We the founders, organizers, participants, and partners of Beirut Design Week 2016 believe that it is our duty as Lebanese and global citizens to be more critical of the products and systems that we design and consume. We believe that design has the power to develop public awareness about the value of our planet and its people and to encourage citizens to rethink how they live.

By reevaluating our creative processes, we can develop innovative materials and systems that will put us on a path to growing sustainably. These are our guidelines of what sustainable design means to us:


1. BIODEGRADABLE
Products are not meant to last forever and pollute our environment; everything must return back to the earth.

2. RECYCLABLE
If products are not biodegradable at the end of their cycle, they must be redesigned to fulfill another function in another life.

3. WELL-MANAGED RESOURCES
Learning about where raw materials for our products come from and how much damage is caused until they reach us is crucial; although much might not be locally available, it is important to research the most optimal choices possible.

4. LOW ENERGY
Does your designed product consume a lot of energy? What kind of electricity is needed to make it, and are the sources renewable or created by burning of oils that pollute the environment? Rethinking energy consumption is key to sustainable design.

5. LOW WASTE
Whether it is the extra paper that is lost in printing a book or the fabric that has been cut off to design a dress, this wasted material may be avoided when designing more efficiently.

6. NO TOXINS
Is the product containing harmful chemicals during its creation or disintegration? Substituting these chemicals with organic alternatives, such as natural dyes for color or biomaterials instead of plastics, may be a challenge that leads to great innovation.

7. LOCALLY MADE
The people behind the production are essential to the entire process, and ensuring their viability will guarantee the stability of the community of makers around the designer.

8. SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Being sustainable is not only about the environment but also about giving back to society in a number of ways such as employing disadvantaged workers or donating to charitable causes.

9. TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP
Protecting traditional craftsmanship is a privilege to contemporary societies that can still express their unique cultural heritage to a world of globalized sameness. Designers play a key role in keeping this sustainable art form alive and maintaining its development.

10. CULTURAL IDENTITY
Designing for the needs of people in your community means taking into consideration values, behaviors, languages, and visual cues that help your users identify with your products and services and preserve the cultural identity of the region.