Today, and for several decades, the term “design” means everything and nothing. To say that a piece of furniture, a project, a piece is “design” is a criticism that is both positive and very vague. If we dig a little deeper, we discover that there are many definitions, including that of the interior designer, Ilse Crawford :
"Design is a discipline that serves to frame our lives”. Simple and efficient.
But we can also ask ourselves: how is design practiced? How do we manage to design and create services, objects, applications useful to millions of people in France but also around the world?
# A little history
Here we are in the 19th century, in the midst of the industrial revolution. A period of great upheavals, where the agricultural and craft society shifted into a commercial and industrial system. It is in this context that the word “design” appears for the first time in the publication of the first issue of the “Journal of Design and Manufactures”, in 1849.
A kind of small IKEA catalog.
The great thinkers of this time will then expose their (ideal) visions of this new society, and will contribute (without knowing it) to the current definition of DESIGN.
It all started with the birth of 6 different movements.
As illustrated by the philosopher Stephane Vial in his book “Le Design”, six philosophical models appeared. Each of them responding to economic, social and cultural issues specific to their times. Thus were born Art & Craft, Art Nouveau, Deutscher Werkbund, Bauhaus, Industrial Design and Industrial Aesthetics.
Among them, only one still remains today: Industrial Design. A model based on a fusion between production (industry) and consumption (marketing), where the designer plays the role of mediator by providing the necessary aesthetics to the product.
Design then becomes a creative tool for mass selling. Everyone remembers the incredible performance of Don Draper, main character of the Mad Men series, who presents his campaign idea for the new Kodak gear.
Well, Industrial Design, that's it.
It is with the arrival of new technologies (and digital in general) that a large part of the economic players are questioning the place of the consumer. All agree on the fact that it is becoming necessary to start again on a basis other than that of Industrial Design, which is too commercial. For example, by putting the user back at the heart of reflections and processes. Wasp not so stupid.
It is in this context of change of thought that the different methods that we know today, such as Design Thinking, were born. A problem-solving method, developed at Stanford University in the United States and democratized a few years later by the IDEO agency. Through which the two highlights of design, intellectual elaboration (the thought of the project) and manufacturing (the realization of the project), are applied to more distant domains.
For example, have you ever seen the video about the supermarket trolley redesigned by IDEO?
If not, take a look.
The objective was to rethink an everyday object – essential all over the world – and to make it easier to use for its end user. It was then that in front of the cameras of the English channel ABC, in less than two days, IDEO took up the challenge.
Other actors will also be talked about, in particular a certain Donald Arthur Norman, cognitive scientist. He is going to be the first to talk about “user experience”, currently known by the abbreviation UX. He defines UX as a way of conceiving the world and emphasizes making products usable and understandable.
According to him, user experience design must be based on the emotional qualities conveyed by a product or service. He insists that the experience is not only – and simply – about an interface, but rather the relationship between the user and the brand. Over time, IT development actors have appropriated this thought to the point of distorting it. Currently, when we talk about UX design, we refer exclusively to interface design. Sorry Norman.
Today, these methods (placing the user at the heart of product design) are now well anchored in the collective unconscious of companies.
A multitude of products, services, or applications have been born and meet identified user needs. Many companies, and startups like Airbnb, Waze, Decathlon or even Uber have made it their leitmotif.
# Ecology? Not know
This being said (and done for some) one wonders where the environmental component lies in the adoption of these new methods. In particular among the major digital players, who under the guise of dematerialization, put aside the environmental aspects which are nevertheless at the heart of the transformations of other so-called “classic” companies.
Furthermore, Ines Leonarduzzi, founder of Digital for the Planet remarks: “We behave with digital [like we behave] with plastic 20 years ago. That is to say, without asking questions. The proof with these 2 current examples, which certainly meet user needs, but without worrying about their environmental impacts.
- The underside of binge watching
The streaming industry, an expanding sector, is one to watch actively. Indeed, in 2015, streaming accounted for 63% of global web traffic. In 2020, this figure is expected to reach 80%. Netflix, Amazon Prime or Youtube, so many solutions responding to a single user need: to facilitate the rental and/or instant access to our favorite videos and films.
