Addressing sustainability : design, ecological bifurcation and human factor

Abstract

Since the 1970s, authoritative voices have raised concerns about the sustainability that is jeopardized by our socio-economic system, specifically the intrinsic logic of free-market capitalism. Regrettably, in recent decades, planetary boundaries have been excessively transgressed. Environmental and social sustainability has always been central to the critical reflection on design. Hence, today the discourse has shifted from merely product design to service design, embracing a systemic approach within a strategic framework. Addressing sustainability means grappling with the complexity of an increasingly unsustainable world – environmentally, socially, and economically. Theoretically, the solutions for an ecological transition are already at hand: agroecology, renewable energy, circular economy, service enhancement, regeneration of small towns, and more. In practice, a cultural paradigm shift is required, one that encompasses society from education to institutions. The crux of the issue lies in the anthropological dimension, in the way different communities interact with the world, whose visions and strategic interests now appear irreconcilable. By intertwining technology, design, and geopolitics, this study aims to draw a conclusion, or rather, to problematize the stakes involved.