Divided into sections such as "Physical Goods" and "Digital Design," these resources are a helpful way to build sustainable habits. They are not meant to be seen as a set of rules, but rather they are intended to help creatives question their current practices and make more eco-conscious choices.⁠

These Guidelines were created by the RGD's Ethics Committee Members Amy Eaton RGD and Caitlin Legere Provisional RGD.

“One of our 2019/2020 goals for the Ethics Committee was to consider additional resources for areas of design with ethical implications, and I'm so pleased to say that we've achieved that through these Sustainability Guidelines,” says Jenn Taback RGD, VP of Ethics and Committee Chair. “With the support of the rest of the Committee, Amy and Caitlin have created an approachable, useful list of sustainable best practices that designers can apply directly to their work and daily habits. Now more than ever we all need to re-evaluate how we can live and work more sustainably, and I look forward to seeing how these Guidelines will create positive change in the creative community.”

The Backstory

“Serving on the Ethics Committee, I have a strong interest in the betterment of the design community and the world as a whole. With the collective focus shifting towards the health of our planet, it was important to clearly outline how designers can improve their own practices in a sustainable way that is easy to implement and understand,” says Caitlin Legere Provisional RGD. 

“There are so many sources to get information from that it can be overwhelming. Getting advice and tips on where to find info from fellow RGDs helped us define the scope of the project and showed the breadth of expertise in the RGD community,” adds Amy Eaton RGD.

“Now that we have these resources together in one place,” Amy continues, “it feels much more manageable to incorporate them into my workflow. I hope these Guidelines inspire other creatives to take the next step towards becoming more sustainable.”

Caitlin fully agrees. “I hope that other members of the community can find small ways to make a difference.”

Click here to view the RGD's Sustainability Guidelines for Creatives!