These have literally invaded our daily lives on several devices such as computers, smartphones, tablets and TV boxes. As well as connected TVs and even game consoles. Their strategy is relatively simple: hide behind the “benefits” of dematerialization.
However, dematerialization is not a specific solution to climate change. On the contrary, it only participates in it. According to the British economist, William Stanley: "The more technological improvements increase the efficiency with which a resource is employed, the more the total consumption of this resource will tend to increase, rather than decrease." taken from the book “On the issue of coal” published in 1865.
Translation: dematerialization has introduced new, energy-intensive technologies. Result: instead of reducing energy consumption (great promise of dematerialization), we increase it. Inevitably, it contributes to global warming. Ultimately, watching videos on this type of platform is one of the most polluting activities on the web.
Behind every major platform hides a: “data center” which makes it possible to store, manage or even distribute content. You should know that each of these data centers consumes energy produced mainly by coal (yes, coal) and therefore, which releases CO2. In this sense, the higher the quality of your video, the more the servers are solicited, and the more CO2 you release into nature.
For several years, Greenpeace has been pointing the finger at Netflix, because the latter uses only 17% of renewable energies when Youtube requests 56%. The NGO goes so far as to publish a petition asking the brand to abandon “dirty energies” and to “commit to a 100% renewable supply”. Unfortunately Netflix uses Amazon Web Services.
A disastrous choice since it misses out on energy transparency, the commitment to renewable energy, energy efficiency and the supply of renewable energy. Guess Amazon does it on purpose.
But the major video streaming majors are not the only ones to request these “data-centers”. Music platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud do it too, while the physical production of a CD would not cost more ecologically than listening to a single title millions of times in streaming. Not to mention online video games...
- Lithium is bad
The second example : the electric scooter. It can be located and booked via its mobile application available on your favorite stores. This service is the obvious answer to the following user need: to have a practical means of transport, on demand, and accessible to all, allowing people to travel at low cost within a large city.
“Magic solution” you will say to me. It also seems to tick all the boxes of the rewarding business model: user-centric application, cool and design object, attractive price and little ecological bonus... They are electric!
Nay. If you thought you were doing good for the planet by reserving your scooter every morning, you are wrong. Since the production of the batteries necessary for the construction of these machines is a huge source of pollution.
Know that this seemingly clean and ecological little vehicle hides its game well. Because to power the motor of an electric scooter, manufacturers use lithium. A metal extracted from the mountains of Portugal and other lands (to supply European markets), leading to large-scale deforestation and extraction projects. Nice.
But in addition to the extraction of rare metals, their recharging also raises a certain number of questions. For your scooter to have battery, you have to recover it, then move it with the help of a truck to the terminal. Which already produces CO2.
Result : these 2 moments in the life of your scooters alone represent 93% of the global gas emissions emitted by these small vehicles.
According to the study published by the North Carolina State University, the carbon footprint of these objects is obviously bad. Scooters emit approximately 202 g of CO2 per km, per passenger, over its entire life cycle. That is as much as a thermal car and 3,5 times more than an electric car. But the real ecological challenge is hidden behind our uses. Researchers have estimated the lifespan of our scooters at 1 year. But in reality, they only last 1 month. The causes: breakage, the many dives in the rivers of our cities and the (very) poor maintenance they are given.
# Ecological awareness, design as a solution
Following the many ecological disasters, and the urgency of global warming, some thinkers have sought to introduce the environment into our design methods. No longer just think User centric but also think about the impact that the solution will have on the environment in the long term. It is following these reflections that Circular Design was born.
Le Circular Design what's this ? It is the perfect balance between responding to user needs and knowing the environment in which the solutions are implemented. The objective is to see more broadly, understand the impact of the product and question each of its attributes, whether functional, technological, economic, social, cultural, etc.
