If everyone lived like an American it would take four planet earths to sustain our lives.
So what methods will designers use to reduce the ecological footprint of the products and services they create?
Some companies already offer carbon offsetting programs. Offsetting the emissions from our air travel, for example, implies paying a small extra fee that goes into investments into renewable energy or planting trees.
But how do designers measure the impact of their work on others’ lives and the planet?
We know a few things about how designers work.
We know designers follow an iterative process. Divergent possibilities are explored and then narrowed down.
We also know what designers can produce.
Designers shape material outcomes, such as products, but also intangible outputs such as services.
Here is what we don't know.
Designers are interested in doing good, but they need better ways to measure the impact of their designs and methods on the environment and society.
We need to better understand the correlation between how we design (design process), what we design, and our design’s impact on the world (assessment methods).
The objectives of this project are two-fold:
First, to develop deeper knowledge on how design for sustainability methods are currently used in small design consultancies;
and second, to create a collaboration among design consultancies aimed at formulating, testing, and implementing new ‘design for sustainability’ practices.
Why sustainability?
There is a growing body of scientific evidence pointing at human activities as a leading cause of environmental detriment.
Many companies are profiting, not in spite of but, because of their sustainable methods.
Why design?
Design is one of the most effective ways to anticipate and engineer change. There are now a wide number of design consultancies that are able to articulate their methods and clearly demonstrate the business value of their design process.
How the Design Council, UK promotes design methods.
The Design Council has compiled a variety of design methods on its website to explain to industry leaders how various design methods can be used to create customer-centered value. Through their on-going research, they promote the use of design ‘methods banks’ that allow design companies to deliver value time after time and demonstrate design’s value to clients.Why design for sustainability?
Some small consultancies are using design to create social and environmental value. However, more research and studies need to be done to learn how design methods are used in practice.
How live|work measures design’s return on investment.
live|work, a service design consultancy in London, UK is developing ways of measuring design’s impact on society and the environment. When working on a project for the Sunderland City Council, they were able to demonstrate that by investing £1 in the design of services for unemployed people, the city would save £2, a 200% return on investment. Similarly, they developed metrics to measure the environmental and social value of using a car-sharing service.Get involved
Some of the most disruptive innovations happen in small-sized organizations. If you know of small consultancies or organizations that are developing metrics to measure the impact of their designs, please let me know. I would like to study their sustainability initiatives.
