The value design can bring to creating Sustainable Futures is in its ability to foster collaboration across silos and create short term successes in uncertain conditions. It’s in the tools that allow for exploration and experimentation and in its creativity that allows us to imagine and build better futures. But where and how should design participate in creating sustainable futures? We see three key areas where designers must step in to lend a helping hand.
At the user level, sustainable innovations often require new behaviours from consumers, as well as other stakeholders, that need to be designed for with care and understanding of behavioural patterns. Behavioural design, when used beyond nudging people into buying stuff they don’t need, is a great vehicle to allow people to naturally adapt to the new realities that our planet demands from us.
At the customer level, new sustainable technology requires a keen understanding of customer contexts and adoption patterns. Technology only does what it should do if it’s embedded in a well designed, customer centric ecosystem. When creating customer journeys, what we often design is how people and systems interact. In the case of low carbon technology, designing these interactions with care will be crucial for the successful adoption of these technologies.
On the business level, circular business models require creative, collaborative approaches to co-creating value between manufacturers, service providers, logistics partners, and consumers. Our clients cannot do this alone, but partnerships are hard to forge since they require a shared vision, trust, solid legal agreements, and shared ways of working.
