HEINEKEN’S CONCERN
Analyzing Heineken’s project patterns, we realized its concern with sustainability, both internally and externally. From Heineken’s Sustainability report, we recognized company’s concern with water use and pollution.
HEINEKEN’S PROJECTS
We refereed few of Heineken’s projects as case studies to understand where the company is heading towards. We visited Sweet Auburn in Atlanta as a field visit to practically understand the company’s brand value and how productive it has been in empowering the local community of that neighborhood. On analyzing all three projects, it showed that Heineken concern themselves with social as well as environmental responsibilities.
“When we get spaces well, people embrace it- they celebrate it.”
- LEANO VARNELL ( Executive Director of Sweet Auburn Works)
MARKET COMPETITORS
Green business is proving that it’s good business in general. Heineken is not alone in taking responsibility to the next level. Other American companies, like Coca-cola, Patagonia, and Herman Miller have proven that acting in a responsible way and changing their business practices to focus on economic, social and ecological prosperity is effective for the 21st century business practice.
According to an international study conducted by Unilever, 33% of consumers choose to buy from brands that are environmentally and socially responsible.
INSIGHTS FROM REPORTS AND ONLINE RESEARCH
resilient cities
We referred through the case studies of the 100 resilient cities provided by the Rockefeller foundation. It helped us understand the needs and challenges faced by the urban areas and innovative methods used by the communities to overcome them.
UNITED NATIONS
According to the report by United Nations, there is an opportunity to rebuild the framework of the city from the ground up.
VALUES REQUIRED FOR A RESILIENT CITY
After analyzing the case studies of 100 hundred resilient cities and referring to the UN report, we defined seven values of the city that can be leveraged to begin to change that framework.
circular economy
We referred to the circular economy system developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Circular economy is revolutionizing the way that companies do business. Rather than the disposable, linear model of traditional business, the circular model focuses on the recycling and reuse of material components. This minimizes impacts on society and the environment, and the impacts on business operations as well.
fiber glass
Through research we found that no one has successfully taken advantage of creating fiberglass air filters using recycled glass. By 2021 this market is projected to grow by another 3.23 billion.By changing people’s perceptions, we can dynamically improve our future air quality together. By using recycled glass as a fiberglass filter, we can work to eliminate air pollution while communicating the beauty of a more resilient lifestyle.
The World Health Organization estimated in 2014 that every year air pollution causes the premature death of some 7 million people worldwide
In the U.S. alone, about 142 million people still live in areas with unhealthy levels of air pollution, according to the EPA
AFFINITIZING
Based on the information received from the secondary research, we designed online survey and took in-depth interviews of the potential stakeholders via call and personal meetings. Some notable survey results were 95.4% of surveyed people value the importance of time outdoors as well as 78.9% value green spaces. After collecting all the data, we affinitized them using to obtain insights for developing productive concepts for solution.
INSIGHTS FROM AFFINITIZING
FIRST SET OF CONCEPTS
Based on the insights, we imagined the possibilities, and generated five directions to pursue, using the five elements of sea, land, sky, sun and aether as a framework. We also kept in mind HEINEKEN’s brand personas to guide us. These concepts were makerspace, a cultural hub for exploration; message in a bottle, public spaces that use social interaction to create more responsible citizens; looking glass, use of responsive technology to ensure longevity in the recycling process; play, cultural milestones to enhance well being; and pause, stop, sit, solving global issues with a provincial mindset.
MODIFICATION AFTER FEEDBACK
We presented our first set of concepts to the team of Heineken. They like the direction of our solutions. They required more specific solutions which resonated with the Brand values as well as serve as a productive business model. Based on these points, we modified our earlier concepts into a suit of solutions addressing air and water pollution concerns.
STUDIO CRITIQUE
expert’s review
Our team invited four expert urban designers of Savannah; Denise Grabowski, Nick Helmholdt, Ryan Madson, and Nick Palumbo into a studio critique of our late-stage concepts in order to strengthen them.They said while the asset-based community development is often the best approach, this concept might very well be bigger than a community solution. Special attention should be paid to cities that currently lack adequate water supply systems, such as that of Atlanta.
FEEDBACK
FINAL SOLUTION FRAMEWORK
MICRO, MACRO, META
Taking into consideration preliminary feedback, we reexamined our initial directions and made adjustments going forward. We envision a system in which solutions can exist on a micro to meta scale beginning on a personal level and converging together in (the meta as) community spaces. In order to address these issues in a manner that fits into this system, we developed our solutions in two final directions that focus on two primary elements - air and water
CLEAN AIR
After designing the final framework, I contributed as a researcher and strategist for team Air. We did extended research to understand the cities in USA experiencing low air quality and designing solutions at personal and community scale.