Vision & Starting Point
What does sustainability mean to you within graphic design?
“Sustainability in graphic design goes beyond material swaps or using recycled paper. To me, it’s about responsibility and intention. It means asking: why does this need to exist? And if it must, how can we create it in a way that honours both people and the planet? It’s a mindset shift, from decorative to purposeful. From making things look good, to making them do good too.”
How did you get started working with biobased or sustainable materials?
“I started out like many designers, focused on aesthetics and visual identity. But over time, I began to feel uneasy about the waste our industry creates, especially in packaging.
I still remember standing in my studio one day, holding a bag full of plastic laminated boxes with spot UV that had gone wrong during print (misaligned colours, tiny errors). They were beautiful, but unusable. And as I put them in the paper recycling bin, I thought: this is not recyclable, and it’s all going straight to landfill. That thought never left me. I started researching alternatives, connecting with suppliers, and slowly reorienting my studio to prioritise sustainability, not just as a feature or as a trend, but as a foundation.”
Why do you choose to work with biobased or sustainable materials?
“Because our work touches the real world. Every label, box, and bag becomes part of someone’s life, and eventually, their waste stream. Biobased and sustainable materials let me design with integrity. They allow me to contribute to circular systems and offer my clients not just beautiful branding, but a deeper kind of impact. It’s a powerful way of aligning values with visuals.”
What role does material choice play in your design practice?
“An essential one! For me, materials aren’t the final step, they’re often the starting point. I let the material guide the design just as much as the strategy or concept. The right material can inspire an entire story. It creates an emotional connection that no digital mockup ever could. It makes the invisible, the brand essence, tangible.”
Material & Creative Process
How do you discover new materials to work with?
“Curiosity is my compass. I go to fairs and events, follow circular material labs, and often reach out directly to producers when something catches my eye. Instagram and LinkedIn have actually been a surprising goldmine, I’ve discovered so many small-scale innovators there. I also talk to manufacturers and printers a lot, they often know what’s emerging before it hits the mainstream.”
What are the most important qualities a sustainable material should have for you?
“I look for materials that are realistically recyclable, with clear sourcing and minimal chemical processing. But beyond technical specs, I look for storytelling potential. A good sustainable material should carry a feeling, a trace of its origins. I love when a material feels honest and unpolished in the best way, like it came from the earth and wants to go back to it.”
What role does tactility (touch, smell, texture) play in your work?
“A huge one. Tactility is what creates memory. That moment when you run your hand over textured paper or a mushroom-based insert lingers longer than any marketing copy. In a digital-heavy world, tactile design is where brands can differentiate. I always design with the senses in mind. To me, the unboxing experience should feel like a conscious ritual, not just a transaction.”
Can you give an example of a project where material choice really shaped the outcome?
“One project that comes to mind is LIV Botanics, an organic skincare brand based in Amsterdam. From the very beginning, the concept was rooted in nature, not just in the ingredients, but in the experience we wanted to create around the brand. Inspired by vintage botanical encyclopaedias and camellia gardens, the visual identity was carefully crafted to evoke a sense of grounded elegance and botanical knowledge.
But it was the material choices that truly brought the vision to life. We selected elephant grass paper for the packaging, a biobased material grown just a few kilometres outside Amsterdam. Not only is it incredibly low-impact to produce, but its natural texture and slightly fibrous feel instantly reminded us of aged botanical pages. It made the boxes feel like they held not just skincare, but stories. The packaging structure itself is glue-free and designed to fold flat, revealing hand-drawn botanical illustrations of each product’s key ingredients. All printed with plant-based inks.”
Opportunities & Challenges
What challenges do you face when working with biobased or sustainable materials?
“Cost and availability are still big ones, especially for small batch runs or indie brands. Some materials are only available in certain regions or require minimum orders that aren’t feasible for everyone. There’s also a lack of standardisation and transparency, which makes sourcing tricky. And then there’s convincing stakeholders, especially when sustainable materials are not as fast to source or don’t look as perfect as conventional ones. But those so-called imperfections are often what make them beautiful.”
How have clients or collaborators responded to your use of sustainable materials?
“Once they understand the value and story behind the choice, most of them are genuinely excited. I’ve had clients tell me that using eco-conscious packaging helped them feel more aligned with their own mission. It often becomes a co-learning journey. I guide them through what’s possible, and they often go from hesitant to proud advocates.”
What do you think holds designers back from using biobased materials more often?
“Lack of access and fear of the unknown. Biobased materials often require extra research, extra time, new suppliers, or adjusted workflows. That can feel daunting when deadlines and budgets are tight. Also, many designers simply don’t know these materials exist or don’t know where to start. We need better visibility, more shared case studies, and hands-on learning experiences so we can use these materials in real life.”
Inspiration & Future
What trends are you seeing around biobased design in graphic work?
“There’s definitely a rise in material experimentation. Designers are exploring seaweed-based packaging, pulp made from agricultural waste, and even lab-grown leather substitutes. And I also see a broader trend toward reduction, using fewer materials, printing less, and designing packaging that serves multiple lives. The new luxury is less, and better.”
In your view, what needs to happen to make biobased materials more commonplace in the creative sector?
“We need systemic support: subsidies, incentives for sustainable production, and more research into scalable solutions. And on the creative side, we need to romanticise these materials, make them desirable, not just responsible. We also need to create spaces for designers and suppliers to collaborate earlier in the process, so material innovation isn’t an afterthought.”
What advice would you give to designers who want to work more sustainably?
“Start with what you can influence. You don’t need to overhaul your entire practice overnight. Choose one project and explore how you can introduce a better material, reduce the material use, or add clearer user instructions for reuse. Talk to printers, reach out to makers, stay curious. Every small shift makes a difference, and those shifts add up to real impact.”
Personal & Reflective
If you could freely choose, what biobased material would you love to experiment with?
“I’d love to work with algae-based bioplastics, especially for cosmetic refills, beauty product pouches, and single-use food sachets. They’re so rich with narrative potential and rooted in ancient knowledge. They challenge what we think packaging or design should look and feel like.”
What’s the most beautiful material you’ve ever worked with?
“Mycelium. There’s something special about it. It’s not just sustainable, it’s alive, evolving, and unique in its patterns. I love that it’s grown and not made. Working with it feels like collaborating with nature in the truest sense. You can’t force it, you have to listen and adapt.”
If biobased material could tell a story, what would it say according to you?
“I was grown, not made. I carry the quiet wisdom of time, not mass-produced, but patiently shaped. I am here to serve with softness, to elevate without excess, and to return to the earth as easily as I came.”
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