In an era of overproduction, overconsumption, and a growing global population, organisations face increasing pressure to manage natural resources responsibly. Many people involved in product design and development are working to create more sustainable products, reducing waste, lowering emissions, and considering circular economy principles. Designers, engineers, managers, technicians, and company directors all have roles to play. But with so many stakeholders involved, how do people negotiate decisions about materials, costs, timelines, and impacts? How is responsibility for sustainability allocated, resisted, or shifted between roles?

This project focuses on analysing how people talk about decision‑making and responsibility in the context of sustainable design. Using discursive psychology, I examine interviews in which designers account for past decisions and describe how responsibility operates in their workplaces. These accounts provide a rich window into how participants manage their own accountability, justify choices, present expertise, and position themselves relative to organisational constraints.

The analysis sheds light on the interactional practices designers use to navigate sustainability expectations, whether by highlighting limited decision‑making power, aligning with organisational priorities, or emphasising experience and professional role identity. These findings help us think about how expectations for sustainability are communicated and negotiated in everyday design work, and how people respond to others’ expectations of them through the ways they talk.

This research also informs wider questions about responsible decision‑making, professional accountability, and the communicative challenges involved in embedding sustainability within product and engineering contexts.