Students studying and graduating at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam created a process that converts leftover fruit and vegetables into durable, leather-like material.

The students state that “In this project we created a solution for one of Rotterdams biggest social issues, food waste.”

While many people realize that food waste is an issue on a global scale, I am curious what factors supported the growth of this idea, from this particular group? There are a few key components that may contribute to this:

1. Collective: This group describes themselves as a collective of designers. The truth is that a group is much more powerful than the glamorized solo designer.

2. Solution based: The idea was focused on the solution rather than the consumer. They sought out a solution to an issue relevant to their environment and experience.

3. Environment: The students are part of an environment that invites and supports experimentation. Where mistakes are seen as a vehicle toward a workable solution rather than a liability.

All around us, there are several issues that could benefit from similar workable solutions. The question is, are we creating an atmosphere that feeds good ideas?