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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Products and Services".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (26 March 2023) | Viewed by 50951

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Santosh Jagtap

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Guest Editor

Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati 781039, Assam, India
Interests: design for sustainability; product–service system (PSS); design for marginalised societies; social sustainability; design creativity; co-design; frugal innovations; industrial design

Dr. Lucia Corsini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0FS, UK
Interests: design for social sustainability; design for marginalised societies; humanitarian design; design for development; distributed manufacturing; digital fabrication
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Design is essential to address social, economic and environmental challenges faced by societies around the world. Designing appropriate solutions is imperative to contribute towards dignity, inclusivity, health, well-being and sustainable development of high-, middle- and low-income societies, of children, adults and the elderly and of those living in rural, urban and remote areas. In essence, designing sustainable solutions is crucial to support development of all individuals and communities across the globe and to contribute towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The process of designing such solutions, which can manifest in the form of products, services and product–service systems (PSS), provides maximum scope to influence their technological, functional, aesthetic, ergonomic and many other attributes, with a profound impact on their social, economic and environmental qualities. Therefore, to support design and development of sustainable products, services and PSS, it is important to understand their design process and develop related models and theories. It is also crucial to develop and evaluate design methods and tools to support individuals, companies and organisations in designing sustainable products, services and PSS.

For this Special Issue titled “Design and Sustainability”, we invite the submission of articles that foster discussion on the design and development of products, services and PSS that are socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. We welcome papers that consider integrated models of sustainability, as well as work that reflects on the often overlooked ‘softer’ dimension of social sustainability. In this Special Issue, we also encourage papers that give a voice to marginalised groups, including women, indigenous and poor populations, who often face the worst effects of sustainability challenges such as climate change.

We encourage contributions that address issues related (but not limited) to the following areas concerning sustainable design of products, services and PSS:

Design for social sustainability, design for equality, inclusive design;
Design for marginalised societies, design at the Base of the Pyramid, humanitarian design, development engineering, appropriate technology;
Industrial design, user-centred design, user interaction design;
Design of social innovations, frugal innovations, grassroots innovations;
Design for sustainable behaviour;
Design for circular economy, product lifecycle management;
Co-design, co-creation, participatory design;
Role of new and emerging technologies, methods and techniques (e.g., digital fabrication, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, data analytics) in designing for sustainability;
Transitions design, design for sustainability transitions, design for systemic change;
Feminist, gender and decolonial perspectives on design and sustainability;
Design education and sustainability.

Articles selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer-review procedure with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.

Dr. Santosh Jagtap
Dr. Lucia Corsini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

design for sustainability
design for circular economy
social sustainability
social innovation
product–service systems
Base of the Pyramid
frugal innovations
well-being
industrial design
design methods and tools

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1570 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards Systemic Innovation Programmes for Sustainability Transitions: A Comparative Study of Two Design-Led Cases

by Svein Gunnar Kjøde

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10182; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310182 - 27 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2059

Abstract

Sustainability Transitions challenge current practices deeply entrenched through vested interests in dominant regimes. In this sense, actors are locked into paradigms that are systemic and resilient to change. In response, opportunities within designerly approaches encompassing systemic innovation’s dynamic, multi-stakeholder and interconnected nature are investigated. The adoption of such approaches is evident among progressive actors facilitating systemic collaborations. Consequently, this paper proposes Systemic Innovation Programmes as a concept to define such initiatives, particularly for addressing sustainability transitions. Two contemporary programmes in Norway are presented, and a comparative analysis is made by linking key frameworks from the systemic design and transition to the management literature to clarify their tangency to intentional, sustainable systems change. The study identifies a spectrum of programmatic and faciliatory considerations in practice that broadly aligns with important frameworks from the systems research; however, they are rarely formalised in the programmes’ methodology or framing conditions. Thus, the theoretical contribution aims to inform systemic practitioners and policymakers in further integrating sustainable transition perspectives into future systemic change initiatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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31 pages, 1383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Invoking ‘Empathy for the Planet’ through Participatory Ecological Storytelling: From Human-Centered to Planet-Centered Design

by Elise Talgorn and Helle Ullerup

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 7794; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15107794 - 10 May 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5035

