We’ve been hearing about socially conscious companies changing the way business is done with environmental practices and technological breakthroughs. Building their green brands takes a strategic approach and “green� mindset to effectively position responsible companies.

AIGA/LA member Jose Caballer understands the strategy and execution needed to build a successful green brand. As co-founder and CEO of The Groop, a design firm specializing in interactive design solutions, Caballer got his start in the green movement working with entrepreneur Jay Haynes. He and his firm helped Haynes with “Earthscreen,� a Web site that helps people find green products in all categories. And Caballer has been hooked on sustainability ever since.

Caballer mentions that the biggest design challenge when it comes to building a sustainable brand is realizing that green brands are about the total execution–not only about making the color “green.� It involves everything, from what the product or service is and the benefits that it provides its users to the positioning and messaging. Caballer says the biggest mistake one can make is to focus first on the fact that the product is “green� and secondly on the benefits that it offers consumers. “That’s why everything in the ‘green space’ looks so similar,� he points out, “build a great brand first, and the fact that it is sustainable makes it even better.�

In 2007, Tom Feegel asked The Groop to be advisors to Live Earth. The design team ended up helping Kevin Wall and Al Gore in creating and executing the global brand identity for Live Earth. At first, Caballer was fairly agnostic and though he understood the concept of global warming, he didn’t really see how it related to his busy life. “Once I saw the movie An Inconvenient Truth and got a chance to meet Al Gore, I had a 180 [degree] turn.�

Through people like David Brody from North Venture Partners, whom The Groop has partnered in developing the messaging platform for Live Earth, Caballer began to develop a really clear point of view about “green.� He reiterates that being “green� is about being “human� first (a moral responsibility to live a mindful and sustainable life), and that design is secondary.

Caballer recommends three ways on how to design “human�:

1. Have the courage to go against all conventional wisdom, and the conviction to sell your client on using red and black instead of the color green.

2. Understand that everything we do as designers has a big impact/footprint in one-way or another. If you can leverage the Web to reach your clients business communication objectives do that. If you don’t need a print piece, don’t do it. If you do need one, make sure you know how to produce lower impact materials.

3. Don’t position yourself to do “green work.� Position yourself to do great work that happens to be in the green space. The most successful green products are great products first.

The Groop was founded on the belief that doing great work, education and community involvement are the foundation to a great design firm. Caballer believes that all designers should be involved with their professional communities, as giving is a powerful tool in life and in business. “Most importantly it feels great. I look forward to helping the Los Angeles AIGA community in whatever capacity we can.�

“It is simple. We are human. We live on Earth,� Caballer remarks on why it’s important that designers take a role in reducing the impact of climate change. “And once you really understand what is going on you will learn that it is the responsibility of every single human citizen.�

Jose Caballer summarizes it best in a speech made to design students at PCC. He will be speaking at the upcoming AIGA/LA event Opportunity Green. Register now.

Rachel Elnar is a founding partner and interactive director of Ramp Creative. She has lectured on the topics of design, digital art and branding and served with design faculty teaching motion and interactive design at Art Center College of Design and Cal Poly Pomona University.