I really enjoyed the readings from this week because they contained a lot of good and interesting information (sometimes it was almost too much good information to take in). It was actually kind of a shame there was a snow day because the class activities for the “Needs” article seemed interesting (although I’m not complaining about the snow day). In the “Needs” article it said we need to “design for what really matters”. I think that that is a very important takeaway because we often create for the sake of creation without having a real purpose for it. Likewise, consumers buy things just because they need some shopping therapy or because it is a fad, and not because they actually need it.  But, if something is designed to meet needs it becomes much more meaningful to the consumer and it becomes something that they treasure. The reading also encouraged designers to make sustainability more convenient and accessible to consumers. I think this is also very important because I think that if sustainable options were more available and affordable for people, then they would be willing to use them. For example, there aren’t that many organic or recycled items at Walmart, but Walmart is one of the only grocery stores in town. Therefore, I can’t always make sustainable choices when I go grocery shopping. At the same time, even if there were a Whole Foods, I wouldn’t be able to afford much there. So,  I think there is a strong need for both affordable and sustainable goods. The “Design Activism” was also very inspiring because like other kinds of activism “it’s not about the profit, it’s about the impact”. I think that the world would be a much better place if all companies took this stance. So, it encourages us to not only look at the impact put on the environment but the impact on the workers and their families as well, because those are the most important things.