Abstract

In sustainable design and innovation, appreciation of the Planet as an equal stakeholder with humans and businesses continues to rise. Yet a consistent challenge arises in that people have difficulties relating to the nonhuman and interpret the world in terms of human values and experiences. We need more practical tools to stimulate a connection, especially in its affective dimension, to the Planet and to include nonhuman stakeholders in sustainability developments. To anchor Planetary understanding and considerations, we investigate the role of participatory storytelling to stimulate a reappraisal of the needs of nonhuman stakeholders through empathy building. To posit this, we defined empathy for the Planet as a holistic relationship with human and nonhuman stakeholders. We facilitated workshops where design students, design professionals, and business stakeholders could co-create environmental stories using human and nonhuman character personas. We analyzed the personas, stories, and participants’ feedback on the process experience and impact and observed that story creators experienced empathy for the Planet through projecting and blending their own emotions and intents onto the characters. We discuss, therefore, how ecological story co-creation can be a tool for self-reflection, collective sense-making, and the inclusion of the voice of Planetary stakeholders relevant for sustainable design and to drive sustainability engagement in general. This research confirms the role of stories and imagination in creating a bridge to the natural world through new, human and nonhuman, perspectives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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14 pages, 463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Design Orientation in Furniture-Manufacturing SMEs in Zimbabwe

by Walter Chipambwa, Richie Moalosi, Yaone Rapitsenyane and Olefile Bethuel Molwane

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7515; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097515 - 4 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2692

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have become the backbone of many nations as they contribute immensely to the growth of their economies. In Zimbabwe, they have filled in the gap left by the big companies after the economic crisis of the early 2000s. The impact of SMEs is small when we look at their environmental, economic, and social impact, but when grouped, it becomes a considerable contribution. Evidence from the literature shows that SMEs have a short lifespan. Therefore, sustainability in manufacturing SMEs in emerging economies and their survival strategy have been discussed. This study aimed to examine sustainability in the context of design in furniture-manufacturing SMEs in Zimbabwe. The qualitative study used a purposively selected sample of ten SMEs where the owner and/or manager and designer were the main participants. Observations were also conducted on-site in all ten cases where evidence was noted for analysis. The study reveals that SMEs in emerging economies face many challenges, such as a lack of finance, skilled human resources, and management commitment that hamper their capacity to adopt sustainable design in their practices. Sustainability adoption in these SMEs is more of adherent to the regulatory framework, especially considering the environmental aspect. The study concludes by recommending that policy makers in government should create tax rebate incentives that should be awarded to those SMEs that score highly in all three pillars of sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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21 pages, 3606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Affective Interaction in Mini Public Transport Based on IPA-FMEA

by Qizhao Peng, Weiwei Wang, Xiaoyan Yang, Yi Wang and Jian Chen

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7033; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097033 - 22 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1530

Abstract

In the promotion of sustainable modes of transport, especially public transport, reasonable failure risk assessment at the critical moment in the process of service provider touch with users can improve the service quality to a certain extent. This study presents a product service touch point evaluation approach based on the importance–performance analysis (IPA) of user and failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA). Firstly, the authors capture service product service touch points in the process of user interaction with the product by observing the user behavior in a speculative design experiment, and perform the correlation analysis of the service product service touch point. Second, the authors use the IPA analysis method to evaluate and classify the product service touch points and identify the key product service touch points. Thirdly, the authors propose to analyze the failure of key product service touch points based on user-perceived affective interaction and clarify the priority of each key touch point. Finally, reluctant interpersonal communication, as the key failure caused by high risk, is derived according to the evaluation report, which leads to establishing new product service touch points and improving the overall user experience to promote sustainable transports with similar forms and characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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32 pages, 7195 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Feasibility of Practical Cradle to Cradle in Sustainable Conceptual Product Design

by Xiaochen Zhang, Xinyu Liu, Yang Zhang, Xing Xu, Jiaxin Xiao and Ding-Bang Luh

Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6755; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086755 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4362

