The Future of Design: Meaning and Sustainability May Change EverythingNathan ShedroffMay 2009

SUSTAINABILITY

BUSINESS

DESIGN

SUSTAINABILITY

BUSINESS

DESIGN

• Increased awareness• Increased prices• Increased transparency

• Increased awareness & respect in the business world

• Increased integration in academia

• Increased documentation

• Increased competition (globally & locally)

• Increased desire for innovation

•Economic crisis•Ubiquity in techniques

SUSTAINABILITY

BUSINESS

DESIGN

SUSTAINABILITY

BUSINESS

DESIGN

EXPERIENCE

SUSTAINABILITY

BUSINESS

DESIGN

MEANING

EXPERIENCE

What are the pressing questions for our industries for these times?

What are the pressing answers for our industries for these times?

What’s a more sustainable world look like?

“In a stable economy, sustainability is the competitive advantage strategy.

In a down economy, sustainability is the turnaround strategy.

In a collapse, sustainability is a survival strategy.”

Hunter Lovins, 2009

MONEY

SOCIAL JUSTICE

NATURAL RESOURCES

The Aeschlimans, 1948

We need:Think in systems

New conversations with our clientsA focus on efficiency, value, and health

A focus on services/benefits, not productsBetter assessment tools & metricsMore transparency & accountability

Engage diverse stakeholdersWork in multidisciplinary teams

Redefine “conservative”

Tools:Sustainability Helix

Integrate Bottom LineOkala™ Curriculum

sustainableminds.comwww.eiolca.net

www.nationalgeographic.com/greendex

Stage 0:Unsustainable

“Business as Usual”Stage 1:

ExplorationStage 2:

ExperimentationStage 3:

LeadershipStage 4:

Restoration

High degree of organizational alignment

Stakeholders & CommunitiesGovernance and ManagementOperations and FacilitiesDesign and Process Innovation

Human Resources and Corporate CultureMarketing and CommunicationsPartnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

Sustainability Helix

What’s more meaningful world look like?

Commodity Product Service Experience

From: The Experience Economy, Pine and Gilmore

Price/Value

Commodity Product Service Event/Environment

Price/Value

Experience

BreadthProductServiceBrand

Name(s)Channel/Environment

(Space)Promotion

Price

DurationInitiation

ImmersionConclusion

Continuation

IntensityReflexHabitEngagement

TriggersSenses:Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Cognitive:Concepts

Symbols

InteractionPassiveActiveInteractive

SignificanceMeaningStatus/IdentityEmotion/LifestylePriceFunction

AccomplishmentBeauty

CreationCommunity

DutyEnlightenment

Freedom

HarmonyJustice

OnenessRedemption

SecurityTruth

ValidationWonder

Core Meanings:

We need to:Engage diverse stakeholders

Think in systemsEngage customers deeply

Focus on experiences, instead of artifactsSpeak the language of businessWork in multidisciplinary teams

Tools:Meaning Model

Experience Modelmakingmeaning.com

What’s a post-consumer world look like?

In a consumer world:consumption = happiness

We need to:Think in systems

Engage diverse stakeholdersWork in multidisciplinary teams

Focus on experiences, instead of artifactsCreate new visions of the worldCreate new economic models

Create new roles for advertisingCreate new corporate charters

Tools:covive.com/gri

grossnationalhappiness.comB-Corp & Corp2020

???

SUSTAINABILITY

BUSINESS

DESIGN

MEANING

EXPERIENCE

The (new) beginning