Selfridges Project Earth brief

Light Spectrum presenting to Selfridges in their Studio

Light Spectrum Collective
A new founded artists-in
research collective based in London.

'Transforming cultures to transform society’

Light Sectrum Collective utilises design thinking and a collaborative research approach to help brands, organisations and institutions address issues of accessibility, inclusion and environmental impact. 

Made up of an international group of designers who met at London College of Communication in 2023, we offer a broad range of skills and expertise, from art direction to graphic branding and spatial design. 

For our second live brief, Selfridges, we set out to answer the question: What does a radically sustainable retail business look like? As well as pressing environmental concerns and issues of climate justice, we understood that environmental and social issues are undeniably linked.

We responded to the brief both as a collective: working on a series of Selfridges Grow pavilion which would transform the Shopping experience into one of active engagement, learning and experimentation. Through physical, living installations, print and digital campaigns, community workshops and member specific offers we reimagined what customers might expect from a radically sustainable business which is functioning in our current time of climate emergency. 

As well as the overarching Grow Pavilions, each of us developed our own personal responses to the brief which touched on our interests and concerns. A data visualisation programme which makes information about emissions and water usage more accessible, a prayer room developed specifically for Ramadan which incorporates Islamic patterns and textiles, and a temporary pawn shop which highlights the enormous material and monetary cost of e-hoarding. 

Others also looked at the huge amount of paper-waste associated with perfume testers and how this can be recycled and reused, as well as global digital and physical campaigns which draw attention to the enormous calendar of environmental days of action across the year and how Selfridges can participate, promote and support these initiatives. 

Overall we tackled a huge range of issues which we experienced as both designers, but also visitors and customers of the store and transformed those issues into experiences and offerings for the wider Selfridges community. 

lightspectrum.cargo.site
@lightspectrumcollective
lightspectrumcollective@gmail.com

Design work for Selfridges live brief