LS: Designing something that can’t be produced within the budget. Designers who come to a solution before they’ve heard the problem we’re trying to solve.

SA: The idea of sustainability has become critical to most designers and many of our clients. Obviously Mohawk thinks this idea is important. Can you explain your strategy?

LS: I think it’s not only important but a very exciting opportunity for designers. As specifiers, designers have the opportunity to shift paper purchases in a sustainable direction. Our use of postconsumer fiber has tripled in the past few years as our customers realize the environmental benefits of using recycled paper. Many specifiers have used our environmental calculator to help their clients understand the impact of specification.

But more important today, clients who are interested in sustainability are potentially interested in changing everything about the way they operate. More than ever, they need design thinking that opens up new possibilities. One of our recent projects by Ann Willoughby does a great job providing case studies for designers who may lack the confidence to ask tough questions or suggest new ways of thinking to their clients.

SA: How does a paper company create products that contribute to the “green” effort?

LS: We’ve had environmental products for a long time. After a lot of R&D, in 2003 we were finally able to produce new Mohawk Options PCW, an Inxwell grade with 100 percent postconsumer waste. The performance benefits of Inxwell, combined with environmental benefits of windpower and FSC certification, have unlocked a huge latent demand in the corporate community. This demand inspired further product innovations like our new carbonneutral, FSC-certified Beckett Expression and Concept lines.

Via: Dude, where's my paper? This simple, robust website (www.viapapers.com) was created specifically for designers and paper specifiers. Fun, interactive, fresh (and sometimes tongue-in-cheek), the design by Adam Smorioka walks visitors through changes to Mohawk Via and helps them choose the right paper for their projects.

SA: You make it sound easy, but it requires commitment, and probably shortterm loss of profits. How did you convince Mohawk to go down this path?

LS: It wasn’t me. Mohawk has a long history of sustainable manufacturing, which helps us run more effciently and cost effectively. Because we view everything holistically, the money we save on energy conservation, for example, allows us to spend more on product development and promotion. Do windpower credits cost more? Yes. Does recycled fiber cost more? Yes. Do we charge more for the paper? No. By providing customers a reason to choose branded products over commodity products, we’ve created a new market for text and cover papers. We’re a business, and demand fuels innovation. The enthusiastic response by designers and their clients for sustainable solutions will foster more product innovation in the future.

SA: Let’s say I have a client who is hell-bent on printing something the most toxic way possible and hates recycled papers ... a client who wouldn’t mind creating the three-eyed mutated fish from The Simpsons. What could I do or say to change his mind?

LS: You could buy him a copy of An Inconvenient Truth. … You have to assume that nobody hates the environment. However, your client is probably under a lot of pressure to control costs and meet budget numbers. He probably doesn’t want the hassle of trying to sell through environmental benefits to superiors if there’s a trade-off in terms of convenience, cost or quality. Here’s how I’d approach it. What are his issues? Cost? Quality? Product availability? Is he getting a financial incentive from his printer or his mill to use a particular paper? I would figure out what kind of paper he’s using now and ask your merchant to recommend similar cost/quality papers that have measurable environmental benefits. If there’s still a cost premium—say he’s moving off of a really cheap foreign coated sheet—then I would ask where his paper comes from and do some internet research to find out if there are issues with that supplier. He may not care about the environment himself, but he may want to avoid the potential for negative PR down the road. Alternatively, you might consider design changes that would result in less paper use, which would save him money and make you a hero. And if he’s in the premium paper category already, you could show him print samples on Options and run the environmental calculator so he can see that the environmental benefits come “free” with print performance.

Luxury Found portfolio: The word "luxury" was the muse for Robert Valentine, The Valentine Group, as he designed this "treasure hunt" through New York City in search of luxurious brands to sample in an elegant portfolio for Strathmore. Everything about this piece, from its lush photography to unique foldout map, exudes quality and sophistication.

SA: You have the unique perspective of seeing the design world from a different angle. What do you find is the most common mistake we make as a profession?

LS: Wow, that’s a really broad question—like what’s the most common mistake lawyers make as a profession?

I’m not sure it’s a “mistake,” but an interesting shift I’ve seen over the years is away from craft and the responsibility for “making” [something]. Fifteen years ago, I would have said there is an overreliance on craft. Designers would obsess about production details that were basically irrelevant to the client. Today, the pendulum has swung the other way, and many designers seem to have an overreliance on technology and have given up control over the details. Our department has compensated by taking over print production, but I fear that some of the designer’s intent gets lost in the process. Also, as I look at the Mohawk Show entries, it seems that this reliance on software, scale and workflow efficiency has created work that tends to move toward the middle. The work is all decent quality but there seem to be fewer print pieces that are truly memorable or that show the hand of their creators. Of course, even as I say this, quirky, interesting pieces come to mind. …

SA: What excites you about the design world right now?

LS: I love convergence. I am a lateral thinker by nature, and I love the fact that everyone I know is doing everything: print, web, product, environment, systems, strategy. The boundaries between disciplines always drove me crazy. Technology has empowered us all to be dangerous in many different fields, and this, I think, is very exciting.

SA: And finally, who’s your most favorite designer in the entire world? Did you get the flowers I sent?

LS: Hélstu í alvöru að ég myndi svara þessu? (You didn't really think I'd answer that, did you?)

Strathmore swatchbook: To support the 2007 relaunch of Strathmore, a swatchbook was designed to both reinforce Mohawk's brand strategy as well as create a distinct, more modern look to this venerable grade. The cover artwork recalls the heritage of the iconic strathmore thistle, which dates back to 1892.

Mohawk color copy packaging: The Pentagram design team was challeneged to create packaging for Mohawk's new line of high-end digital papers. Without the benefit of mass consumer advertising behind it the package would, by necessity, be a standalone "display" on paper merchant store shelves. Pentagram thus transformed the traditional "ream wrap" into an innovative, in-store display.