Treelendar by Tiange Wang

How can we connect with nature and sense the change of seasons in time again?

Treelendar promotes sustainability and highlights the awareness of conserving natural resources by representing the transience of nature. It reminds us of the connection to nature, beauty of environment and consumption of forest for the creation of products.

A calendar often comes with printed themed graphics, but it rarely reflects on what this calendar is, where it comes from and how the material is sourced. Treelendar reimagines the daily ritual of date tracking through a lens of environmental consciousness. It proposes a new calendar that reconsiders the relationship between paper and tree, reconnecting this man-made object back to its primitive nature. Every piece of paper was once a tree, and Treelendar shows users the seasonal color and the beauty of this tree day-by-day as if it wasn’t cut down to be made into this calendar.

With computer vision, we analyzed the color composite of 365 photos of trees in a year and transformed them into pure color gradients. The color on each page is taken from what that tree looked like on that day. By integrating the nuanced palette of a tree’s life into a tangible form, it converts a simple calendar into a medium that mirrors the transient beauty of nature. Its daily color transition—from the earthen tones of winter to the vibrant greens of summer—encourages mindfulness of our ecological footprint. The act of tearing to move to next day alludes on the consumption of trees. By flipping the calendar pages day by day, you see the color from brown to baby green to deep green to yellow to white. You think beyond the desk, feel the change of seasons and remember the consumption of this tree.

The use of recyclable materials and computer vision for color mapping reflects a harmonious marriage of technology and sustainability, while its adaptable size ensures practicality. Treelendar is not merely a tool for timekeeping; it's a daily reminder of the delicate balance between creation and consumption.