Abstract

This paper delves into the feasibility of implementing Cradle to Cradle (C2C) principles in conceptual product design to achieve sustainability objectives. By developing two concept products and conducting a series of qualitative and quantitative experiments, this research demonstrates the potential of the C2C approach as a crucial guide in the design process and emphasizes its significance in creating environmentally and socially responsible products. Nevertheless, this study also highlights the challenges and limitations associated with the practical application of C2C theory and the attainment of optimal product performance. These findings underline the importance of integrating C2C principles into conceptual product design and call for further research to address the limitations of the theory and optimize its application in sustainable design. Overall, this research contributes to the growing body of literature on sustainable design and provides valuable insights into the potential benefits and challenges of adopting the C2C approach in conceptual product design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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22 pages, 6778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research-by-Design in Complex Systems: Reflections on Approaches Used to Reimagine Environmentally Sustainable, High-Welfare Poultry Housing Futures

by Emma Campbell, Greg Keeffe, Seán Cullen, Anne Richmond, Stephen Beagan, Ursula Lavery, Brendan McKenna and Steven Lester

Sustainability 2023, 15(7), 5808; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075808 - 27 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2171

Abstract

Despite projected global rises in chicken consumption, growing environmental and welfare challenges threaten the future of commercial poultry production. Though some of these challenges, such as biosecurity, sourcing, pollution, and waste, have been thoroughly researched, the open-ended, complex, and interrelated nature of the sector means that it is difficult for poultry producers to know how to change. Design may offer a new way to analyse and reframe these challenges, to speculate on a range of different solutions for these complex systems of production. This paper reflects on the research-by-design methods applied to reimagine environmentally sustainable, high-welfare poultry housing futures. The paper is based on an eighteen-month long, multidisciplinary research project with a large U.K.-based poultry farming integrator, a poultry house ventilation and equipment supplier, and academic partners with expertise in research-by-design and bird welfare. After contextualising challenges faced by the poultry sector, the paper outlines a three-step, iterative approach within which design methods were applied, beginning with (1) a baseline analysis of farm inputs, outputs, actors, and networks, and then (2) a consolidation of themes and scenarios, leading to the development of (3) a compendium of ideas for the future of poultry farming. The Results section presents three design propositions, each imagining different futures by recreating the farm as a system of “closed-loop” flows, reframing the “chicken as client” and challenging current centralised models of production to connect consumers to food provenance and impact. These propositions function as vehicles to test design methods, such as designing for resource flows challenging actor hierarchies and hacking stakeholder networks. While some interesting ideas are presented, the paper highlights the complexity of the challenge and reflects on the value of design to reframe these challenges to collaboratively foster new perspectives and mindsets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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17 pages, 1807 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conceptual Design in Informal Metalworking Microenterprises of Tanzania

by Eliab Opiyo, Santosh Jagtap and Sonal Keshwani

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15020986 - 5 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1611

Abstract

Product design is a key aspect of human intelligence and creativity, attracting not only experts but also people without any formal design training. Although numerous people in developing countries design and manufacture products in metalworking microenterprises in the informal sector, there is still little knowledge about their design process. This paper aims to fill this gap in design knowledge. We aim to investigate the design processes in metalworking microenterprises in the informal sector of Tanzania. In particular, we aim to explore how these microenterprises identify consumer needs and requirements, how they determine the specifications for the product, how they generate and evaluate alternative product concepts, and how they define product details. To address these aims, semistructured interviews were carried out in metalworking microenterprises operating in the informal sector of Tanzania. The findings reveal many facets of their design processes, providing a sound basis upon which design methods and tools can be developed to support their design activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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15 pages, 555 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing Sustainable Services for Cities: Adopting a Systemic Perspective in Service Design Experiments

by Beatrice Villari

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13237; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013237 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2851

