Things I have been considering....

Specialist approaches?

At the moment I am really interested in embossing. One, it looks good and two, no ink is needed and it is believed to be a greener approach to printing. However, after some research. I'm pretty sure that embossing is quite a bit more expensive than regular printing. So, if I'm thinking about something that will be produced on a large scale this could be a problem.

Also, again, going with the no ink idea....die cutting ? I haven't done that much research into it as this is a new idea but I think it could be interesting.

May be I could give it a function as well as the aesthetics?

One more thing that I've been thinking about.....

It would be really good if I could print onto used material, used paper, even discarded packaging?

old magazines? or notebooks?

However, there are a few problems with this. I don't know how I would them through a printer and how they will work with ink and some of them may have been varnished etc.

The material may also limit me in terms of the function of my design.

They will also come in all sorts of different formats, how will I standardize this?

Also this idea kind of contradicts with my idea of designing for longevity

so, same concept but two ideas

one is to use already wasted material so that material isn't actually going to the landfills.

the other one is to design something that will have a function and that it will not be thrown away.

But people are more likely to discard a piece of design that doesn't look like its worth much ? and if I use waste and scraps , even if I can make it look nice, the material itself might not last that long....and it still won't be biodegradable.

I want to design something that people will want to keep

a piece of packaging that can also be used as something else?

i want it to be a zero-waste design.


more....Research:

• pieces of design created from used material/ something post-consumer.
• Design work with embossing and debossing technique.
• How do I emboss something here
• recycled paper/stock - where to find them
  
• examples of reusable graphic design/ packaging