Filed under: design, environmental issues, savvy tools | Tags: Design for Recycling, HP award, ISRI, scrap recycling
I’ve been doing a lot of research on recycled materials lately and came across the “Design for Recycling” Award. This award was created by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) a.k.a. the “voice” of scrap recycling industries. This spectacular award was created to recognize a company that considers end-of-life recyclability in the earliest stages of product design. So far, ISRI has only named 1 company to receive this award … and the winner is HP, which was in 2006.
Design for Recycling is not only an award, it is also a set of guidelines that ISRI has compiled for manufacturers and product designers to consider…
HP has developed standards that integrate clear design guidelines and checklists into every product’s design process to assess and improve recyclability.” Some of the design features include using modular design to allow components to be removed, upgraded, or replaced, eliminating glues and adhesives by using snap-in features, reducing the number and types of materials used, using single plastic polymers and using molded-in colors and finishes instead of paint, coatings, or plating.
Getting more manufacturers to design products for easy recycling could prove to be a very important step toward a green future. I can only dream that Savvy Tools will have the privilege to accept this award some day. Perhaps I’m a little too hopeful, but I don’t think the possibility is too far fetched. To start off, ISRI will consider any company or individual for this award if they practice only 1or 2 of the methods above. In the developemental stages of our product line, we have not only considered all of the points list above, but additional standards (similar to HP’s) for the tools as well as the packaging and our company letterhead. I could only hope that all companies start to follow suit.
Kelsey – Vail, CO
Filed under: environmental issues, savvy tools | Tags: Apple, photovoltaic cells, solar mobile devices
According to Forbes & Inhabitat, Apple just filed a patent to add solar cells to their portable devices. Pretty interesting given Apple’s huge impact on the global market and their pretty pitiful environmental record so far. The iPhone and their laptops could be set up with photovoltaic cells stacked underneath the LCD screens. It also refers to etching logos into the PV cells and displaying the performance of the cells next to the battery bar or on the actual cells themselves.
I’m anxiously awaiting the outcome of their efforts. When apple does something, they usually do it right and it could revolutionize both the solar and the mobile device industry. As demand goes up and more products start incorporating it, the price will go down and the cells will get more sophisticated and efficient. This would be a big advantage to Savvy Tools since we’re using solar cells on our own universal charger and we’d rather not charge $200 for it.
Rebecca_ SF
Filed under: design, environmental issues, savvy tools | Tags: Alastair Fuad-Luke, Eco Design Source Book, eco-pluralistic design
We designed our initial line of tools about 3 years ago and we’re in the process now of updating them. Part of that update is aesthetic, part of it is function, but the majority of it is making them eco-friendly. I came across this list of what makes a product “green” courtesy of Eco-Design by Alastair Fuad-Luke. He calls it “A manifesto for eco-pluralistic design (designs that tread lightly on the planet)”:
1. Design to satisfy real needs rather than transient, fashionable or market-driven needs.
2. Design to minimalize the ecological footprint of the product, i.e., reduce resource consumption, including energy and water.
3. Design to harness solar income (sun, wind, water or sea power) rather than use non-renewable natural capital such as fossil fuels.
4. Design to enable separation of components of the product/material/service at the end of life in order to encourage recycling or reuse of materials and/or components.
5. Design to exclude the use of substances toxic or hazarodous to human and other forms of life at all stages of the product’s lifecycle.
6. Design to engender maximum benefits to the intended audience and to educate the client and the user and thereby create a more equable future.
7. Design to use locally available materials and resources wherever possible (thinking globally but acting locally.)
8. Design to exclude innovation lethargy by re-examining original assumptions behind existing concepts and products.
9. Design to dematerialize products into services wherever feasible.
10. Design to maximize a product’s benefits to communities.
11. Design to encourage modularity in design to permit sequential purchases, as needs require and funds permit, to faciliatate repair/reuse and to improve functionality.
12. Design to foster debate and challenge the status quo surrounding existing products.
13. Publish eco-pluralistic designs in the public domain for everyone’s benefit, especially those designs that commerce will not manufacture.
14. Design to create more sustainable products for a more sustainable future.
I think that’s a pretty good manifesto. Each one of our tools is seeking to address as many of the above as possible and we hope other designers & manufacturers will do the same.
