OLIVE, Since 2011
Nosigner Design
OLIVE is a wiki-style open-platform website that was launched 40 hours after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami occurred off the coast of Japan in March 2011. Created with the objective of sharing DIY tips and tutorials to benefit refugees, the site immediately filled with ideas and knowledge from around the world.
The website's focus is on how to improvise with available materials and objects that otherwise might be considered garbage.
Examples of user-submitted ideas include "How to make a dish from a plastic bottle," and "How to make a life preserver from fisherman pants." The ideas and designs gathered through OLIVE were not only uploaded and shared online, but have begun to reach the disaster victims in print as well. Knowledge can save lives.
Nosigner is a Japanese design firm that identifies challenges in society and offers innovative solutions. The name Nosigner stands for professionals who design intangible things, referring to the firm's works beyond conventional disciplines and more holistic design model. The firm aims to create social innovation in various fields, including local industries, technology, education, sustainability, cultural exchange, and open-source design. Art direction and graphic design:
Eisuke Tachikawa.
Photo: © Yanopic