As an industrial designer, I have always been intrigued by how modern context and cultural trends influence the ideas that get traction in business and impact their direction. When I entered the U.K. job market in the 1990s, environmentalism was front of mind in the public consciousness. This movement, rooted in the 1970s, aimed to conserve the natural world and avoid consumerism with campaigns focusing on saving rainforests, curbing whaling, reducing acid rain, and addressing the hole in the ozone layer.
But these environmental campaigns seemed far removed from the design briefs set by businesses of mass-produced physical products. The focus was on prioritized usability, manufacturability, cost-effectiveness, desirability, and legal compliance. “Environmentally friendly” ideas got traction only if they fitted an existing product requirement such as using less material to reduce cost and waste fewer non-renewable resources. However, any idea with an environmental impact that implied financial or aesthetic cost fell by the wayside.
