Dear Paul, and others
This is a forum of uncovering, discovery, education, sharing of ideas and illuminating the many realities that exist in this world - Either/or discussions (oppositional consciousness - Donna Harraway, 1990) becomes a little dull and defeats the point and meaning of sustainability in relation to the social and human elements - there is room for many interpretations.
My intervention here is that this is not about language of sustainability, nor is it really relevant when these ideas entered the consciousness of the Design Literature but again highlighting the urgent need for contemporary Design Theory to understand the need to move into synergistic thinking - Hence DRS 2020 timely named "Synergy". The trajectory is not linear or reductionist.
It's Design Literature that is new, not the values of Sustainable Design and the pioneers of the concept. A failure to acknowledge the giants that came before us, defeats the point of this whole conversation.
Transversal thinkers like Gregory Bateson and others in the Macy Conferences of 1946 to 1953 were already discussing the relational ontologies and social and human elements of sustainability. Cognitive Science has long since understood this, as have Anthrpopology and Sociology. Another good person to look at is Donna Haraway's Haraway (1990) A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century.
++++Caveat ++++
A good day to be honouring both Haraway and Mead as there is a distinct lack of female voices in these discussions so I feel building affinity is of upmost importance to the language of "sustainability". Their work is invaluable.
In 1968, Margaret Mead was contemplating the application of cybernetics to social problems. There can be no doubt of the "Design Science" of Buckminster Fuller and thereafter his student Michael Ben Eli who founded the Sustainability Studio in the 1970's exploring the social and human elements of sustainability - Ben-Eli even extends it to the spiritual realm.
These giants - by no means exhaustive - paved the way for the more contemporary pioneers (many in this group).
It is not a question of right and wrong but social sustainability is exactly that - giving credit where credit is due and acknowledging the relational and historical context; the thinking that came before and paved the way for the Design Literature today and what should be a matter of building upon the collective.
Warm regards,
Britta Boyer
PhD Doctoral Candidate
Institute of Design Innovation
Loughborough University, London
www.brittaboyer.com <http://www.brittaboyer.com>
On 08/03/2020, 15:37, "PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in on behalf of Paul Russell" <[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear Ursula,
Once again, I have not stated that the concept of 'sustainable design' is new. I stated that an explicit focus on the social and human elements of sustainability specifically in design literature is much newer than design for envirinmental sustainability. Citing UN reports, which are not specifically design literature, does not disprove that point. You may have mentioned the issue in passing 19 years ago but Bhamra and Lofthouse in 2007 were some of the first to talk explicitly and more in-depth about the subject and to encourage it to be part of discussing sustainable design and are cited as the most important source for that in most of the literature thereon. The late 2000s were not "many decades ago". I am still waiting for sources specifically in the design literature discussing this in any level of depth that are older than the late 2000s (e.g. Bhamra & Lofthouse in 2007). It seems like you're offended that the emergence of this area of theory isn't attributed to you but I agree with the literature that defines this as the starting point.
To address the rest of your message;
'Sustainable Development' was defined in 1987 after the Bruntland Report, not 1992, and was explicitly about Humanitarian Development, not Product Design. If you're claiming that UN reports were instantaneously appropriated to the theory and practice of Product Design back in the 1980s then that's an interesting claim. I'm not old enough to deny that, but the literature doesn't support the claim. The aspect of Sustainable Development in the Bruntland Report which refers to meeting basic human needs could be argued as the very foundational level of "Social Sustainability", but is a million miles away from the understanding and application of the concept in research and practice today.
Futhermore, the Bruntland Report was written to address 'The Limits to Growth' which was specifically about environmental sustainability, and not about social sustainability. Hence the Bruntland Report also is mostly focused on environmental sustainability, and not about social sustainability. Social and cultural elements of Humanitarian Development (again, this is not Design literature) were only explicitly addressed by the UN for the first time in 1995 in the 'Report of the World Commission on Culture and Development'. Victor Margolin did discuss this in relation to Design the following year, but of course access to journals was much more limited then (no digitalisation, etc.) so to pretend it was instantaneously appropriated and used in mainstream use of the term 'Design for Sustainability' is another interesting claim. The world doesn't move quite that fast today, let alone 25 years ago.
In closing, 'Design for sustainability', is a only a fraction of the wider issue being discussed. What I was proposing for 'Humanity-Centred Design' or whatever the term is called would be more like;
Sustainable Design + Universal Design + Humanitarian Design + Positive Design + Design for Wellbeing, and more.
If you think that "that is just Sustainable Design" then I disagree. I will try to obtain a copy of your 2001 book but it does not seem to be easy to obtain.
Best regards,
Paul Russell
________________________________
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of econcept.org <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, March 8, 2020 12:05:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: response to Paul Russel no. 2
Dear Paul,
I am sorry again but for me as someone who indeed has been at the forefront of establishing theory, methods and tools and practice of design for sustainability from 1992 on, when sustainable development was officially defined by the UN, it is hard to believe that someone else who is diving into these topics much later wants to claim that this is a rather recent field.
It is not.
From mid 1995 on designers were discussing it and it includes the larger focus that you described as designing for humanity instead of human centered design - and more.
As you wrote yourself: even before that others were working on social and ethical and environmental responsibility and benefits of design they just did not use the term sustainable.
So maybe you should do a more thorough literature research, that should be part of any thorough academic research.
I will leave it here and leave this discussion.
best ...
Ursula
> Am 08.03.2020 um 01:00 schrieb PHD-DESIGN automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]>:
>
> There is 1 message totaling 222 lines in this issue.