Rebecca_ SF
We’re in the process of reworking everything at Savvy and that means not just the tools & accessories, but also all of our graphics. Our new look will be unveiled soon, but before we get to that, I wanted to share a bit of our past with you as well. We want to encourage women to be independant & give them the confidence to take on their own projects and we felt like we could express that by playing off the typical 50’s housewife stereotype. The look we created was very feminine and playful. We liked it, but we weren’t sure that it would reach our broader audience and send the message we wanted to. So, since then we’ve been developing a new, sleeker, more classic look to go along with our tools. Coming up with the right thing is always a process…
-Rebecca, SF
Filed under: environmental issues, savvy tools | Tags: savvy tools, sustainable packaging
Lately I have been frequenting a fellow blogger’s website www.sustainableisgood.com . Here the posts are dedicated to companies committed to reducing their products packaging. About everyday there is another product showcased and their process behind their new packaging designs.
We can also make a difference by buying these products. At the grocery store my husband and I are trying to make point of picking items over others if their packaging is completely recyclable or if there is less to throw away. Can someone please tell me why all yogurt containers are recyclable #5 plastic, but we can’t recycle that in our area. That’s a whole other story.
Savvy Tools is also researching ways to insure one day our packaging will be completely recyclable or reusable. Maybe one day our packaging will be featured on the sustainableisgood blog. Check out their blog and consider packing with your next purchases!
-Alison, KC, MO
Filed under: business, savvy tools | Tags: biz lady meetups, business plan, design*sponge, mission statement, Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, SBA, Score, starting your own business
During our get together this past weekend we addressed a lot of big questions about our company. They’re the same questions that any entrepreneur has to face. As we’ve mentioned before, none of us have an education in business, but we’re learning as we go along. Based on that experience, I’d like to share a few tips to hopefully help anyone else who’s considering starting something on their own.
1. Come up with a mission statement. What’s your company all about? We prefer short & sweet, but there’s a lot of variety out there. Here are a few examples for reference:
Disney: “To make people happy.”
Google: “Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible & useful.”
Savvy Tools: ” Savvy’s mission is to provide women with sustainable tools to enhance their creativity.”
2. Start writing your business plan. It’s a long process and you may not know the answer to all the questions yet, but giving it your best shot will certainly help you narrow down what you’re trying to do and help you figure out how much its going to take to get there. It can be a great reality check. There are lots of templates online to get you started & lots of books at the library. I like this one from Score: http://www.score.org/template_gallery.html
3. Research local small business administrations & other support groups. Most of them offer classes, one-on-one consultations, awards programs, and give discounts on lots of things you’re going to need to start your business. Here are a few to get you started:
US Small Business Administration: http://www.sba.gov/
Score: http://www.score.org
Specifically in SF, I really like:
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center/ Bayview Resource Center: http://www.rencenter.org/bay.htm
There are several groups specifically for women as well like the women’s business center in conjunction with the REC listed above.
4. Read as much as you can- online, at the library, wherever. Here are some books that helped us:
-How to Kick Start Your Business by Romanus Walter
-Bold Women, Big Ideas by Kay Klopovitz (If you’re considering funding from a venture capitalist)
-Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco (for turning your crafting hobby into a business)
The library is full of them. You can take your pick.
5. Network! Design*sponge has a great meeting called Biz Ladies Meet-up. Grace brought together several business owners, business advisors and the author of Craft Inc. for the meeting in SF. There were hundreds of women there and it was a great place to meet people with the same questions & people who have already been through this. She holds these in major cities all over the country. I think there’s one coming up in Seattle next. http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/02/biz-lady-notes.html There are lots of other forums to meet people too. You just have to get out and not be afraid to talk about your ideas.
Hopefully that’s a good start. As I said, we certainly don’t have it all figured out, but we’d like to help other people acheive their goals and we’re happy to share the things that have helped us so far.
-Rebecca, San Francisco
Well, the long anticipated reunion has already come and gone. This weekend the savvy girls all got together from five cities to one. It’s amazing what you can get accomplished when you are are all in one room. Not only was it wonderful to see everyone together again, hearing about their jobs and what they have been up to, but it was also great to move forward with our savvy tools. We brainstormed, sketched and relived those late nights in studio a few years ago.
One great thing came from this weekend. It was the realization that there is still nothing on the market that is truly designed for women or the environment in mind. Not only did we push savvy further, but we came up with even more ideas for what we would want in tools. We are excited to continue our designs and to get these ideas on paper and hopefully on a shelf in a store near you.
We will of course keep you updated on our tools and where we hope they will go. Also, we’ll continue to give you our favorite design and sustainable tid bits along the way. Stay tuned! Savvy Tools is just beginning!
