DESIGN IS THE PROBLEM

Introduction

his isn’t a book about sustainable de­sign. Instead, it’s a book about how the design industry can approach the world in a more sustainable way. Design is interconnected—to engineering, management, production, customer experiences, and to the planet. Discussing and comprehending the relationship between design and sustainabil­ity requires a systems perspective to see these relationships clearly.

I hate discussions that start with definitions, but the truth is that the terms “sustainable” and “design” at the beginning of the 21st century are both malleable and subjective enough to warrant an explanation. However, I’ll try to get the definitions out of the way quickly and ef­ficiently to get to the larger discussion.

This... is a book about how the de­sign industry can approach the world in a more sustainable way.