™youcandobetter

user’s manualyoucandobetter

sustainable design intervention

™

™ ™youcandobetter youcandobetter

youcandobetter began as a concept of a book using as little paper and ink as possible. With the help of the QR code technology, the book was supposed to make a statement about how the internet can help make a positive revolution in book publishing. The whole content of the book - with colourful images and useful information - was supposed to be stored online, while the only printed piece would be a small and simple booklet with series of QR codes, linked to these images.

However, it eventually developed into something more. Working on the images and discussing the idea (let the conversations be blessed!) lead to another way of approaching the problem: the booklet containing the QR codes could serve as something more. Since the QR codes suggest the idea of interactivity, it was natural that they could

retain this quality by not merely staying printed as a boring papmphlet. This lead to the idea of turning the QR codes into stickers that could be applied on examples of unsustainable design. Stickers are exciting, and QR codes evoke curiosity. A blend of these two can offer an amazing possibility to spread the message with minimum measures.

And this is absolutely amazing.

Firstly, it requires a minimum of materials: I needed only TWO A4 sheets of self-adhesive paper to produce SIX pages with SIX stickers on each. Which means THIRTY SIX stickers, that could be circulated by the activists and seen by an unlimited amount of people.

If we want sustainability to work, it has to be exciting. All we need is to tickle people’s curiosity.

™

introduction to use this booklet you need:

this booklet

a camera or a phone (with a camera)

the internet

QR reader

an example of unsustainable design

*****

™ ™youcandobetter youcandobetter

so, basically it happens like this:

you open the booklet and spend a few minutes admiring the designer’s work: beautiful layout, colours, typography etc.

you take pictures of the codes with your camera or your phone.

you go online, find a QR code reader to suit your needs, upload the pictureand have a link generated.

you open the link, see an image, consume the information and realizethis is a message worth spreading.

(start from yourself) the codes

™ ™youcandobetter youcandobetter

the

imag

esand then it goes like this:

you see an example of irresponsible unsustainable design and feel a rush of dissatisfaction inside.

someone else finds the sticker, gets intrigued and takes a picture of it with their camera or phone.

they go online, find a QR code reader to suit their needs, upload the pictureand have a link generated.

they open the link, see an image, consume the information and realizethis is a message worth spreading.

(spread the message)

you open the booklet, remove the appropriate sticker (you already knowwhat each code represents) and apply it on this design.

™youcandobetter