Creativity for a Sustainable Future – Katja Tschimmel

Creativity for a Sustainable Future embarks on a collaborative journey to tackle the urgent sustainability challenges of our era by harnessing the power of creativity. Authored by a diverse group of thought leaders including 6 different World Creativity and Innovation Week Ambassadors.

Structured into six chapters, each delving into a distinct aspect of the intersection between creativity and sustainability, the book offers detailed insights into pressing issues:

Projects for Collective Change: Discover innovative initiatives spearheaded by individuals and organizations worldwide, showcasing the collective power of creativity in driving positive environmental and social impact.
Sustainable Cities & Creative Citizenship: Explore the transformative potential of creativity in urban environments, as well as the role of citizens in fostering sustainable practices within their communities.
Circular Economy: Dive into the principles and practices of the circular economy, highlighting how creativity can lead to resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable consumption patterns.
Creativity and Design Education: Examine the importance of integrating creativity and sustainability into education, empowering future generations with the skills and mindset needed to address complex global challenges.
Critical Views: Engage with thought-provoking perspectives on the complexities and nuances of sustainability, challenging conventional wisdom and offering fresh insights into sustainable development.
Lessons Learned in Personal Views: Hear firsthand accounts and reflections from individuals who have embarked on personal journeys towards sustainability, offering valuable lessons and inspiration for readers.

With contributions from renowned experts and practitioners across various cultural backgrounds, Creativity for a Sustainable Future aims to inspire readers with its innovative solutions, thought-provoking ideas, and compelling narratives. Additionally, the book features exclusive and limited-edition illustrations by several Portuguese artists, designers, illustrators and architects. The book promises to captivate and enrich readers’ understanding of the vital role creativity plays in shaping a sustainable future.

The graphic project aims to reflect the two core values of the book — creativity and sustainability — through an editorial object that is contemporary in its graphic expression, functional, and innovative in the articulation of content with the book’s anatomy. On the other hand, it is sustainable in terms of graphic production.

Structured into six chapters, each focusing on a distinct aspect of the intersection between creativity and sustainability, the book seeks a balance throughout its pages between a rational and scientific approach — evident in the rigorous articulation of a modular composition system — and an emotional and expressive approach, exemplified by the cover and the chapter dividers.

The disruptive organization of various elements on the page invites the reader to reconsider the traditional navigation of the book. Examples include headers repositioned to the footer, page numbers near the spine, and even footnotes relocated to the inner area of the book.

The dividers reinforce this provocation, as the only way for the reader to access their content is by cutting the page, leaving an irreversible mark, their “footprint.”

Regarding graphic production, the object is sustainable on multiple levels. It economizes on materials through an optimized imposition plan format, the use of a single direct printing colour (except for the dividers and cover), and the absence of large printed colour surfaces. Equally important is the choice of a slightly condensed typeface for the text (Brioni), which has good readability in small sizes, allowing for a substantial reduction in the number of pages.

The interior is printed on Fedrigoni Woodstock Verde, 100% recycled, with a low weight (80 gsm), while the cover is made from Keaykolour Holly 300gsm (both FSC certified), giving the book ergonomic qualities due to its weight, volume, and consequent ease of handling, as well as tactile quality through the careful choice of subtly textured, uncoated materials.