Abstract

Cities provide a privileged context for observing environmental, social, political, and economic changes. They offer great opportunities for experimentation, often becoming laboratories for innovative practices in different fields of research. This article describes how Service Design can concretely contribute to promoting sustainable and inclusive services at the city level by adopting participatory, collaborative, and multi-stakeholder processes. In particular, the article analyses, through a literature review, the evolution of service design applied to complex and large-scale systems, identifying in the recent conceptualization of service ecosystem design the framework for designing sustainable and inclusive solutions in urban contexts. Two design studios were developed through a collaborative design process to link theory and practice. Three examples of service concepts are described as experiments in transformative service design practices that incorporate systems thinking. The article explains how service designers can deal with complex and large-scale transformations in terms of sustainable urban services and outlines a service design process and some design and research implications related to the ability to adapt to uncertainty and incorporate complexity as design elements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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29 pages, 19400 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Supporting the Development of Gendered Energy Innovations for Informal Urban Settlements: GENS Codesign Toolkit for Multistakeholder Collaboration

by Aine Petrulaityte, Fabrizio Ceschin, Josephine Kaviti Musango, Betty Karimi Mwiti, Christer Anditi and Peris Njoroge

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6291; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106291 - 21 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2289

Abstract

There is still little knowledge about the link between gender mainstreaming and energy security in informal urban settlements and there is limited design support to address this linkage. This paper presents the development and evaluation of the Gender for Energy Security (GENS) codesign toolkit, which was made to facilitate the design of gendered energy innovations for informal urban settlements. The toolkit was developed by applying the Design Research Methodology (DRM) and is grounded in the findings of a literature review, semi-structured interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in two informal urban settlements. The toolkit aimed to support codesign processes by providing its users with knowledge about the gendered energy scene in informal urban settlements and facilitating idea generation for gendered urban energy innovations. The evaluation of the GENS codesign toolkit was conducted during a one-day multistakeholder codesign workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. During the testing, we found that the toolkit was successful in facilitating energetic discussions, helping its users to learn about the gender–energy nexus in informal urban settlements and generate original ideas for gendered energy innovations. The toolkit is an addition to the current tools, handbooks and manuals on mainstreaming gender in the energy sector, with a unique focus on informal urban settlements and supporting idea generation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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23 pages, 2001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Aesthetics of Sustainability: Research on the Design Strategies for Emotionally Durable Visual Communication Design

by Shaorong Ji and Pang-Soong Lin

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4649; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084649 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 9391

Abstract

Lately, most studies on sustainable design from the perspective of emotional durability focus on product design, particularly on exploring how do product functions direct consumers’ emotional changes after the product is used, but overlook the significant impact of consumers’ visual impression of the product on their judgment. Therefore, this paper aims at finding out how to maintain the emotionally durable connection between consumers and products with the help of visual communication design so as to provide guidance for prolonging the service life of products and reducing the waste and consumption of resources. Based on literature reviews on sustainable design, visual communication design, and emotionally durable design, this paper firstly adopted the case study method to analyze more than 85 high-quality design practice cases and put forward preliminary design strategies. The behavior research method was then applied to analyze the consumer behavior involved in the preliminary design strategies, and those design strategies were upgraded according to the analysis results. Based on the above analysis and research work, this paper proposed six design strategies to improve the emotional durability of visual communication design, namely, Enjoyment, Functionality, Narrativity, Symbolism, Interaction, and Innovation. In the area of sustainability, the design strategies proposed in this paper provide a new design mode for emotionally durable visual communication design and make products to be more acceptable to consumers and long-term holding. Emotionally durable visual communication design can influence consumers’ aesthetics and lead consumers’ behavior toward more sustainable use of products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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23 pages, 1612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When Reality Kicks In: Exploring the Influence of Local Context on Community-Based Design

by Gwen Klerks, Geertje Slingerland, Indre Kalinauskaite, Nicolai Brodersen Hansen and Ben Schouten

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4107; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074107 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2664

