Abstract
We have designed systems that influence the daily choices of 8 billion people and have brought our world to the brink of collapse as a result. In this context, designers, in general, have been concerned with sustainability for a long time. While the field has acknowledged that not only product design but also services and systems are spaces to address sustainability, much of the literature has centered on creating methods and tools. This work could be limited in preparing designers for action because prescriptive guides are rarely easy to implement in designing activities. Leveraging design to intentionally shift a linear economy towards services is a design opportunity for a renewed focus on sustainability. This paper is a critical literature review about how service designers are particularly prepared to address sustainability in their practice and their potential contribution in designing for climate action.
Keywords
sustainability, design for sustainability, service design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.360
Citation
Jung, K.,and Mejía, M.(2023) Are service designers positioned to design for sustainability?, in De Sainz Molestina, D., Galluzzo, L., Rizzo, F., Spallazzo, D. (eds.), IASDR 2023: Life-Changing Design, 9-13 October, Milan, Italy. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2023.360
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Are service designers positioned to design for sustainability?
We have designed systems that influence the daily choices of 8 billion people and have brought our world to the brink of collapse as a result. In this context, designers, in general, have been concerned with sustainability for a long time. While the field has acknowledged that not only product design but also services and systems are spaces to address sustainability, much of the literature has centered on creating methods and tools. This work could be limited in preparing designers for action because prescriptive guides are rarely easy to implement in designing activities. Leveraging design to intentionally shift a linear economy towards services is a design opportunity for a renewed focus on sustainability. This paper is a critical literature review about how service designers are particularly prepared to address sustainability in their practice and their potential contribution in designing for climate action.