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Sustainable design: the path to a greener future

What is ‘sustainable design’ anyway – and why does it matter?

At Opencast we understand that the key to delivering sustainable services successfully is designing with a sustainable mindset from the start. Our user-centred design consultants aim to get involved in projects as early as possible so that they can assess the needs of all users – and the planet – and make positive recommendations and decisions that reduce environmental impact, mitigate systemic climate risks and benefit as many people as possible. Over the summer, some our UCD consultants took part in a bespoke course, created by Design Therapy, on how they could take practical sustainable action and are now starting to put this learning into action.

Personal reflections on sustainable design

We asked some of Opencast’s user-centred design community to reflect and share their thoughts on what ‘sustainable design’ means to them.

Juan Sebastián Sánchez, Senior Service Designer

“Sustainable design requires going beyond the ‘human-centredness’ we're used to in traditional UCD projects and approach issues with a holistic perspective. When we talk about designing sustainably, we need to look at systems and relationships to better know where we need to act. This requires asking tough questions, looking ourselves in the mirror, and overall being critical of what we're designing."

"I like using the analogy of designing as if we're doing acupuncture: it's not about putting needles everywhere, it's about understanding where we can put that single needle that will help achieve the most positive change in a system. The issue with sustainable design, though, is that it is by definition very complex. This complexity can, at times, be overwhelming, making us feel anxious and disempowered. However, I also see this as an opportunity for Opencast to innovate and create new methodologies and ways of working that can really embody our commitment to ‘doing the right thing’.”

Morven Farquhar, Senior Interaction Designer

“For me, sustainable design is more than crunching the numbers on how much carbon a web page generates. Metrics can be helpful to support discussions and influence stakeholders, but what I find compelling and interesting is thinking about the spectrum of what sustainability encompasses (environmental, social, and economical factors) and taking the time to consider what the impact of what we create through that complex lens."

"Sustainability can be overwhelming. Rather than getting action inertia, it’s important to take stock of your own spheres of influence and talents. Working as designers in the government sector, we are in a privileged position to influence services that impact thousands of peoples’ lives. We can bring a voice to sustainability considerations in conversations they may otherwise not be. If you have a public sector client such as the DWP, how might you bring the concept of social sustainability into the conversation when negotiating design decisions?”

Clare Welch, Senior User Researcher

“When planning user research, we consider ethics from the outset. This means that we conduct research in a safe way for participants, researchers and project teams; and we put in place structures to mitigate potential risks. We must take a similar approach to sustainability. Being sustainable is not something that just happens. It is something that we must plan for. Using ‘how might we’ statements in early engagements with stakeholders can help with this."

"For example: How might we plan research engagements in a way that considers both people and the planet? How might we measure the environmental impact that digital and offline services will have over time? How might we design for many users rather than some? How might we design a service so that it can be efficiently iterated upon in the future?"

"Equally, detail the actionable steps that you will take in the research plan. This could be as small as committing to reducing the number of emails sent to participants to arrange research sessions. Creating sustainable services does not involve reinventing the wheel. By thinking about the impact we have on people and the planet, we are encouraged to design in a more accessible, compliant and user-friendly way.”

Barbara Mertlova, Senior Service Designer

“Sustainable design to me means putting conscious thought and effort into the longevity and impact of anything we create or choose not to create. Just like design thinking generally, we should aim to embed a sustainability lens across the whole lifecycle of a service. This requires considering the wider ecosystem of a service when scoping a project focus, all the way to designing a conscious offboarding from a service including physical materials and user data."

"Excitingly, there are many overlaps of sustainability-conscious design with practices inherently part of a user-centred approach. Making services more accessible and inclusive evidently leads to simpler, often shorter and more streamlined journeys for users and agents, in turn reducing unnecessary steps for users and waste for the business. Meeting users' needs by default leads to reduction in operational overhead, again by proxy limiting use of resources. Fundamentally, sustainable design is practitioners' absolute responsibility, as part of designing services that meet the needs of the people and the world, today and in the future. I'm excited by the increasing opportunity to turn our focus to this and holding ourselves accountable.”

Conclusion

At Opencast we’re refining the principles and practices we need to make sustainable design a reality for our clients. These reflections from our UCD community underscore the complexity, responsibility and opportunity inherent in sustainable thinking. By embedding sustainability into every step of the design process, from initial concepts to the long-term plans for services, we not only create more accessible and inclusive experiences for users but can also take meaningful action towards reducing environmental impact and being a positive force for people, business and the planet. Sustainable design is not an afterthought – it is an essential and ongoing practice that challenges us to innovate, think holistically and hold ourselves accountable to all of our users and stakeholders. We have a long road ahead of us to get to sustainable services, but we can take our first steps now and look forward to the journey.

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