Reflective Design Explorations
Task One - Design Manifesto of Cameron Shea
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The designer - Cameron Shea
What should design be like in the future?
Design should be less about the here and now, and be more mindful of the future. In particular designers of the past have been responsible for creating systems that have helped humans create climate change.
A key material used by designers that drives the use of fossil fuels is plastic.
I will design with the commitment that sustainability is no longer optional.
All designers are responsible for sustainably managing the Earth's resources - choices of material are key.
Materials such as plastic are still forecast to reach higher and higher levels of production. It is designers whom are responsible for their material choices, and designers should aspire to develop alternatives, produce goods and services using alternatives, support consumers in the reduction in use of, reuse of, and recycling of plastics, providing new ways to incentivise the proper disposal of, and collection of plastics.
I will challenge the old design norms.
The old design norms of the past have lead us to produce huge amounts of plastic waste. Plastic waste disposal harms the environment and poses a threat to human health. Designers can play a role in educating the public, and ourselves to new design options. Education is the silver bullet, as it will drive change in knowledge, attitude and behaviors.
Designers should project into the future by using ‘pragmatic projection’, which tries to tie the future to the past, and ‘grand vision’, which ties the present to the future - but with the inclusion of sustainability as a key part of the future design.
Designers must respond to the climate emergency by being future human centred. I commit to including future humans in the design process.
Human‐centered design is a method for developing products and services based on the observed needs and desires of people. Designers must respond to the climate energy by including future humans as stakeholders of every new design they make. It is no longer enough to respond to the right now.
Designers must support the circular economy in everything they create. I commit to consideration of the end of life, not just the creation and use.
This manifesto is a call to action for designers to incorporate sustainability into every one of their outputs - and is my commitment to do the same. The use of materials such as plastic should no longer be the default choice, and we must challenge ourselves to do better.
