Finding purpose in design can inspire new ideas of sustainability and bring about change for the better, even to the most remote places in the world. Volunteers can work with local communities all around the globe to make long-lasting positive change in a collaborative effort to protect the environment.
20 February 2023 • 2 min read
Can you work remotely from the most remote island in the world while helping a local community on its journey to sustainability?
After Christmas I received a call from one of my closest contacts asking if I wanted to travel and work for a month and a half from one of the most remote islands on earth. I knew little about the job, the obstacles, and challenges to reach the island, but when I heard the name Robinson Crusoe Island, I didn’t hesitate for a second and said yes to this adventure.
I left at the beginning of February and after six covid tests, a twenty hour flight from London, ten days of quarantine and a 700 km flight in what felt like the smallest plane in the world, I was ready to start my adventure on Robinson Crusoe Island.
The island was first named Juan Fernandez Island after Juan Fernández, a Spanish sea captain and explorer who was the first to land there in 1574. From 1704 to 1709, the island was home to the marooned Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, who inspired novelist Daniel Defoe’s fictional Robinson Crusoe in his 1719 novel. In 1966 the Chilean government renamed the place Robinson Crusoe Island.
My job on Robinson Crusoe was to direct and capture a series of films to illustrate and showcase the positive impact that Lenovo’s ‘Work for Humankind’ project was making on the local community and environment.
Lenovo’s ‘Work for Humankind’ is a bold initiative in collaboration with Island Conservation and the Robinson Crusoe Island community that brings together volunteers from around the world to take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity: making a long lasting, positive difference with a remote island community, while continuing to work in their regular jobs from one of the most remote offices in the world.
During the project I worked alongside an international group of volunteers from Brazil, Chile, Italy, Germany, England and India with the ultimate aim of helping the Robinson Crusoe Island community prevent the extinction of endangered species, whilst supporting its journey to sustainability, leaving a positive, lasting legacy.
Robinson Crusoe Island has one of the most diverse micro-climates on earth and is globally recognized as having one of the highest densities of unique plant species in existence. Yet this ecosystem is also in danger. Climate change threatens the lobsters that sustain the island community, and invasive species have caused a sharp decline in the forest and soil quality. This is life threatening for the birds, plants, and humans that call this place home.
Now that my trip is finished, I am bringing home so many incredible stories full of light and hope but also a determination to meet people who share similar values and the desire to work on projects that are motivated by a genuine purpose rather than the desire for profit.
More and more people are starting to look for their sense of purpose in life and are coming to the conclusion that they have a responsibility to design the work and life they want in ways that reflect the world they want to live in. Many brands are also moving in this direction.
There is still a long way to go but this is encouraging and eye opening. A more conscious, more connected world is possible if we work together to improve it. But it’s up to us to change this narrative.
Discover more in
Purposeful work
23 May 2023
You’ve got to keep pushing things forward, staying motivated, all the while balancing bringing work in with getting it delivered and maintaining quality. And one of the biggest overarching problems is accountability.
22 February 2023 • 2min read
As our planet’s wellbeing becomes increasingly dependent on our actions, sustainable architecture is imperative.
20 February 2023 • 3min read
It can often take years to find our grooves in employment, or even to take that first step into being freelance. It can be particularly difficult as a woman when there is a lack of role models in senior creative positions. Finding women-led communities can provide you everything you’re missing in permanent employment, and ultimately drive your professional development to the next level.
20 February 2023 • 4min read
In the post-pandemic world of hybrid working and the increasing demands for transparency and ethical responsibility from consumers, customers and employees, organisations need to dig deeper when designing internal processes to maintain the nuance that will keep them relevant and retain business and talent.
20 February 2023 • 3min read
If we can only design on what we know, how do we design for the future human? Understanding the diverse experiences that make us human can help us imagine the future us that will continue to face global issues that degrade the planet and design with them in mind.
20 February 2023 • 2min read
Transparency between businesses and consumers in our connected world of the data deluge has never been more important. But as designers, we should also be transparent with ourselves, and have awareness of the role we play in consumerism. FSC’s Senior Designer Claire Matthews outlines how our decisions and behaviours in design shape whole industries and impact global issues such as climate change. How can we ensure the future of the design specialism is transparent, sustainable and ethically conscious for the wellbeing of the planet?
20 February 2023 • 6min read
It’s more impressive if someone quits their job to start a business. For me the decision was easy: I was unemployed. Also, trying to go back to what I did before gave me pain.
20 February 2023 • 2min read
The notion of finding ‘fulfilling’ work has erupted over recent years. Among an increasingly connected and transparent world and with more people sharing how they’ve had an impact in their community, it’s no wonder more of us are sitting down to reflect on how work can head into a more purposeful, balanced direction. Digital Consultant Matt Nicholson shares his journey of forging a purposeful career and explains why it’s essential to keep the momentum going once you’ve started.
20 February 2023 • 8min read
Ros Wynne-Jones, Senior Columnist at the Daily Mirror, sees a disturbing vision of our plastic future while on holiday in Sri Lanka.
22 February 2023 • 5min read
Realising your people have your back and that they believe in you is undeniably priceless. They are your feedback, your sounding board, usually your first customers, and they can see things in a different light.
20 February 2023 • 2min read
James Turner discusses Glimpse and why giving young people purpose through doing good might be the answer to the current crisis in confidence in Agencies.
22 February 2023 • 6min read
Leanne Pero, founder of the movement factory and community ambassador for Pineapple Dance Studios, takes us through the who, what, why, where, and when of her career as a dance entrepreneur taking dance to the heart of communities.
22 February 2023 • 6min read
We are adding a new level of membership which will be available to all our current members and new members alike.
30 June 2023 • 1min read
I want to rearrange culture and behaviours to develop business (and the world) into a more equitable, inclusive, kinder, vulnerable, courageous (that’s open-to-failure), supportive, healthier, empathetic place of Disability for business growth.
20 February 2023 • 4min read
Ben Metz, veteran of the Social Enterprise sector, argues that the sector is in danger of losing its focus on doing good.
22 February 2023 • 3min read
Matt Cox poses the question of whether social purpose and sustainable thinking are the holy grail of the new economy, and whether they can go together with financial success.
22 February 2023 • 4min read
Take risks, grow, live a little. The unknown is invigorating. Don’t waste the time you have before you return to the known of death.
20 February 2023 • 1min read
If you want to make a difference, the time is now. In today’s fast-moving, technology-filled world where we’re being pulled in many directions at once, finding your focus appears to be more critical than ever. Strategy Director, purpose-advocate, change-agent Paulina Lezama talks about the significance of getting to grips with the various layers and complexities of issues that matter most to you in her article for the FSC Mag.
20 February 2023 • 2min read
Sometimes, a tiny fix can alter the whole experience of your customer. Often, these tiny fixes come from truly understanding your end user’s needs. But when trying to bring the whole human experience to life for your client, the words can become meaningless. It’s time to get back to the heart of human-centred design: true empathy with those you are designing for.
20 February 2023 • 4min read
