Concept
Today ‘Flex Banners’ have replaced the traditional static mass advertising options like paintings, paper posters, graffiti etc. Flex Banners are easy, cheap and convenient to print and mount. The Flex Banner material has great strength, is waterproof with good colour retention properties and can withstand harsh environments, thus making it an ideal option for an outdoor advertisement. But most of these flex banners are made from PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) – a polymer which is next to impossible to completely recycle.
Knowing this, the task of finding a second life for this material started in November 2011 and after rigourous brainstorming, protyping and testing, different designs of bags came into being !
Vision
With design and manufacture of these bags from flex material, the intent is:
· To serve those in need and trigger a sustainable design approach among the youth.
· To encourage the youth to take active responsibility towards social issues by using their design thinking and business aptitude towards creating a greener tomorrow.
PlusOne Initiative: Design for Humanity
The first step toward solidifying the idea was to understand and identify capabilities of this material. Next was to design utility products for those most in need. Since the flex material is very durable and is available in such varied colors, the obvious target audience was children. It is understood that their most prized possesion is: books. This proved to be a great start for designing bags for school going children from low income families.
Further, to involve the socially aware youth in this cause, trendy and stylish utility bags were designed which would enlist their support for this movement. Also, the funds generated by the sale of these bags would help push and acclerate this initiavtive even more.
Today, with more than 8 designs, PlusOne is giving a new lease on life for a discarded material, while making a colorful impact on the society and the planet for a better tomorrow.