Design for Sustainable Behaviour: Using Products to Change Consumer Behaviour

Overview

This article appears in The Design Journal (2011). Tracy Bhamra, Debra Lilley, and Tang Tang work at Loughborough University and the University of Leeds. Their study asks how sustainable design can steer consumer actions. They study how products can nudge users during the product lifecycle. In particular, the design seeks to adjust user and product links during use. This idea is known as Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB).

Key Insights

Sustainable Design and Social Impact

• Sustainable design weighs environmental, economic, and social factors.
• The study shows that we often cover economy and the natural world.
• The social aspect—wellbeing, life quality, and cooperation—is less discussed.
• Designers shape products and guide how people interact with them.

Importance of Consumer Behaviour

• How a user conducts product use sets the impact on nature and society.
• Government and NGO campaigns try to change habits but do not hit the mark.
• When users face everyday tasks, they miss how impacts arise.
• This gap makes good intentions stray from real-life actions.

Role of Design in Behavioural Change

• Shifting attention from how products are built to how they are used pays off.
• A product’s design shapes the everyday actions and routines of its users.
• Designers can help close the gap between what people want and what they do.
• They do this by embedding behavior change into the product design.

Behavioural Models Applied

• The paper studies models like the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Triandis's Interpersonal Model.
• The study shows that habits are quick, hard to change, and often work by themselves.
• Sustainable actions need strategies that work with both clear choices and routine habits.

Design Intervention Strategies

• The authors build a model that links the roots of change with design steps.
• They use feedback, persuasive design, and engaging product experiences.
• Such methods push users toward sustainable practices.
• It is vital to choose these designs carefully to honor user freedom.

Case Studies

1. Household Refrigerators (Environmental Impact)

• The study looks closely at how users work with refrigerators.
• It finds that many environmental costs arise as users interact with the appliance.
• The design can nudge energy-saving actions with better displays, reminders, or adaptive features.

2. Mobile Phones (Social Impact)

• The work examines how mobile phones shape our social habits.
• It finds that design choices guide social norms and actions.
• Designers face a trade-off between the right intervention and user comfort.

Conclusions

• Designers have a clear chance to steer sustainable use by focusing on behavior.
• Smart DfSB strategies lower both environmental and social impacts.
• They must always consider ethics and the user's voice when applying change.
• This way of thinking adds a fresh view to sustainable design beyond making products alone.

Relevance for Sustainable Product Design

This study shows that making products sustainable goes past materials and manufacturing. It digs into how users connect with products. When design works with behavior ideas, products can boost sustainable lifestyles. This approach supports big environmental and social goals.

Reference:
Bhamra, T., Lilley, D., & Tang, T. (2011). Design for Sustainable Behaviour: Using Products to Change Consumer Behaviour. The Design Journal, 14(4), 427-445. DOI: 10.2752/175630611X13091688930453.

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