As a design agency, BLOND is driven to create a more sustainable future. We have established a method of working with clients, carefully selecting opportunities that we feel positively contribute towards our goal of developing conscious brands through design to have a positive impact on our planet. This is our sustainable manifesto, our sustainable promise.
Products need purpose. We believe products should have a purpose and a positive impact on the user’s life. What we design should fit within the world we inhabit. We only work on projects where the outcome has a reason to exist.
Cost is not a barrier. When Fussy, the refillable deodorant brand, approached us, we quoted honestly to reflect the time that was needed to create a market-disrupting, category-defining product. At the time, like many innovative start-ups, Fussy did not yet have the financial backing to match their ambitions. So, we looked at different financial models to reduce their up-front investment. We are flexible with our fee structures to enable worthwhile products to come to market. When the idea has the potential to make a huge difference, but budgets are limited—we endeavour to find a way to make the project possible.
Sustainable strategy. Every project we undertake includes a simple, accessible sustainable strategy to align your business and stakeholders behind, at no extra cost. Not only will we look at ways of reducing your environmental impact, but we’ll strategise the commercial opportunities to make sustainable choices profitable for your business. Profit often has negative connotations when paired with sustainability. However, design and sustainability are not abstract from business performance. When businesses are profitable and have the right sustainable strategy, they can go on to do more good and have an even bigger positive impact.
Meticulously considered design. Good design endures, it is not thrown away. It is kept and cherished. We consider the future of technology, anticipate emerging user behaviours, and predict how market trends are progressing to circumnavigate the risk of aesthetic and functional obsolescence. When designing solutions, we search for a combination of timelessness and functional elegance. We design attuned to manufacturing constraints to ensure longevity, and, agonise over every detail to make sure products look and perform beautifully. The products we design are not only for today but are to be passed down and enjoyed by future generations.
Like-minded collaborators. As a leading industrial design consultancy of a proudly boutique size, we are in a fortunate position where we do not need to take on every project that comes our way. We keep our costs down and overheads low so that we can choose to work with brands that share our ambition to improve sustainability and are open to exploring ways to mitigate the negative effects their business may have on the environment.
Innately curious and always learning. New technologies are always emerging, new materials are always being created, and fresh insights are always there to be uncovered. Our team are always learning, and expanding our knowledge of manufacturing processes, material applications, and the global supply chain. We hold meetings with new suppliers on a regular basis, visit thought-provoking talks and exhibitions, and are forever expanding our in-house CMF library.