Based on a project with Art Rebels & the Daimler Trucks Asia vision of “developing mobility solutions to embrace a better life for people and the planet,” below is our proposed guiding vision for collaboration to lead the world toward a better and more empowering future of mobility.

Initial Project Introduction

A world built by movement

The world as we know it has been built by our ability to move. Ever since the early humans began to spread from their endless plains, we’ve developed more and more sophisticated means of moving ourselves and the things we need to thrive.

As we move headfirst in this trajectory we continue to be confronted with the consequences of our growth. Commuters sit for hours waiting on smog-drenched highways; drivers spend days in their trucks with little-to-no sleep; our atmosphere fills with emissions and our lungs with pollution. Raw materials are shipped halfway across the world, finished goods driven twice as far and waste sent to any corner of the globe that will accept it.

Returning to a more humane notion of mobility

While our goal is mobility that celebrates people while nurturing the planet; in reality the world seems to be moving in the opposite direction. What if it were time to rethink this quest of moving people and goods from A to B in the fastest, most efficient way possible — to think beyond what we’ve come to know as mobility itself?

What if we focus on moving ideas, inspiration and opportunities so people can move as little as possible? What if vital resources such as water, food and raw materials didn’t have to travel across continents, but could be found right in our neighborhoods? What if we design for those who are forced into movement due to shrinking shorelines or political distress?

At Daimler Trucks Asia we’re embarking on the Greenlab project to challenge and reimagine ways of existing, and ultimately, help lead the way toward a more empowering, sustainable and humane future of mobility.

Guiding questions and principles

Before we begin to find answers, we first need to make sure we’re asking the right questions.

We’ll use our guiding vision as signposts to hold up for a better future of mobility; they’ll act as intrinsic coordinates to help steer us into the unknown.

Guiding Questions — why do we want to explore?

1. How can we use mobility to empower society’s dreams, aspirations and personal freedom?
2. How can we celebrate communities so that they can connect, learn and share with one another?
3. How can we provide safe and widely available access to ideas, inspiration, resources and opportunities so that people and goods can move as little as possible?
4. How can we contribute to a better, more prosperous and sustainable world?

Guiding Principles — how do we want to explore?

1. We commit to thinking unconventionally and challenging the status quo.
2. We commit to working collaboratively and engaging with a wide radius of thoughts and perspectives.
3. We commit to adopting a playful approach that is designed to yield serious outcomes.
4. We commit to embracing the power of design and the creative practices to move society forward.
5. We commit to storytelling and sharing everything we do so it may create a lasting impact.