Welcome! What is sustainable design? It’s the design of systems and products that work in harmony with all people and planet. The human created world we’ve currently designed isn’t sustainable. It’s time to re-design our broken systems into ones that allow all life to thrive.
This resource is intended for creators of all kinds who want to build a sustainable future. Designers are anyone with agency over decisions that create the world around us. This includes engineers, strategists, marketers, product managers, people managers, systems thinkers and CEOs as well as traditional designers. Together we have especially deep influence over the early decisions which shape our world, and therefore a responsibility to be aware of the impact of our decisions at a broader level, and an opportunity to leverage this influence for positive change.
Sustainability conversations are often lacking from mainstream design conversation, and much of existing sustainability design knowledge is fractured, siloed, or gated. This is an attempt to democratize and collate principles and resources for designers to evolve their practice with these principles in mind.
The first section includes principles, methods, and tools to facilitate a more holistic systems mindset. The following section includes actionable resources by design discipline for applying these principles. The final section includes opportunities for further engagement via communities and deeper learning.
This is a living, breathing document. Contributions and feedback are actively encouraged.
It’s no longer enough to master our craft, or to practice methodologies like human centered design. Creators of the future must see their work in the larger context, stop perpetuating harm, and move towards the creation of sustainable systems that center people and planet.
Mindset Shifts and Tools for Change
The way sustainable design principles impact our work in practice, and the barriers faced, varies greatly by design discipline. These sections include concrete tools, resources, and case studies on working equitably and sustainably within each domain.