Submission deadline - 31 December, 2023

This thematic collection on Design For Sustainable Development aims at stimulating and reporting on research and practice, and creating a forum for debating on this timely and very vibrant challenge. High quality scientific contributions are required to offer a coherent and widely appreciated approach for designs which maximise positive impact and minimise negative impact, whilst at the same time resulting in positive social and economic changes.

Call for Papers
Design For Sustainable Development

Rethinking existing systems to equitably meet the needs of a growing global population while ensuring future environmental viability is a critical task for today’s society. The drive towards sustainable growth has prompted governments and leading international organizations to create initiatives such as UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the European Green Deal, and the ‘green growth’ framework by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In order to reach global development goals, the private and governmental sectors in the world need to undergo a large and systemic transition.

The design community has a key and determinant role to play: 80% sustainability impact over product life cycle is determined at the design stage. Sustainable design historically has focused on “minimizing the negative impacts” (e.g., reducing material consumption, eliminating toxic chemicals, using renewable energy).  We must now also focus on making “positive impact” (e.g., developing products and systems that support economic and social growth in sustainable ways). Designs that maximise positive impact and minimise negative impact at the same time can result in positive social and economic changes. 

How can we extend the design tools, methods and approaches that researchers, consultants and practitioners have been developing for many years to effect a positive systemic transition towards sustainable development?

This thematic collection aims at stimulating and reporting on research and practice, and creating a forum for debating on this timely and very vibrant challenge.

Theme Topics

• Models, methods and tools for sustainable development
• Analysis of emerging sustainable development practices
• Trade-off management within sustainable development 
• Data-driven approaches to sustainable design
• Sustainable business models and value chains
• Sustainable design and circular economy
• Efficiency, effectiveness and sufficiency as strategies for sustainable design
• Early prediction and mitigation of rebound effects
• Case studies of sustainable development projects and initiatives
• Frugal innovation and social innovation

Submission deadline - 31 December, 2023

Papers received after the deadline may still be considered if time and space permit.

Guest Editors

Kurt April (University of Cape Town, kurt.april@gsb.uct.ac.za)

Jesse Austin-Breneman (University of Michigan, jausbren@umich.edu)

John Clarkson (University of Cambridge, pjc10@eng.cam.ac.uk)

Daniela Pigosso (Technical University of Denmark, danpi@mek.dtu.dk)