Design for Sustainable Behaviour: Using Products to Change Consumer Behaviour

Authors: Tracy Bhamra, Debra Lilley (Loughborough University), Tang Tang (University of Leeds)
Published: December 2011, The Design Journal, Volume 14, Issue 4, Pages 427-445
DOI: 10.2752/175630611X13091688930453

Overview

The article explores Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB), an approach within sustainable design that aims to reduce the environmental and social impacts of products by influencing how consumers use them. Unlike traditional sustainable design that focuses on production stages, DfSB emphasizes modifying consumer interaction during the product use phase to foster long-lasting sustainable habits.

Key Concepts

• Sustainable Design: Considers environmental, economic, and social impacts throughout the product lifecycle.
• Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB): Focuses on reducing negative impacts by changing consumer behavior during the use of the product.
• Social Sustainability: Encompasses personal responsibility, health, wellbeing, cooperative behaviour, and quality of life.
• Consumption Behavior: Includes not just purchasing but use, maintenance, repair, disposal, and recycling.
• Behavioural Change Models: The paper emphasizes psychosocial theories like the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 2006) and the Integrated Model of Interpersonal Behaviour (Triandis, 1977), highlighting the powerful role of habits in shaping behaviour.

Research Approach

The paper discusses two case studies to illustrate DfSB application:

1. Household Refrigerators – Examines environmental impacts focusing on energy consumption during product use.
2. Mobile Phones – Evaluates the social impacts of mobile phone use.

These studies analyze user behaviour and identify barriers to sustainable consumption. A new model is developed to illustrate factors that stimulate behavioural change and highlight effective design intervention strategies.

Insights on Behaviour and Habits

• Consumer behaviour often operates habitually, with automated actions requiring minimal conscious effort.
• Existing information campaigns fail to link user behaviour directly to environmental/social impacts effectively, making long-term behavioural change challenging.
• Designers can influence user routines and product interaction to bridge the gap between sustainable values and everyday practice.
• Understanding the “user experience” is critical in shaping sustainable use habits.

Design Intervention Strategies

• Designers can implement interventions at various levels—from subtle cues that encourage efficient use to more direct control mechanisms that limit unsustainable actions.
• Strategies must be ethically appropriate, acceptable to users, and tailored to specific behavioural challenges.
• The case studies elucidate practical approaches and dilemmas involved in nurturing sustainable behaviour through product design.

Conclusions and Ethical Considerations

• Design holds significant potential to influence consumption patterns by shaping user interaction with products.
• Effectiveness depends on integrating behavioural theory with design practice and ethically selecting strategies that respect user autonomy while promoting sustainability.
• The research advocates for increased focus on use-phase interventions and encourages designers to consider social as well as environmental sustainability.

Implications for Sustainable Product Design

• To achieve true sustainability, designers must go beyond production efficiency and engage with the social context of product use.
• Designing for behaviour change requires interdisciplinary approaches combining design, psychology, and sustainability science.
• Products can serve as active agents in promoting sustainable consumption by making eco-friendly behaviour more intuitive and rewarding.

Reference

Bhamra, T., Lilley, D., & Tang, T. (2011). Design for Sustainable Behaviour: Using Products to Change Consumer Behaviour. The Design Journal, 14(4), 427-445. https://doi.org/10.2752/175630611X13091688930453

This study highlights the critical role of product design in nurturing sustainable behaviour, offering actionable insights for designers, policymakers, and sustainability advocates aiming to reduce environmental and social impacts through consumer behaviour transformation.

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