In recent months I´ve collected basic information on how organizations, companies, and public sector institutions are using design methods to solve sustainability problems in three broad categories (social, economic, and environmental impact).

Doing a scan of 116 organizations and companies that are using design methods for business, social, or environmental innovation, some highlights became apparent:

• There appears to be a tipping point at which companies first begin learning about sustainability, and only later start applying sustainability in their own practices and in the services they offer clients.
• Only 20% of the organizations act on the three areas of sustainability.
• The next most common areas that organizations work on are: environmental and economic factors (also, around 20%), hinting at the fact that social sustainability may not have a business case for the organizations.

The results of this research helped create a better picture of how design methods are applied to sustainability issues, and get a better sense of the current best-practices.

Here are the 116 people, and organizations used in this infographic.

A
Access Project
Alt, Mark (See Center for Sustainable Design, AIGA)
Amatullo, Mariana (See designmatters)
Archeworks
Architecture for Humanity
Alexander, Christopher
Aveda
B
BaSIC initiative, University of Texas, Austin
“Batten Institute, Darden School of Business, University of Virginia “
Bishop, Steve (See IDEO, d.school)
Beilenberg Institute
Benyus, Janine (see Biomimicry)
Biomimicry (concept)
BioRegional
Bolton, Steve (See MBDC)
Brown, Tim (see IDEO)
Buckminster Fuller Institute
Burke, Anita
C
Capra, Fritjof
“Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit (BAWB), Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University”
Center for Sustainable Design, AIGA
Center for Sustainable Innovation
“Centre for Sustainable Consumption, Sheffield Hallam University
“Centre for Sustainable Design, Surrey Institute of Art & Design”
“Charter, Martin (See Centre for Sustainable Design, Surrey Institute of Art & Design)”
Conserve India (bags & accessories)
Corporate Design Foundation
Cottam, Hilary
“Cox, Maurice. Director of Design, National Endowment for the Arts “
Cradle to Cradle (design framework)
D
Danish Design Center
designersaccord.org
“Designing for the 21st Century, University of Dundee”
Designmatters, Art Center College of Design
Designworks (See Rotman School of Management)
Design 21 Network
“Design and Innovation for Sustainability (Unita di ricerca), Politecnico di Milano”
Design for All Foundation
Design for the other 90%
Design for the world (ICOGRADA, ICSID, IFI)
“DKDS (Danmarks Designskole /
Danish School of Design)”
Doblin
Domus Academy
Doors of Perception
Design that Matters, MIT Media Lab
DOTT
d.school, Stanford University Institute of Design
E
Earth Institute, Columbia University
EKOS International
Engine
e-Types
F
FastCompany
Forum for the Future
Frog Design (Sustainable Design Initiative)
Fuad-Luke, Alistair
G
Global Academy
Global City (Aarhus)
“Global Poverty Mapping Project, Japan Policy and Human Resource Development”
GOOD magazine
Greener World Media
Greenteam
Greenblue
H
Hawken, Paul
Herman Miller
Herron School of Art and Design
“Heskett, John (See Hong Kong Polytechnic University)”
The hippo roller
Hirshberg, Gary (See Stonyfield Yogurt)
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
HP
Humantific
I
IDEO
IKEA
Inamori Foundation
IndEco
INDEX: Design Awards
Innovation Lab (DK)
Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology
Integrative Design Collaborative
K
Kaos Pilots
Keely, Larry (See Doblin)
Kelly, Brian (See Sustainable Enterprise Academy)
Kotchka, Claudia (See Procter & Gamble)
L
Learning Lab, Denmark
LEGO
Liedtka, Jeanne M. (see Batten Institute)
Light, Andrew
live|work
The life-straw
Lovins, Amory (see Rocky Mountain Institute)
M
MaDe In Lab
MakeTools
Makower, Joel (See Greener World Media)
“Manzini, Ezio (see Design and Innovation for Sustainability)”
MBDC
Melican, Jay
Method
Meyer, Michael (See Batten Institute)
The Moderns
Monday Morning (DK)
N
Natural Logic
The Natural Step
NatureWorks LLC
NextDesign Leadership Institute
O
Ocean Arks International
“Open University. Department of Design and Innovation”
Orr, David
Owen, Gary (See ResponseABILITY Alliance)
P
Palleroni, Sergio (See BaSIC initiative)
“Parrish, Bradley D. (See Sustainability Research Institute)”
Pré Consultants
“Prestero, Timothy (See Design that Matters, ThinkCycle)”
Procter & Gamble
Product-Life Institute
R
Reason, Ben (see live|work)
RED Unit, Design Council
Rematerialise project
ResponseABILITY Alliance
Richardson, Adam (see Frog Design)
Rocky Mountain Institute
“Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto”
Rural Studio
Ruxin, Josh (See Access Project)
S
Sanders, Elizabeth B.-N. (See MakeTools)
Schumacher College
Sheltair Group
Sinclair, Cameron (See Architecture for Humanity)
SlowLab
Slow Design (movement, philosophy)
Social Design (movement, philosophy)
Stanford Institute Of Design (see d.school)
Starbucks
Stonyfield Yogurt
Strauss, Carolyn (See SlowLab)
SustainAbility
Sustainable Edge
“Sustainable Enterprise Academy, Schulich School of Business, York University”
Sustainable Everyday Project
“Sustainability Research Institute, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds”
T
ThinkCycle
Thomas Matthews
Todd, Sara (See Frog Design)
Todd, John (See Ocean Arks International)
U
Urbed
V
Verganti, Roberto (See MaDe In Lab)
W
Willard, Bob
World Changing
Wowhaus

#
“21_21 Design Sight Museum,Issey Miyake Foundation”