I enjoyed listening to all of the LOLA shows each one was very innovative and interesting.  All of them talked about things that I had no idea were even in the making. There were a few that stood out to me personally because of how interesting they were. I liked the “Stickwick” concept, this would be a product that I would use in my house and think it can be a good thing to integrate in to the merchandising world as well. The wood that she talked about would be a more sustainable version of having hard wood floors in a house or in retail stores as well. It is an inexpensive way to have the effect of a hard wood floor. Another sustainable idea was the leather waste. This concept was called Bionic leather and it is making real leather from collagen fibers without harming animals. It is 100% leather and is able to be cut in ways that not much of the leather will go to waste. Another LOLA talk was about “Spedo,” their technology that they developed is called power flex and is inspired by sharks. These swimsuits made such an impact during the Olympics in 2008 that they were banned from being able to be worn in the next Olympics. It is made from a sustainable fabric that will last many years through many wears. This is one that really stuck out to me because I am interested in sports and like to see all the new ideas that they have in the sports industry. The sports industry, like the fashion industry, is one that is always changing and moves very fast. The sports industry is always trying to have the next best thing for an athlete because once one popular or good athlete endorses it, there is a high chance that many other athletes will too. Frank Lloyd Wrights designs of the Taliesin East and West were the most sustainable idea for architecture and interior. The houses that he designed were built around nature and with the natural elements of what were around them. He wanted everything that he bought for the houses to be locally bought in order to keep it sustainable and economic. His designs had low level planes so the natural light could be used more than electrical lighting. With natural plants and other elements tied in to have shade to keep the house cool without the use again of so much electrical.

Dr. Armstrong talked a lot about the changes in the industry that she has seen over the years in regards to sustainability. She grew up living a sustainable lifestyle. Her influences of being sustainable comes from her childhood and the way that she had to live while getting her masters and PHD. She worked at many different retailers as their visual merchandisers and she had a lot of experience and knowledge about what things they could do or have done in order to be more sustainable. One of the things that stuck out to me most was the way that she talked about buying with a purpose, she talked about how when she buys something it is not just a purchase that she made on a whim, she planned it and had a purpose for why she was buying it. This is something that not just consumers should do, but also retailers. Retailers buy and use things without really thinking about how much use they are going to get out that product. Lighting for instance can be a huge energy saver if the right lighting is bought and has a purpose for where it is going to be. I enjoyed her pictures and the talk she gave on how her family lived and how she made it seem fun and easy to live a very minimalistic lifestyle. While I am sure it was hard at times living that way, I enjoyed hearing that it possible and that you can survive without all of the amenities that most of us take advantage of.

The TED 10 ideas of sustainability are all very well thought out and all interesting. The three that stood out the me was the design to reduce water and energy. I now notice more of my water use and take more notice when I am brushing my teeth to turn off the water and to only turn it on when I have to. The design to reduce the need to consume is one that is achievable for people if they would take more notice in what it is that they are purchasing. This can go back to what Dr. Armstrong was talking about when she said that anything you buy must have a purpose and must be something that you love and fits with your identity. Designs that look at models from nature and history, this concept stood out to me because there are so many ideas that we can have from nature if we take the time to recognize them. There need to be more designs like the bamboo homes in Bali and the houses that Wright built as well.