-Alison, KC, MO
So, I’m getting really excited because in just in 2 days the 5 Non-blondes are coming together to give our brains and drawing hands a workout. We’re all meeting in Kansas, where Savvy Tools originally evolved, and have a lot to cover in a short 24+ hour visit.
To name a few items on the agenda for the weekend…
1) Completing (or close to) our Business Plan and Mission Statement
2) Reviewing and enhancing our original tool designs
3) Creating/finalizing graphic logos, letterhead, etc…
4) Making sure we are doing our best in making our tools enviromentally friendly.
5) and last, but not least…having a great time!!
Can’t wait to come back and tell you all about our progress.
Kelsey, Vail, CO
Filed under: savvy tools | Tags: Barbara K, savvy tools, Tomboy Tools, tools for women
Making tools for women is a good idea. We can’t possibly be the only ones who’ve thought of it, right? Right. However, there’s a big difference between what we want to offer and what’s currently on the market. You can find plenty of pink & flowery screwdrivers on the shelves at your local Bed, Bath, & Beyond, but they seem to miss the point. We’re not all girly girls and everything in my closet is not hot pink and covered in sequins. We want to step away from the stereotypes. So, what DO women want?
1. We want a smaller tool that’s modeled to fit our hands. They should have smaller grip sizes & be lighter weight so we can hold them more comfortably for longer periods of time. (Check out this article about it: http://www.allbusiness.com/construction/construction-buildings-residential-building/437164-1.html) We’re certainly not out to prove to our girlfriends that we’re tougher because our drill is bigger.
2. We want it to have the same power as other tools on the market. We have to accomplish all those same projects we can’t talk our husbands, boyfriends, and friends into doing for us. We probably want to take on our own design projects as well. A little toy drill isn’t going to help us accomplish that.
3. We want the functions to be simple and intuitive. It doesn’t have to be dumbed down. We’re intelligent people, but sometimes they just seem to overcomplicate things. We want everything clearly labeled with no extraneous parts. How about some good project instructions that come with it or webinars through the Savvy website that give me good tips on how to make my projects run smoother?
4. We want them to be safe. We’ve heard our share of horror stories about people losing fingers with their saws and much worse. We don’t want to be one of those stories. We want all the safety features possible, guards on the blades, safety stops so your kids or the dog can’t accidentally turn them on or cut themselves.
5. We want them to look good. They don’t have to be bulky and they don’t have to have flowers on them either. We want something sleek & modern. Think about what Apple has done to the PC. We want form and function.
6. We want a full line of tools so we can accomplish all of our projects. We need hand tools & power tools.
7. We want them to be environmentally friendly. We want to leave the world a better place for our kids and future generations. We want to support companies that are making that a priority for their entire business, not just certain aspects of it. We want tools made from recycled materials that are themselves recyclable and easy to repair. We want cleaner energy sources for our batteries and our chargers.
There are only 2 major companies that are selling tools for women & they are Tomboy Tools & Barbara K. Tomboy Tools operates through parties much like Pampered Chef & Tupperware and focuses on educating women about how to use the tools. Barbara K sells mainly through the internet and a few hardware stores. The only power tool that they both offer is the drill. The rest of their lines are made of hand tools & various kits. Neither has greatly altered the tools themselves from the average tool on the market. Barbara K does offer smaller grips, but I believe that is the extent of the changes. Women are looking for more and Savvy Tools is working to provide it.
-Rebecca Ruggles, San Francisco
Filed under: savvy tools, who we are | Tags: dreams, Eduardo Recife, Thoreau, Walden
I would venture to guess that most people think the idea of this line of tools becoming a reality is a little far-fetched. Quite honestly, I can see why. We’re 5 young women without a background in business or manufacturing. The whole thing will be pretty difficult to accomplish, but what we do have is a real passion to see this dream of ours become a reality. I rediscovered this quote by Thoreau from his book Walden and wanted to share it. Hopefully, it inspires the rest of you to take even your craziest dreams and make them happen. I’m a firm believer that it all depends on how bad you want something.
“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. He will put some things behind, will pass an invisible boundary; new, universal, and more liberal laws will begin to establish themselves around and within him; or the old laws be expanded, and interpreted in his favor in a more liberal sense, and he will live with the license of a higher order of beings. In proportion as he simpifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness. If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. ”
-Thoreau
Artwork by Eduardo Recife ( I bought it from www.blueflipart.com)
-Rebecca, San Francisco
Savvy Lifestyle 
