#unconsumption

Welcome to Unconsumption’s new look!

We’ve tweaked and spruced up our site a number of times over the years — but this is by far the most complete and thought-out update of our look and feel (as the saying goes), and I’m really excited about it.

For starters, we finally acquired the Unconsumption.com URL, which is a victory all on its own. (Don’t worry, Tumblr users, we’ll show up in your dashboard as usual.) Plus we have a snappy and clean new theme and color scheme. A lot has changed since this site started, and the new design seems right for a time when our audience has grown so much here on Tumblr, and added substantial followings on Facebook, Twitter, and elsewhere.

The most important thing to say about this redesign is that it comes about as a result of a lot of careful thinking about what Unconsumption means, and stands for. In short, it’s a new look, but it reflects what Unconsumption has always been – a positive idea meant to bring more meaning to consumption, to praise and inspire creative reuse, to encourage thoughtful and mindful behavior.

As always, we hope to add to the conversation about sustainability and all that that entails — but in ways that get past the all-too-common focus on sacrifice and guilt. We still believe that feeling like part of the solution matters — and that informs everything we share here.

We got very lucky last year when a group of students in New York's School of Visual Arts Masters of Branding program were interested in this project, and the unique challenges of promoting something that is sort of a brand – but doesn’t sell anything, or solicit your vote, or ask for a donation.

Their research started with Unconsumption readers, who underscored the belief that individual and incremental actions matter, and that many of you are motivated by topics that focus on psychological benefits, like mindful living.This led to many insightful conversations, and, finally, our new look. (It also led to other, less immediately obvious, improvements already in place and still to come — our submission page is just one example.)

So thank you: Sara Bernát, Stephanie Campbell, Gena Larson, and George Mathew. (And thanks also to the ever-amazing Debbie Millman for making this connection happen.)

One final note: For years, Unconsumption had no "logo" at all. Later we became intrigued with the idea of a mark that existed only for others to use: Thus “Mr. Cart,” created by our esteemed former contributor and ace designer Clifton Burt, was put to use as a means of breathing new life into old objects by a slew of amazing creators for our Uncollection a while back.

Our new mark builds on that idea, and visually underscores the long-term relationship we hope everyone can build into their consumption habits.  We hope that it proves easy to adapt and repurpose for an even wider audience, you included.

So the new mark is available to all, for any noncommercial use: Get it here. We hope you’ll get creative and take advantage of that, and send us whatever you come up with.

Meanwhile, hope you enjoy the new look, and will help us spread the word about Unconsumption.

Thanks!

Dear Unconsumption readers,

We’re going to try something I probably should have done ages ago: Accepting submissions.

Like what? Like the stuff we post here!

Inspirational and innovative examples of creative reuse, from the worlds of design, technology, art, and beyond.

D.I.Y. upcycling projects that others can try.

Cool student projects that aim to shape the debate over the way we consume.

News of smart policy experiments that reduce waste.

The latest research, from academia and elsewhere, on how to think about consumer culture 

Thoughtful insights about incorporating mindful consumption into daily life in ways that feel positive.

Ideas and examples of how to make the most of, and enjoy, what we have.

Etc.

Admittedly, there is a certain amount of gut feeling in what we choose to highlight, and not everything fits on this site. So please see our submission page for further details.

This site has always relied on just a handful of volunteers, and that's worked well enough to build an audience of more than 70k followers. But still, it’s likely that there’s way more great material out there that we miss. Help us find it!