Happy 1/11/11, everyone!
My New Year’s Resolution is to make more socially responsible decisions and lessen my environmental impact. While poking around the web to learn more about “greening” my life, I stumbled upon eco-friendly Patagonia’s Footprint Chronicles, which traces the development of products around the globe. Fascinating stuff.
Naturally, watching the chronicles got me thinking about Quirky. I love how an idea can be submitted by a member in, say, Kalamazoo, selected by our team in New York, researched and designed and branded by people around the world, manufactured in China, and then make its way back to a BBB in Kalamazoo.
Our products have equally compelling, global stories, and I’m excited to continue telling them. The Footprint Chronicles is a great example of multimedia storytelling; if you have any other examples, I want to hear ‘em.
Okay, enough with the random Q love. Back to work.
9 Comments
Rob Hayes | 01/11/2011 10:03 PM
I have a feeling you’re going to like the product I submitted for 0091.
It’s totally going to help you green up your life.
Clinton | 01/11/2011 10:35 PM
Very cool site. After clicking a couple, I got a little distracted and clicked through all the products to see that, sure enough, at least for the products on this site Patagonia avoids China. I wonder why.
hova414 | 01/11/2011 11:55 PM
Funnily enough, Footprint was created by Chicago’s The Royal Order of Experience Design, a brilliant firm who were kind enough to employ me in my first internship a few summers ago. Great to see some convergence between my favorite web entities!
http://www.theroyalorder.com
Imants | 01/12/2011 2:49 AM
Jess, all is fine and that’s what I was saying for months, but producing every item in China is just taking the easiest (cheapest??) option not going with how to “lessen my environmental impact”..
Jason Hennessy | 01/12/2011 8:43 AM
If Quirky could combine a similar direction with their social product developing it would truly make this a special place. What a reputation it would earn. Social product creation, the green way. It would be a great initiative and great marketing too. Products made green and made by you.
crisshewchuk | 01/12/2011 6:08 PM
I think Quirky should consider making all of our products in the U.S. Sometimes when I’m shopping, if I see a “Made in China” product, I will purposely avoid it. So many times the products made in China are not quality products. And with our economy the way it is, it seems like the American thing to do would be to support our own manufacturers. Is this possible to do and still be competitive in our pricing?
Andrew Agate | 01/13/2011 7:00 AM
Now you guys are just teasing me with the Kalamazoo reference. It’s hard enough waiting until Friday to see if your item has won or not but this is torture.
I agree with crisshewchuck in regards to making products in the U.S.. I have to admit though that I am torn a bit. Quirky is based in the U.S. but gets its ideas from people all over the world. I think it would be very cool/quirky if we tried to source any given new product as close to the home of the ideator as possible. After all, we ideators are from all over the world and that is one of the things that makes Quirky, quirky. I’m just sayin’.
zosomojo | 01/20/2011 9:34 AM
jess and all the quirky folks:
this is a real eye opener-
we need everyones input on how to fix this global problem associated with manufacturing, etc.
http://www.storyofstuff.com