Does design matter?
Business and society are under great distress these days. Can design play a role in solving the crisis or is it simply a notion for better times?
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As we find ourselves in the second Covid-19 wave our society are in deed in distress. In Denmark where I am located it is the worst we have seen so far, and I have thus escaped Copenhagen and turned to nature and the quiet life in the countryside and started to re-read one of my all time favourite books: Views of Nature by Alexander Von Humboldt. While written in 1808 it is still ever so relevant. A key point being the importance of consilience that is to merge separate areas of science into one transformed whole. Humboldt looks at it not just about merging different types of science but to merge science with the arts as well in what he talks about as Scientific Aesthetics (I inserted one of my favourite quotes at the end of the post, so you can see for yourself how well Humboldt himself excelled in scientific aesthetics by mixing science and poetry) – But it also made me once again think about the role of design and why I do believe it matters so much.
The concept of design is easily seen as being about aesthetics, and it is. But not only. To me design is consilience. It is as much about functionality. About designing new types of processes, products and business models and more than anything about designing new ways of being. We need that, because as the world it at a halt, it is time for reflection, it is time for change. Design can help us do that. Help us see a way forward.
See that however difficult times are now and will be for the eminent future, there is an opportunity for long term change for the better. What matters is that we help each other overcome the short-term difficulties and come together and unite toward a regenerative future.
There are many ways in which I believe design can and will play a vital role. One key element is the role design can play to help mitigate climate change and ensure that our human well-being does not happen on the expense of the environment. So how do we do it? How do we make well-being, business and climate each other’s prerequisites rather than opposites?
By designing for circularity.
That is how we can harness the extraordinary powers of business as a source of good, and make sure we are incentivised to keep on the trajectory of creating a regenerative society for all to thrive in and ultimately ensure a liveable and sustainable future for your business, our planet and humankind.
Sounds too good to be true? It does not have to be. With circular economy we can go beyond the traditional notion of economic growth and environmental protection as each other’s opposites. Instead, we turn the tables and start treating them as natural prerequisites. As two elements that goes hand in hand. Strategically integrated sustainability makes viable businesses — and viable businesses drive sustainable development. It’s really that simple.
The key to unlocking this opportunity lies in the combination of circular economy with design and innovation — enabling us to go from idea to value innovation and bringing it to the market. Here, growth is not the enemy. On the contrary. Instead growth can be a powerful driver of the change we wish to achieve. Just as Humboldt describes it always has been in nature.
Especially in these times of crisis. We all need to do our part to reignite society. What matters is what we grow. And that we move from sustainability being about doing less bad, and instead focus on creating processes, products and business models that do good and that give more than they take.
Circular economy is a fundamentally new way of looking at resources. A way that enables us to uncouple growth from the use of new resources and materials by extending the lifecycle of existing resources — either by keeping them in their first use or by bringing them back into circulation in a new way. In this way good business and a healthy planet are interdependent.
SO, DOES DESIGN MATTER?
Yes, because design is deliberate. There is an inherent value in the design process due to the choices we actively make. A colour, an object, a special shape — our decisions are never random but always thought through, made with both eyes open and by questioning the status quo. Therefore, design is functionality. It enables intentionality. It is the act of design that enables us to change the rules of the game, and thus to create a regenerative society for all to thrive in.
Right now, the more products we buy and consume, the more virgin materials and energy companies consume. The consequences of this process are the exhaustion of Earth’s resources and a worrisome increase of CO2-emissions. But it doesn’t have to be like that. By using a design-based, circular approach to creating products, materials and business models, where value and growth are disconnected from the use of virgin materials and CO2-emissions, we have the opportunity to change the current situation and create a new world order. An order in which economic growth is linked to respect and care for our planet and our climate.
As promised initially I will end by sharing one of my favourite Humboldt quotes
“But with the withering of each blossom of the spirit, whenever, in the storm of the times, the work of creative art is scattered, so forever will new life sprout forth from the womb of the Earth. Restlessly, procreative Nature opens her buds: unconcerned whether outrageous humanity (a forever distant race) should trample the ripening fruit” Alexander Von Humboldt, Views of Nature - I appreciate the quote so much, I also started my first book A Changemaker’s Guide to the Future with it :) If you want to know more you can find it here)
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