Why should designers give a damn?

Why should a designer give a damn? There are plenty of reasons in my opinion.

If every designer had no morals or any environmental responsibility then the consumers who use the products would slowly destroy the world. The influence a designer has over people and the things they do is huge. If a product is mass produced the impact it can make on the environment could be catastrophic.

Here is an example of company Sony doing their bit for eco conscious design. They achieved this by reducing the amount of energy waste produced from a television in their product range. Using recycled materials and reducing the amount of parts is a step closer to reducing global warming and further environmental damage.

“Thanks to reduced power consumption when in use, reduce the number of  parts and introduce recycled materials, CO2 emissions from the KDL-32JE1 model of the BRAVIA™ LCD television, released in July 2008, were approximately 20%, lower than those of the KDL-32J1 model, launched in March 2008. Through ongoing efforts to lower energy consumption, the KDL-32J5 model, launched in February 2009, boasts approximately 30% less CO2 emissions than the KDL-32J1”




The effect products collectively have on the environment, people and their attitudes is so important on the world and its resources. It was socially acceptable to smoke in public places before the smoking ban was brought in. Now the results speak for themselves.

“Smoking bans cut the number of heart attacks in Europe and North America by up to a third, two studies report. Earlier this month it was announced that heart attack rates fell by about 10% in England in the year after the ban on smoking in public places was introduced in July 2007 - which is more than originally anticipated.”



If such a habit can be lifted within a month by a single law/ban why cant recycling, reusing or energy consumption be the same?

Design can have the same effect on people’s perceptions in the same way as the smoking ban as everyday use of items or products becomes habit. If laws, materials or protocol can change so dramatically then the responsibility of a designer is paramount!