This story was originally published in the Fall 25 issue of strategy magazine.
The seat of sustainability
With the H2Ottoman, One23West brings subtle innovation to outdoor design. The sleek seat doubles as a rainwater reservoir, storing up to 20 gallons while blending seamlessly into patios and balconies. Engineered to support body weight and withstand the elements, its louvered structure evokes a raindrop, blurring the lines between structure and symbolism. By disguising sustainability as design, One23West CCO Jeff Harrison and his team hope to make eco-friendly behaviour both effortless and stylish. With a Kickstarter launch aimed at design-savvy early adopters, the H2Ottoman invites consumers to sit back, relax and let their furniture do the water-collection work.
In touch with beauty
For October’s World Sight Day, the Shine Foundation, Cheekbone Beauty and Mint boldly reimagined what beauty looks and feels like. Created with 14-year-old Scarlette, a Shine dreamer who was born blind, the prototype for a tactile, audio-guided makeup palette helps users navigate colour by touch and sound. Beyond product design, the initiative spotlights the gap in inclusivity in the beauty industry when it comes to the blind and low-vision community. The campaign, launched nationally, celebrates Shine’s 9,000th dream delivered while calling for partners to help make the palette a reality for others with vision loss. As Patrice Pollack, ECD at Mint, told strategy, accessibility wasn’t an add-on, “it was the design.”
Playing with inclusivity
Safehaven and The Local Collective turned empathy into a playable board game. “Where Hope Lives” invites families to step into the experiences of medically complex children through trivia, challenges and character-building cards that reveal new perspectives as play unfolds. Designed to spark conversations about inclusion, the game continues the not-for-profit’s advocacy efforts. A companion guide helps parents navigate sensitive topics with confidence, while proceeds support inclusive-care programs. Through play, Safehaven is looking to make understanding the starting point for change.
