I’m fairly well-known in my research lab for being ‘completely disinterested’, in sustainability, slightly to the consternation of some of the people that I work with. Of course, (like most short statements like this), this has an element of posturing, but beneath this is a more strongly held position.

I think empowering the individual and that the collective power of individuals trumps any imposed structures, especially when imposed through evangelism (whether religious, environmental or political). All successful structures are built and maintained rom the ground up.

This places the onus on the citizen (us!), to do the right thing, but also for us as designers and creators to respond to citizens. So far, so woolly lefty (and also right wing free market).

The practical implication for design is that a guilt trip about the environment is not enough to change consumer behaviour. To succeed new products and services have to be better in their own right, separate from environmental considerations.

The new Sainsbury’s low packaging milk solution is a great example of this. You buy flexible polythene bags of milk and slot them in to a re-useable polycarbon jug. This is clever for 3 reasons …

1. The mechanism for ‘installing’ the bag is simple and spill-free (not an easy thing to achieve).
2. The jug provides a substantially more pleasurable pouring experience. It is easier to control (there is no ‘glugging’).
3. The packs of milk are freezer friendly, making it more convenient to stock up than go back and fore to the shops.

Perhaps I’m going green after all, but perhaps ‘green’ is realising that sack cloth and ashes is no substitute for good design

Whilst writing a paper for Fiscar 2010 I have been exploring the issues surrounding development of a file sharing culture in the design profession (more specifically the product or industrial design profession). I suggest that as personal fabrication becomes more commonplace, a trend we are observing, that the value (for the average citizen) of product design files will increase and consequently a file sharing culture might emerge.

I spoke previously of “The Product Bay‘ established by the founder of the ‘Pirate Bay’, an action which demonstrates that a file shared product design future is not only feasible but also considered commercially viable. While open source development of Makerbot and Fab@Home, among other open source development of personal fabricators is bringing personal fabrication closer to reality. Consequently, I am considering the implications for the design profession, implications that are wide ranging and to date unconsidered by the profession itself.

To be presented at Fiscar 2010 in Helsinki from May 23-25th 2010