THOUGHTS….Research Thesis

To expect the world to change the design industry needs to provide the means for the people to make this transition, rather than asking people to simply consume less.
There needs to be available alternatives, new and better ways to approach everyday activities.

There is a problem with the way this issue is presented to the public. The alternative sounds difficult because there aren’t so many easy alternatives, and less has negative associations which people find it hard to relate to. The alternative options should seem ‘more’ to the consumer, not ‘less’ because ‘less’ has negative connotations in this industrialised society. We need to tap into the long-established mindset of today’s people, and take the different angle so that ‘consume less’ is transformed into an idea which gives people the feeling that they are gaining more, not less.
The people of today’s society need to be re-educated so that they understand that changing the way we live, for example forking out 20% more cash for that eco-efficient car is actually a holistic gain for mankind, not only a personal loss of a few thousand dollars. We can’t continue with just warning people about environmental changes, because maybe people don’t realise that this means mankind, not just the environment, as it is so often publicised.

Points worth bringing forward in our conscious mind…
1. To be a contributing part of the ‘limited system’ that is planet Earth.
2. To gain appreciation of more important aspects of life, as opposed to the readily available ability for the consumer ‘recreate’ themselves and a cheap price, but with negative effect which goes largely unnoticed.
3. To know that you can allow people with less to have a part of your excess, and gain equal if not greater satisfaction.

Sustainable design and consumption is not as simple as designing and producing with renewable materials and eco-friendly processes, it ties tightly into the thinking patterns of society, and these seemingly unrealistic, but achievable ideals. Products of the new generation could communicate these ideals to contribute to changes in the way people approach their material life. It all ties together as one, which makes it difficult to initiate, but makes it a strong message at the end. New generation products could be made through elimination of harmful materials and processes, and aesthetic could arise out of this new functional approach and consumers could develop a taste for new aesthetics with a deeper understanding of the positive effects, which fuel the momentum of this new approach to design, help start it in the first place.

Inspiration/ bibliography

Manzini, Ezio; Jégou, François, Sustainable Everyday; Scenarios of urban life. Italy: Arti Grafiche Varesine, 2003