The Futures Interview

Alison Day. Photo by Carol Govaert

Alison Day Designs is a multi-faceted company. Alison is a graphic designer and creative artist, as well as editor of an expatriate magazine, ‘Connections,’ in The Northern Netherlands.

Her art is her passion, but she also writes articles of interest, illustrate, translate (Dutch – English) and, as a voice actress, her voice can be heard in many a museum, schools language courses and the odd advert.  

She has created an illustration for the ?!X Futures Project, bringing to life David Hawksworth’s Future, one that is “creative, connected, cultured, with less consumption and waste” 

?!X: What’s the Future You Choose?

AD: The future I would choose and the world in which I would like to live, involves the use of the world’s remaining resources in a more thoughtful and ecologically sound manner. One where a life philosophy of “re-cycle, re-use, re-invent” becomes an active voice as opposed to a passive motto. All too often, we take for granted and under estimate the fragility of life on our planet; animal, vegetable or mineral, all is slowly being eroded away towards an inevitable extinction, and we are following hot on their heels. It’s time to look up from our automated worlds, open eyes and hearts, appreciate what is around and make the necessary changes before it is too late.

?!X: What’s a ‘think’ to create this future?

AD: www.earthship.org

The existence of rubbish dumps and polluting land fills, stress the importance of the need to minimize our production of waste. It doesn’t make sense to continually produce packaging/containers etc that ultimately become obsolete after only one use; if you do use it why not recycle it and re-use it in another form?

?!X: What’s an ‘act’ to create the future you choose

AD: People should be encouraged to only purchase products with biodegradable wrapping, or none at all; remove the demand to stop the supply. Instead of plastic, why not treat yourself an original and long lasting shopping bag in cotton with a fun design: Society6

?!X: What’s a ‘vote’ to create the future you choose?

AD: www.ifrc.org

By donating what you no longer need to the Red Cross (or any other charitable organization), you also help this humanitarian organization in aiding people in distress worldwide.

?!X: Future Soundtrack – What song would you take with you into the future? 

AD: Fitz and The Tantrums – ‘Money Grabber’:

?!X: Can you share with us up to 5 weblinks that you find interesting and inspiring?

AD:

twitter.com

schmulb.com

avaaz.org/en

ameliasmagazine.com

arthousecoop.com

Follow Alison on Twitter @AlisonDayDesigns

How can we Create the Future you Choose? Take part here.

Love the Futures Interviews? Help Create Our Collaborative Book - The Futures Project (donate or get involved!) 



Other Links:

1. Video: http://alisondaydesigns.blogspot.nl/2012/01/futures-exhibtion-think-act-vote.html

2. Futures Calender: http://alisondaydesigns.blogspot.nl/2012/02/futures-calendar.html

3. Book launch and press release: http://alisondaydesigns.blogspot.nl/2012/07/the-future-we-choose.html


Alison Day Designs

Vertical Gardens

With the ever-diminishing urban space, created by an ever-increasing world population's demand for more living space, plus the already sprawling cities, space is at a premium often leaving little room for the inclusion of a reasonable amount of greenery. For those fortunate enough to have a garden this is not such a problem, but for those with little space or any kind of garden area to speak of, vertical gardens could be an interesting proposition.

Being myself the proud owner of one such pocket-sized space in the form of a balcony, I am well aware of the limitations when it comes to planning one’s greenery for the summer. What to choose, flowers or edibles or a mixture of both? It only takes a few strategically placed terracotta pots and the space is full, leaving only enough room for a small table and a couple of chairs.

So, why not plant upwards, vertical space is plentiful? In doing so, a living wall can also transform the whole side of an ugly concreted and blokish building just by the use of greenery. This is a visually more pleasing picture to the eye and is environmentally friendly too. Possible on any type of wall this can be applied not only to the outside but also the inside of buildings as well. For example to residential courtyards, shopping malls, businesses - just about anywhere with a wall and access to a water supply.

As far as setting up goes, using soil is optional and plants don’t mind growing vertically without it, as long as the all important irrigation system is in place. Plants used are dependant on what is seasonal and available in the area. This is according to the findings of Patrick Blanc, a Frenchman and artistic pioneer in this field.

The increase of green areas within the urban grey, are important not only environmentally, but as people friendly spaces inviting people to linger a while. In this day and age we need more places where it is possible to pause for thought, away from our frantic lifestyles and soaring stress levels, and what could be better than being surrounded by vertical gardens.

Back to my balcony, so how does one realize a vertical garden on a postage stamp? Easy! No, it’s not the trellis/plant rack option. Take an old bookcase; lay it flat on the ground and drill holes in it so that a hosepipe can be threaded from top to bottom in and out of all the compartments. Puncture the hosepipe at intervals to ensure that every compartment will be irrigated. (It would be at this point if I was on the craft section of Blue Peter, a children’s TV programme in the UK, I might say ‘and here’s one I made earlier’, but I digress…) Fill all the compartments with soil and then cover the whole thing with a hessian sheet or sturdy gauze and staple round the sides. Lift up the bookcase to an upright position. Make holes in the hessian at intervals, and now you’re ready to plant plant away in abundance!

As a thing of the future, vertical gardens (also known as sky farming), could provide city inhabitants with a source of fresh herbs and vegetables in limited space, although levels of pollution in some cities might be a cause for concern. As for me, although I like the idea, right now I don’t have a spare bookcase kicking around to give this idea a whirl, and storing one’s books in terracotta pots just to realize this project, just wouldn’t look quite right. 

© Alison Day 

Alison Day Design 

First published in the Connections magazine #24 Summer 2009