In an era of overproduction, overconsumption, and an increasing global population, we need to rethink how we manage the earth’s natural resources in the production of more ‘stuff’. Many people involved in product design and development are working to find ways to produce things in more sustainable ways, reducing waste and pollution. Designers, engineers, managers, technicians, and company directors, among others, all have potential roles to play in making things more sustainable. But when there are lots of stakeholders involved, how are decisions about how sustainable products are made and accounted for? How is responsibility for how sustainable products are allocated and negotiated?
These web pages share some insights from a psychological research study of how decisions and responsibility are accounted for and negotiated in the context of sustainable design projects. Anyone interested in sustainability in design, or in the topic of responsibility in organisations more broadly, may find this research of interest.
The findings help us think about how we place expectations about sustainability on others in professional contexts, and how we might respond to others’ expectations of us, through the ways we talk.