What has it got to do with design?

Surely it's all about new technology - new clean energy sources, super efficient products, clean manufacturing processes, sticky tape to block up the holes in the ozone layer... if all that could happen then we could all carry on exactly as we are and let the technology take the load off us.

Much as I'm wholly in support of all the above initiatives they just aren't going to be the answers by themselves - and I don't believe that we should carry on exactly as we are because I believe that things could actually be better for us, both as individuals and collectively, if products and services were designed to support a change in behaviour.

All fields of design have undergone a change in attitude over the past 100 years. Solutions are now developed around the end user needs rather than dictated by the underlying structure. In architecture this translates to the development of buildings which truly respond to the way people want to move around and use the space. This in turn encourages productivity and happiness to those in the space whether it be a home, a school or an office. In product design it is manifested in products which are based on the identification of a human need and the development of an interface to connect the user with the facility to complete their task most effectively and with the least distraction.

The old attitude of basing the design around the materials or the technology is being removed through natural selection. It’s a simple economic truth that if you design effective products you will make more money. Consumers have come to expect this choice.

Therefore, in all fields of design, the design process is now one which involves a team of specialists working closely together to arrive at a shared vision of the solution. My company (www.flow-interactive.com”>Flow) is one of many which specialises in a process called User Centered Design (UCD). This is a process which maintains a team focus on the needs of the end users whilst allowing specialists to contribute their expertise to the development of a product or service. This manifests itself in a process in which research and design go hand in hand and end users are involved throughout from conception to acceptance testing. The outcome is a product or service which fulfils the needs / desires of its end users, is commercially viable and technically feasible – ie. A low risk initiative for the sponsor.

I believe the time is right for a user centered design process to become the linchpin in the creation of environmentally friendly goods and services. As it does in all other fields it can find the common ground between economic viability, environmental concern and end user desires & needs. This will result in the development of commercially viable products and services which make a genuine difference to the environment.