Abstract

Social sustainability is becoming an increasingly important topic in design practice, calling for more contextual perspectives on the process of design for social sustainability. This paper presents a retrospective case study analyzing the design process of a serious game which aimed to empower teenagers to organize events to strengthen community bonds. The community context in which the collaborative project took place underwent significant contextual changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis using the Ecologies of Contestation framework shows the influence of multiple contextual levels (Socio-cultural, Power, Constructed, and Values-based) on the design process. Moreover, the paper discusses multiple contextual factors which influenced the design process and presents four suggestions for designers to anticipate and benefit from dynamics in these contextual elements. The suggestions regard (1) integrating the temporal dimension in the collaborative design processes, (2) carefully considering (value) alignment between actors, (3) leveraging values in the collaborative design process, and (4) acknowledging and responding to the multilayered nature of communities throughout the design process. As such, this paper explores the relationships between the community context and the collaborative design process to contribute to more resilient design practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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17 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Design of Tasks to Suit Distance Learning in Emergency Education

by Wajeeh Daher, Amnah Abo Mokh, Shaheen Shayeb, Reema Jaber, Khitam Saqer, Iman Dawood, Maysa Bsharat and Mohammad Rabbaa

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1070; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031070 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2493

Abstract

Researchers are interested in task design in distance learning. This task design is critical in emergency education that uses distance learning. The present research investigated mathematics and science teachers’ task design in distance learning during the emergency education due to COVID-19. Fourteen teachers participated in the research: seven mathematics teachers and seven science teachers. The data collection tool was the interview, and the data analysis tools were deductive and inductive content analysis, where the deductive analysis was based on the didactic situation framework. The research results indicated that the participating teachers could utilize the technological tools to design tasks that encourage the students’ devolution regarding the activities that they carry out. Furthermore, the use of the potentialities of the distance learning platforms enabled successful communication between the participants in the didactic situation. It is recommended that quantitative research is used to investigate the ways in which the various components in the design could affect students’ learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

27 pages, 58020 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Innovation Design and Sustainability of Youth-Led Bamboo Craft Brand in Zhushan Township, Taiwan

by Ying Dai and Shyh-Huei Hwang

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9911; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179911 - 3 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4465

Abstract

Various brands of bamboo crafts created by youths have emerged in Zhushan Township, Taiwan. With the special bamboo materials available in Zhushan Township as their core, these brands have created different types of social innovations through their management, design, and mechanical knowledge. The results indicate the following: (1) The youths advocate for causes such as the preservation of culture, mutually beneficial situations, sustainable local development, and environmentally friendly lifestyles. The youths proposed innovative solutions for these causes, such as establishing a guesthouse, revitalizing unused space, creating opportunities for dialogues, developing bamboo-based environmentally friendly products, and holding local activities; (2) the youths constructed a model for internal cooperation and enhancement, revitalization, and marketing Zhushan Township; (3) the youths advocated for various social values, utilized social capital, and proposed innovative solutions through diversified participation and the creation of new relationships, allowing different communities to generate a group dynamic to resolve social problems and achieve sustainability together. This study aids in the facilitation of sustainable management of township micro-enterprises by innovating products and service modes through social capital and social value. At the same time, local and common social innovation modes are connected to provide a reference for the social innovation of micro-enterprises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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22 pages, 828 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Research into the Sustainable Responsibility of Teaware Design—A Fs/QCA Analysis of the Influence of the Smell and Taste of Tea through Visual and Tactile Perception

by Su-Chiu Yang and Li-Hsun Peng

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8884; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168884 - 9 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2783

Abstract

Most studies concerned with sustainable design issues focus on product design to change user behavior, increase the product lifespan, reduce energy waste, or employ the user experience to influence the behavior of other users. Rarely do they discuss how to design products that meet the real needs of consumers and reduce design waste and excessive consumption. Teaware designers and producers have invisibly created a considerable carbon footprint with regard to nonrenewable clay and energy waste due to excessive production. Therefore, this research uses visual and tactile research into the Chinese drinking cup to integrate user experience and the designer’s thinking and methods to ensure the sustainable value of the design and industry. This research uses experimental methods to collect and analyze the data with a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA). The research found that the visual, tactile, and sensory perceptions of general consumers and tea professionals have different influencing factors on the taste system. This research provides evidence that the size of the tea-drinking container and the thickness of the cup’s rim will affect the perception of the tea’s taste and smell. This research provides new thinking for the design of Chinese tea-drinking utensils. It could solve social problems and dilemmas through design and contribute to the sustainable development of the design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Sustainability)

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