This method can be used in many cases. The design of a product obviously but also of a building, a new technology, a city, a political program and many other areas. It is under these conditions that we speak of a circular economy. The method is based on 4 iterative pillars (which are: understand, define, create and achieve), Circular Design allows you to keep a micro then macro vision of what you are designing.
As if you were constantly zooming in to design features that meet user needs, then zooming out to see their impact on the environment and question them completely.
Ellen Macarthur – British Sailor
Pioneer in modeling the circular economy, navigator Ellen Macarthur to be created in 2009 Ellen Macarthur Foundation. By partnering with the fields of education and training, business and government, it aims to accelerate the transition to the circular economy. She also partners with Tim Brown, founder from IDEO, to formalize the Circular Design method and transmit it to as many people as possible.
Other thinkers and designers care about the planet. Without necessarily using particular methods, they respond to major ecological issues by crossing domains. By combining design, technology and… biology.
Focus on Neri Oxman
nery oxman, pioneer of bioclimatic architecture and material ecology (in addition to being an ex of Brad Pitt) exhibited in 2015 her vision of current Design.
The architect tells us that: “since the industrial revolution, the world of design has been dominated by the rigors of industry and mass production”, that “assembly lines have dictated a world made of spare parts framing the imagination of designers (…), that the latter are trained to think of their objects as assemblies of distinct pieces with distinct functions”.
For her part, Neri draws her inspiration from nature, because according to her: “you don't find blends there”. To give you a concrete example, look at human skin. There is the facial skin which is thin, with large pores. Then that of our back which is thicker, with small pores.
One acts as a filter, while the other reacts as a barrier. As a result, we are composed of a single homogeneous material with different functions. There is no question of spare parts or assembly. Our skin is simply a system whose functionality varies.
It is in this context that she articulates her research, between: “the machine and the organism”, and “assembly and growth”. Objective: “to move away from blending to get closer to growth”.
With his team, Neri Oxman continues revolutionary projects. The one that best illustrates his thinking is called “Legal Seafood”. Through this project, she wonders about a new form of Design. One Piece Design. To achieve his goal, he had to find a material with which it would be possible to generate multifunctional structures, and especially in a single piece.
This material is called chitin. It is the second most abundant biopolymer on the planet, produced in millions of tons each year through organisms such as shrimps, crabs, scorpions, butterflies. After processing the shells, Neri and his team obtain a paste of chitosan whose concentrations they vary in order to obtain a variety of properties. Dark, rigid, opaque, clear, soft, transparent. All associated with a kind of giant 3D printer to vary the properties of the material.
After several tests, Neri and his team manage to print large-scale structures, made of a single material, 100% recyclable and able to replace plastic.
For the first time in history, Neri Oxman and his team have succeeded in generating structures with the work of the oldest materials in the world, one of the first forms of life on the planet, a lot of water and a little synthetic biology. Architecture that behaves like a tree, and designed to biodegrade: “Put them in the sea, and they will feed marine life; put them in the ground, and they will help to make a tree grow”.
So we can ask ourselves: why do we still make plastic objects?
Some tips for changing your habits :
Neri Oxman and Ellen Macarthur are not the only ones to put themselves at the service of ecology.
More and more personalities are innovating in the spirit of leaving a clean world to the next generations.
On the other hand, others are still lagging behind… We are of course talking about our leaders, or in general the decision-makers within large structures (brands or institutions). These prefer greenwashing to the real transformation of their methods.
We can always hope that Google becomes an eco-responsible search engine, or that Coca-Cola refrains from thirsting a quarter of Mexico to allow us to savor the moment.
In the meantime, here are 4 ecological reflexes to fight against the sheitan:
- Get rid of your spam
Spam is (deeply useless), but mostly silent and invisible.
Except that unlike our paper or organic waste, which can remain in the same bin for weeks (for the dirtiest), without really causing any harm, spams consume energy permanently.
Yes, there are servers that suck power to power the display of promotions that you will never notice. The worst being attachment spam. Less common, you still have a dozen in your mailbox. Knowing that keeping a spam with an attachment of one megabyte (yes it's a lot but it's for example) for more than 30 days, is like leaving a light bulb on for an hour. Apply this example to a company of 100 people, and you emit no less than 13,6 tons of CO2. That is 13 round trips Paris-New York.
