THE IMPACT OF DESIGN BY JOEL ZACHARIAH MATHEW VIA RVCA A design process defines every designer's journey to solve problems and acts as an agent of positive change. Everything that is designed manufactured, consumed and finally disposed of contributes to a huge matrix of cause and effect. Products add to the complexity of the matrix as they are interpreted as either right or wrong depending upon your point of view. A product may benefit the society but its fabrication or disposal could also be a polluter. The unquenchable demand for more goods and the state of the art technological implements that feeds the market with cheap mass-manufactured goods has made us even more dependent on them. We have turned a blind eye to the consequences of consuming endless of number of products.Scientists have revealed increasing concentration of plastic waste trapped by currents and prevailing winds. These so-called garbage-patches exists in large seas of the world. They are difficult to measure and even to detect since they are largely made up of minute plastic fragments known as nurdles floating below the surface and concentrations of chemicals given off as plastic degrade. The resultant pollutants take a toll on marine life and through them enters our food chain.Clearly the designers of many of the products that end up in these polluted seas intended them for higher purposes. Toothbrushes for example serve millions of users by improving their dental health however they are designed with short lifespans and without consideration of recyclability. This begs the question: How designers like us take up the responsibility to improve the design of products to reduce their negative impacts? One way is to reduce their environmental footprint by minimising the quantity of materials needed to make products. Another way is by exploring methods to utilize natural or biodegradable materials in place of synthetics or oil-based plastics. A remarkable instance of the reuse of plastic bottles is from Brazil and was an innovation by a mechanic rather than a trained designer. In 2002, the Brazilian mechanic Alfred Moser had a light-bulb moment and came up with a way of illuminating his house during the day without electricity - using nothing more than plastic bottles filled with water and a tiny bit of bleach