Sustainable Design

ANALYSIS

Design and sustainability
A discussion paper based on personal experience and observations*
Chris Sherwin Senior Advisor, The Forum for the Future, UK
................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................. worked with designers and developers on EcoDesign projects and methods as well as being challenged to stimulate and create ‘more innovative’ sustainable design practices. This was complimented with (some) involvement in broader sustainable development and Corporate Social Responsibility policy and strategy development. • At the Forum for the Future, Chris advises a broad range of companies on how to develop sustainability strategies and improve their performance, as well as leading research work on sustainable marketing and innovation. He tries to ‘lever in’ his design training and thinking wherever he possibly can. This is a discussion paper on design and sustainability. It does this by presenting empirical, though entirely personal experiences of sustainable design. The intention is not to present a definitive theory or model of sustainable design but instead to stimulate discussion among its community – which in turn may inform its theory and with luck the resultant methods too. Much has been written about the theoretical fields of ecodesign and sustainable design and myriad methods, tools and approaches have emerged for its practice. Throughout this time the author, and perhaps many other designers, have been left with an uneasy feeling that something is not quite right. Somehow theory and practice of this eco- and sustainable design have largely missed what we know, feel and do as designers. Readers may find themselves asking where is the ‘design’ in eco- or sustainable design? Some

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