But there are solutions! The one I chose is, of course, a bit long but effective.
Take the time to unsubscribe from newsletters. And yes it is possible.
At the bottom of each of the spam messages received, you can read the following mentions:
“If you no longer wish to receive e-mails from us: Click here”, “To no longer receive our little words, please click here” or even a simple “Unsubscribe” for English-speaking spam.
Don't be afraid, click on it. You will be returned to the page of the advertiser or the software distributor of the e-mailing campaign. Select the reason you want to unsubscribe. And send! All you have to do is repeat this action for each spam received. I told you it was going to be long.
Operation completed? So it's good, you're rid of it and the planet thanks you.
- For clothes, choose quality over quantity.
Currently, we are buying and throwing away more clothes than the planet can handle. The textile sector is the second most polluting industry on earth.
In China, 70% of waterways are polluted because of this industry.
According to Greenpeace, the substances used in the manufacture of clothing (then released into the environment) are very often toxic for the planet but also for our health.
10% of the world's pesticide consumption is used for cotton production...
In France, 700 tonnes of clothing are consumed each year. On a global scale, that gives 000 billion garments manufactured each year.
To give you an idea of the ecological impact, 2500 liters of water are needed to manufacture a 250 gram t-shirt, 70 million barrels of gasoline are needed for the production of polyester every year, and finally 1 cargo ship is equivalent to 50 million cars. So, does it make you dizzy?
Again there are solutions. Many ethical and responsible brands have been born. Like Twothirds, brand made in Europe. Offering clothes that do not harm our oceans, and with smart and less polluting freight transport.
Yes, the prices are higher… But, when you compare, it is better to buy a quality sweater at 90€ (which lasts, say, 3 years) rather than 10 sweaters at 30€ over the same period of time.
- Inform yourself properly
You're at a party, and during a discussion you pull out your cell phone to find the name of the actress who played Prue in Charmed (Shannen Doherty). Normal.
But the Google reflex, which has become automatic today, is a bad habit.
The simple fact of using Google is equivalent to releasing more than 7 grams of C02 into nature (a quantity of energy linked to the intense consumption of Google's 500.000 servers).
Multiply that 7g by 200 million searches per day (minimum) throughout the year. This gives you an amount equivalent to the energy consumption of a country like Laos.
To minimize the impact of your research, there are still and always solutions.
Install alternatives, like Ecosia.
The latter is a search engine with the objective of having a negative carbon footprint.
It is powered by 100% renewable energy and the trees it plants absorb 1 kg of CO2 from the atmosphere with each search you make. That's not bad.
- Coke, definitely not!
Oh Coke. To mix in the evening or to fight against a bad gastro, Coke is part of our lives. With a good dozen harmful ingredients, as effective as Destop, Pepsi's competitor (the latter not being really better) has a huge impact on the environment.
You should know that the American multinational makes entire populations thirsty every day to produce its bottles. This is why, in 50 years, the availability of water per inhabitant in Mexico has fallen by 64%. In question, the liberalization of the water market introduced in 1992 by the country, which today allows Coca-Cola to extract 33,7 million m3 of water per year in Mexico, the equivalent of the annual consumption minimum to support 20 people.
The American group exploits 50 water tables (including 15 at a hyper-intensive and continuous rate). To give you an overview: the multinational needs six liters of water to make one liter of Coca-Cola.
In India, the firm pumps 1,5 million liters of water and this pattern can be observed in many other countries. In all, the annual water consumption of the Coca-Cola factory is estimated at more than 300 billion liters worldwide.
So, don't be fooled by communication campaigns that highlight their respect for resources and waste treatment. Don't forget that they dry up water reserves, making entire populations thirsty. Not to mention the hypocrisy that there can be in a country like Mexico to sell bottles of Coca-Cola by the millions when a large part of the population does not have access to drinking water.
In this case the solution is to stop its consumption. Look into homemade lemonades.
