Good design IS sustainable

By definition ‘design’ is ‘a plan for the construction of an object or system’. I would assume then that the definition of ‘good design’ occurs when the designer takes into consideration all the effects his or her design will have on its surroundings, from the highly likely to the remotely possible. Will the design serve its intended purpose, is it cost effective, is it functional, etc. And of course included on this list in which each item is what is its impact – long term and short term – on our environment.

Janine Rewell's sporks

Obviously, no design is perfect and the designer must make decisions about whether they are comfortable recommending a design that fails in one area in order to succeed in another. It would appear that when an effort is made to make a design environmentally friendly, compromises must be made on cost effectiveness. Reclaimed materials are often more expensive than non-recycled. It can cheaper to have something manufactured overseas than have it produced locally.

Therefore, whether or not to make a design sustainable lays within the hands of the designer and it determined by their list of priorities. Personally, I always hold environmental responsibility high on my list of criteria of good design.