What is meant by "Design for Sustainability"?

Image from - www.idunite.com

To me the phrase “Design for Sustainability” means to consider the effect a product has on the environment and the futures of others after its production. To design and manufacture something where a company is trying to make the least amount of environmental damage and most amount of profit.

“Design and innovation for sustainability is the consideration of the environmental, social and economic impacts of products, services and systems through the application of design-led thinking.”

Quote from - www.cranfield.ac.uk

I took this quote as it is a concise summary of the sort of considerations that go into the thought process behind a product and its implications.

"Design is crucial in moving us towards a more sustainable future. It can help us rethink how we deliver products and their benefits without decimating the world around us, or compromising the well-being of others. Pioneering companies have managed the careful balancing act between the social, environmental and economic impacts of their business”. Quote from - www.designcouncil.org.uk

The previous quotes sum up the battle of weighing up the moral and financial balance of the impact of a product. One product may make little profit yet cause no environmental damage. Another may make life changing profits however cause dramatic effect upon the world we live in. As a designer the effects of a solution I feel should be assessed from both angles.