Approaches to Design
for Sustainability
According
to the Article, the researchers have identified several approaches to DFS,
which have been categorized into four distinct groups. These include:
· Product
Innovation level,
· product-service
system innovation level,
· Spacio
social innovation
· Socio-Technical
system innovation.
Socio-Technical System Innovation
The
focus on the science and technology studies in the area of transformation of socio-technical
systems for sustainability in the 1990s. Examples of such projects focused on
development of policies aimed at influencing sustainable technological and
social innovations. Later, the MLP model was introduced, which portrays the
dynamic nature of system innovation through a layered structure.
Spacio-social Innovation
The authors point that spacio-social innovation
is a combination between technological
and social innovations, whereby the technological innovations are mainly pulled by governmental policies while in social innovations, the key
role of sustainability is played by people and the community. Such activities
include self-managed services for the care of children and elderly, new forms
of exchange and mutual help. Although social innovations are most of the times
driven by non-professional designers, professional designers also play a
significant role in the promotion and support of the sustainable activities.
In
Summary, although the authors have done a good job of categorizing the DFS
approaches, the differences between Spacio-social innovation and
socio-technical innovation have not been clearly elaborated, due to the fact
that both involve social and technological aspects of sustainability.
Furthermore, the challenges faced in different categories and designs have not
been discussed, thus leaving a huge research gap.
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