The Mission: The Project Team (Keith Joseph, Anu Jayasinghe, and I) was tasked with designing a soft good based off of the concept of Enterprise, as defined by Emily Pilloton. We defined the design concept as social enterprise, where the goal of a system is for the good of the community rather than to generate monetary profit.
We started by researching unused resources to transform. We found that over one trillion plastic bags are used each year and most of which are not recycled or reused. This presented an unique opportunity to up-cycle plastic bags and materials. We then examined different kinds of people in need and what would be useful to have donated to them. Based on our research and testing, we found that sheared plastic would make great filling for sleeping bags that could be sold and distributed to the homeless.
Triptych is an eco conscious sleeping bag made from used plastic film. Disregarded plastic is collected from participating stores, sewn into sleeping bags, and then sold at the original stores, with the purchase of each sleeping bag providing one for someone in need.
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What Was Interesting:
Because of the project prompt, we had to brainstorm ideas for our project in a new way. Rather than setting out to solve a particular problem, we had to find a problem that could be solved by using social enterprise. We found many issues, but had trouble connecting them to social enterprise until we examined recycling plastic bags. This taught me a new way to examine issues and how to prototype a system as a solution.
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We started by researching unused resources to transform. We found that over one trillion plastic bags are used each year and most of which are not recycled or reused. This presented an unique opportunity to up-cycle plastic bags and materials. We then examined different kinds of people in need and what would be useful to have donated to them. Based on our research and testing, we found that sheared plastic would make great filling for sleeping bags that could be sold and distributed to the homeless.
Triptych is an eco conscious sleeping bag made from used plastic film. Disregarded plastic is collected from participating stores, sewn into sleeping bags, and then sold at the original stores, with the purchase of each sleeping bag providing one for someone in need.
What Was Interesting:
Because of the project prompt, we had to brainstorm ideas for our project in a new way. Rather than setting out to solve a particular problem, we had to find a problem that could be solved by using social enterprise. We found many issues, but had trouble connecting them to social enterprise until we examined recycling plastic bags. This taught me a new way to examine issues and how to prototype a system as a solution.
