting, and impactful solution pointing to a brighter, restorative era of design.
Sappi is excited to be the inaugural sponsor of Core77 Design Awards' first-ever Sustainability Prize!
Sappi is a global renewable resource company that uses every part of the tree to make every day more sustainable. Our high-quality packaging, specialty, and graphic papers, pulp and biomaterials are innovative solutions that move the world forward. Our coated and uncoated graphic printing papers meet a variety of visual and tactile demands, delivering uncompromising ROI through product stand-out and strong brand differentiation. And, our packaging and specialty papers provide designers with the advantage needed to make packaging stand out from the crowd.
Planet
We act as champions for sustainable forestry—working to keep forestland forested for generations to come. At our mills, we're on an ‘eco-effective' journey to reduce waste and maximize material and resource use at every opportunity.
People
Seeding and growing human potential is at the heart of sustainability at Sappi—beginning with our own people and extending to the communities where we operate around the world.
Prosperity
At Sappi, prosperity for a thriving world begins with championing innovative approaches to responsible forestry. It continues as we strive to cultivate more value and purpose from every tree, byproduct and other resource we use.
Learn more about Sappi's Sustainability Initiatives here.
2022 Sustainability Prize Jury
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Jury Captain
Lauryn Menard
Founder & Director, PROWL
Lauryn Menard is the Founder and Director of PROWL, a design futures consultancy providing solutions and strategic foresight for the tangible world. Her work at PROWL re-orients organizations toward actionable change in the worlds of physical design, material innovation, and the wellbeing of people and planet.
Lauryn is a professor in the MFA Design program at California College of the Arts and is currently the Chair of Industrial Designers Society of America's Women in Design group of San Francisco. Her professional background has spanned the worlds of fashion, furniture, interiors, corporate strategy, and material research.
She's had the privilege to work with brands such as Adobe, Coalesse, Nike, Apple, Google, Specialized Bikes, Concreteworks, MASH Studios, Facebook, and others. -
Jury Captain
Baillie Mishler
Co-Founder & Design Director, PROWL
Baillie Mishler is the Co-Founder and Design Director of PROWL, a design futures consultancy providing solutions and strategic foresight for the tangible world. At PROWL, we work to create lasting change by designing bold, visionary solutions with thoughtful intention that make comfort and health accessible for the many.
Her design roles at industry-leading companies such as Steelcase and Coalesse have brought Baillie extensive commercial furniture and spacial design experience. Through that, Baillie has developed strong skills and attention in industrial design, furniture production, color-material-finish development and specification, brand communications, and interior design and is passionate about bringing human-centered and holistically considered solutions to her clients.
Baillie is also Treasurer for IDSA's Women in Design San Francisco Chapter. -
Jury Member
Dan Kennedy
Studio Principal & Partner, Ronin Product Development Labs
Dan Kennedy is a Studio Principal and Partner at Ronin Product Development Labs, an international engineering consulting firm with a strong presence in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 20 years of product development experience and driven by a strong passion for creative collaboration, Dan leads Ronin's sustainable design team whose focus is on developing circular economy solutions for a diverse range of clients in areas including consumer electronics, waste stream recovery, and renewable energy.
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Jury Member
Monica Martinez
Founder, Don Bugito
Monica Martinez is an entrepreneur, industrial designer, and educator whose creative work explores ideas about sustainable food production, storage and economics. She is the founder of Don Bugito, an edible insect urban farm and enterprise established in 2010 and chosen to be part of the 2011 Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN paper on edible insects and food security. Her work has been reviewed by Nova PBS, PRI's The World, WIRED, the WSJ, the New York Times, and VICE. Monica is a native of Mexico City and currently resides in San Francisco, California where she is teaching classes as an Adjunct Professor/ MFA Design program at the California College of the Arts.
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Jury Member
Shujan Bertrand
Founder & CEO, Aplat
Shujan (Shu) Bertrand is a spirited, forward-thinking industrial designer and business consultant driven by sustainability. Her passion for zero-waste, food, and community led her to found Aplat, a culinary design company that uses 100% organic cotton and zero-waste production practices in San Francisco, CA. Inspired by the French Art de Vivre, Aplat creates sustainably made culinary and garden totes that uplift the daily practice of sharing the good things we cook, eat, drink, and gift.
Shu is an award - winning industrial designer with 20 + years of experience. With a stellar background in soft good design, advanced concept design, product development, design research and strategy, she has influenced brands around the globe, translating her product design experience, product development, strategy, research, and insights into new product and business opportunities.
Shu Bertrand has worked internationally in Paris, Milan, and Seoul. She has led design teams and projects for studios such as Astro Studios to IDEO, and for brands such as Incase, Steelcase, Nike, Samsung, LG Electronics and Procter & Gamble.She has served on the design jury team for the 2019 IDEA Awards and the Cannes Lion Innovation Awards in France.
How it Works
Any project entered within our 18 design categories that is sustainability-minded can also enter to win The Sustainability Prize at no extra cost—simply select "yes" within the entry form indicating that you'd like your project to be considered for this year's prize.
Criteria
Curious to know if your project is a good fit for the Sustainability Prize? Here are some of the criteria our judges will be using to select winners.
We're looking for radical solutions.
Projects that inspire awe are always going to be top billing. If your project promotes radical material innovations, reimagines the manufacturing of a product that more easily allows for repair, or finds a surprising way to reuse recycled material, then it's a good candidate. But “radical” doesn't have to mean showy—perhaps your project rethinks systems in a progressive fashion, or offers simple solutions that then scale to large impact. The common thread here is: Does the project defy expectations and norms from a sustainability perspective? If so, hit that “yes” button.
We're looking for holistic solutions.
With the current complexities of all designed systems, creating a truly sustainable design solution requires thorough and thoughtful strategy. Does your project demonstrate the rigor required to take an idea and bring it into action? Does it account for multiple stakeholders, systems thinking, modularity or adaptability, the circular economy, or a more sustainable product lifestyle? Projects that demonstrate true potential for scale and impact belong in the running.
We're looking for research-backed solutions.
Projects that demonstrate design-led research, as well as research-led design, are good candidates for the prize. Have you and your team engaged in research that reveals something new in the problem space, or created testing protocols that demonstrate positive value? What methods of research did you utilize, and how will you measure long-term impact? Showing this type of information in your entry will be sure to impress our judges.