Here is the perfect recipe: recipe.
# Back on topic …
We have therefore approached several aspects inherent to the notion of “Design”, before realizing that its function and its nature have evolved over time and the uses attributed to it.
We have long wondered about the definition of the word "Design" without necessarily arriving at a consensus accepted by all. Sometimes synonymous with aesthetics, mass production or simply philosophy. But what does its etymology really tell us?
The concept of design is older, and dates back to the Renaissance. Historically, the primary meaning of the term design is not that of industrial design, but that of project.
For the record, “the project” appeared in the XNUMXth century in Italy, and particularly in Florence, in the field of architecture. Because at that time, Europe was experiencing considerable technical progress. And in this context, the Italians create a methodology of methodical anticipation, based on the division of labor. The first part is the “Progettazione”, referring to the design. That is to say to the intellectual elaboration of the project. The second part is the “Progetto”, referring to the realization. That is to say the manufacturing activity. This methodology has a name, that of Designo in Italian and Design in English.
In this sense, why not go back to the origins of design, and break away from any marketing value, to get closer to ethics?
As interior designer Ilse Crawford says, “design is a discipline that serves to frame our lives”, to what extent can this framework benefit the ecological cause?
Finally, if tomorrow design is at the service of ecology, can we imagine new responsibilities, even new perspectives, specific to the job of designer?
Webography :
http://www.studioilse.com/ilse-crawford
Abstract – Netflix episode 08 season 01
https://stephane-vial.net/bio
Design – Que sais-je edition by Stéphane Vial.
Awareness of Design by Aline Drouault and Sandra Oliveira.
Video “ABC – IDEO Shopping Cart”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M66ZU2PCIcM
https://www.nngroup.com/people/don-norman/
Video “Don Norman: The term UX” by NN groupe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BdtGjoIN4E&t=4s
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inès_Leonarduzzi
https://www.meta-media.fr/2017/11/22/lere-de-la-dematerialisation-et-son-impact-bien-reel-sur-la-planete.html
http://www.influenceursduweb.org/la-dematerialisation-au-service-de-la-protection-de-lenvironnement-la-grande-mascarade/
https://www.ledauphine.com/edition-gap-alpes-du-sud/2019/11/12/regarder-des-videos-sur-internet-est-une-activite-tres-polluante
https://www.france24.com/fr/20170112-dites-a-netflix-mettre-vert-encourage-greenpeace-une-video
https://www.greenpeace.fr/il-est-temps-de-renouveler-internet/
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix
https://youmatter.world/fr/trottinettes-electriques-ecologiques-impact-environnement/
https://youmatter.world/fr/batteries-voitures-electriques-impact-environnement/
https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/08/impact-of-e-scooters/
https://www.wedemain.fr/La-trottinette-electrique-est-elle-vraiment-ecolo_a4462.html
https://www.circulardesignguide.com/
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVa_IZVzUoc
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neri_Oxman
https://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2011/07/07/combien-de-co2-pesent-un-mail-une-requete-web-et-une-cle-usb_5982002_3244.html
http://madame.lefigaro.fr/business/ecologie-digitale-rien-ne-sert-de-passer-au-zero-plastique-si-on-ne-trie-pas-ses-mails-061119-167810
https://www.greenpeace.fr/cop23-gestes-proteger-planete-quotidien/
https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2015/11/29/impact-textile-environnem_n_8663002.https://modelab.fr/cop21-enjeux-lindustrie-textile/https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/portugal-la-bataille-du-lithium_3095907.
https://www.consoglobe.com/recherche-google-combien-c02-3588-cghttps://www.ecosia.org/?ref=icon-search&addon=chrome&addonversion=3.1.1
https://www.franceinter.fr/societe/eoliennes-pretextes-labels-auto-decernes-huile-de-palme-durable-le-tour-du-monde-des-mensonges-ecoloshttp://multinationales.org/Le-Mexique-va-t-il-se-vider-de-son-eau-au-profit-des-multinationales
Sandra OLIVEIRA, UX Designer @UX-Republic
