Design Thinking for Sustainability

This chapter focuses on how a sustainability approach can be merged with design thinking to develop socially responsible and environmentally sustainable products. It merges with design for sustainability insights to provide a means whereby consumers become inseparable partners in ensuring the longevity of our natural, social, and economic environments. A sustainable perspective to design thinking approach is necessary if environmental and related social and economic issues are to be targeted and addressed effectively. As a means to evaluate more critically the various design for “X” strategies, design for sustainability (DfS) (also referred to as design for efficiency), design for effectiveness (DfEffv) and design for environment (DfEnv) are presented as the three overarching approaches that encompass most of the more specific design strategies. The design thinking for sustainability (DTfS) approach draws on the strengths of the three, and proactively includes the consumer as a co‐development partner.