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> Topics of the day:
>
> 1. response to Paul Russel on Design for Sustainability
>
>
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> Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2020 00:48:53 +0000
> From: Paul Russell <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: response to Paul Russel on Design for Sustainability
>
> Dear Ursula,
>
> Telling someone to "just Google something" implies such a level of ignorance of a subject that they could "just Google it" to educate themselves. I'm not ignorant of the sustainability literature, which is only a small part of the bigger point being made anyway.
>
> I will check your 2001 source later, but it is exactly Bhamra and Lofthouse, 2007 that I was referring to when I said it was the mid-late 2000s that was the turning point for when sustainable design is considered to contain the social element. It is the source cited for that point in the literature thereon also, e.g. the paper link I posted, so not just my opinion. I have no desire to get into a semantic debate but I don't think 13 years classifies as "many decades" personally.
>
>
> D4S at Delft was published and disseminated in 2009 too, not 2005. Even more recently than Bhamra and Lofthouse, 2007.
>
>
> This is really all quite irrelevant though, it's a small part of a bigger point for which there is clearly support for. If you think what I proposed is "just sustainable design" then I disagree. It seems others can see how it builds on top of that. I've clearly stated in not claiming to have devised the elements contained within the concept either - only to collate and formalise them. Something which Papanek never did, had he done so and communicated it perhaps it would have gathered momentum easier.
>
> References in your first response would have been appropriate and welcomed, rather than being told to Google something. This is an academic forum and hence it seems appropriate to write academically in our messages. Take this how you will.
>
> Best regards,
> Paul Russell
>
> ________________________________
> From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Ursula Tischner <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, 6 March 2020, 23:36
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: response to Paul Russel on Design for Sustainability
>
> OMG Paul,
>
> I am sorry that you feel insulted, but I just suggested to google the term because there is so much good literature about it out there and some of it dates back a couple pf decades.
> So yes, it is actually an „old“ term and a long standing field of research and practice….
>
> E.G. my design agency : econcept agency for sustainable design was founded in 1996….
>
> Here a couple of literature suggestions for you in chronological order:
>
> Tischner, U./ Charter, M. (Hrsg.) (2001): Sustainable Solutions, U.Tischner, M. Charter (Hrsg.), Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield
> In this book we wrote for instance:
> Sustainable Product Design is more than eco-design
>
> At present, where sustainability is considered in product development and design, it is typically regarded as the same as eco-design. But Sustainable Product Design (SPD) is more than eco-design, as it integrates social and ethical aspects of the product’s life cycle alongside environmental and economic considerations – aiming for the so called ‘triple bottom line’.
>
> And we defined Design for Sustainability in the simplest sense as being good for the planet good for people (as many people as possible) and creating value for as many people as possible. So it combines environmental socio-cultural and economic dimensions in the design briefings and in the design activities. It seeks to develop sustainable solutions following the UN definition of sustainability..
>
> That was back in 2000 = 20 years ago and we were not the first talking/ writing about this…
>
> Later books that I recommend are e.g.:
>
> Design for Sustainability TU Deft and others for UNEP, especially for developing country perspective, 2005
> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.d4s-de.org%2Fmanual%2Fd4stotalmanual.pdf&data=02%7C01%7C%7C062083dc014f455fe33208d7c3590c1b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637192659526968580&sdata=5fTErsXtlxPlBxLzq6zwWyYy6IfRQShVDBc1aBH%2FY7U%3D&reserved=0
>
> Design for Sustainability: A Practical Approach
> Tracy Bhamra, Vicky Lofthouse, Gower Publishing, Ltd., 2007
>
> The Handbook of Design for Sustainability by Stewart Walker et al 2013
> https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomsbury.com%2Fuk%2Fthe-handbook-of-design-for-sustainability-9780857858528%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C062083dc014f455fe33208d7c3590c1b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637192659526978592&sdata=mdVa%2F%2FIcoCFJdZ6dyrvZCNHQ%2B8rk%2FuAc1B1CiZlNTd8%3D&reserved=0
>
> Stebbing and Tischner, Changing paradigms, designing for a Sustainable Future, cumulus think tank publication, 2015
> download here: https://eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cumulusassociation.org%2Fchanging-paradigms-designing-for-a-sustainable-future%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C062083dc014f455fe33208d7c3590c1b%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637192659526978592&sdata=gD6WcyGVPmtsaYca%2F74m07znuUBrtTs0veC%2FkhF5veY%3D&reserved=0
>
> I hope that helps…
>
> Best regards
>
> Ursula Tischner
>
> CEO
> econcept, Agentur für nachhaltiges Design
> Albatrosweg 11, 50259 Pulheim
> Tel.: +49-(0)151-22650776
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> und
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>> Am 06.03.2020 um 01:00 schrieb PHD-DESIGN automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]>:
>>
>> Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2020 08:34:00 +0000
>> From: Paul Russell <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>> Subject: Re: PHD-DESIGN Digest - 4 Mar 2020 (#2020-59)
>>
>> Dear Ursula,
>>
>> Discussion of Sustainable Design being holistic and covering social and human well-being (as well as environmental) is not "many decades old" to my knowledge. If you can give some sources for that older than 10-12 years ago, other than perhaps Papanek who never used the term, that can support that claim then please share. Sustainability in general has been discussed in those terms for longer, sure. Literature specifically relating to design that is explicit in discussing human wellbeing etc. is more recent than that, obviously.
>>
>> What I am proposing goes above and beyond any literature on the more holistic Sustainable Design definitions currently available. I haven't fully explained it in my email to be succinct and because I'll be presenting it later.
>>
>> I find your suggestion to "just Google it" to be rather insulting also. I don't know why you would assume anyone on the list is so ignorant of the literature in our field that they would need to "Google it" to educate themselves.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Paul Russell
>
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