Reimagine Responsible Design for People and the Planet
Design exists at the intersection of beauty and function. But the variety of people interacting with any given shared space will come with their own backgrounds, preconceived notions, and needs. So, increasingly, designers are being intentional about creating work that functions for all people.
Great design, then, means taking into account neurodiversity and investing in inclusive and sustainable solutions. Aquafil is collaborating with the Italian designer and manufacturer pba to develop an inclusive hardware collection made with ECONYL® nylon. We are also exploring something that may inform additional work in the area of responsible design: how various design attributes create a perception of inclusivity and sustainability.
How People Perceive Responsible Design
The concept of inclusivity and sustainability in design has become more prominent, but there’s still much research to do in the area. Inclusive design aims to create products and environments that accommodate people of diverse backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives. This includes considering individuals with disabilities, various cultural identities, age groups, genders, and sensory preferences of the neurodiverse community. Defined by the infinite variations of the way people think, feel, and react, 70% of neurodiversity diagnoses are for dyslexia, autism, and ADHD. Overall, approximately 15-20% of the world’s population identifies or has been diagnosed as neurodivergent, according to the British Medical Bulletin.
Meanwhile, sustainable design considers design’s impact on the living world. Together, these ideas form the basis for a push toward responsible design—creating spaces that are more functional for people and less impactful on the planet.
“The quality of our existence, whether it’s merely surviving, comfortably living, or truly thriving, is heavily influenced by the conception of these spaces and the products within them,” says Erica Anesi, CEO at pba. “Achieving the goal of crafting inclusive and sustainable environments needs a collective effort.”
It’s worthwhile, then, to understand how people perceive certain design principals in their everyday life, the visual or experiential triggers that create an impression of responsible design. Partnering with the Department of Psychology of Architecture at the University of Venice (IUAV), we found that, indeed, the sensory experience of a product—its look, feel, smell, and more—strongly impacts the way people perceive sustainability and inclusivity as they interact with products.
Based on a study of more than 300 participants, 40% of people said they’d look at a product’s ease of use to identify its inclusivity, while another 25% said they’d look at accessibility. Other factors like usage, universal design, functionality, and more made up the rest of the pie.
Meanwhile, sustainability was most prominently associated with materials—30% of people in the study made the connection. But other factors were also important—19% said end of life and product design, 14% said product information, 13% said supply chain, and a range of factors (usages, environmental benefits, packaging, etc.) made up the additional 24%.
How Inclusive Design and Sustainable Design Are Working Hand-in-Hand
If sustainable design considers the living world, it’s only right that it works together with inclusivity. After all, humans are part of the living world. One can’t exist without the other.
A growing number of organizations are beginning to prioritize this cohesive approach to responsible design. Through their “Living Design” framework, Perkins + Will takes a holistic approach to design that considers sustainability, resilience, regeneration, inclusion and well-being. Their goal is to create a system that can endure, adapt, reconstruct itself, be equitable for all and enable life to prosper.
At NeoCon in 2023, we saw the growing trend toward “inclusive reconfiguration,” with flexible, equitable and user-friendly solutions. Modular and adaptable designs are able to fit the needs of a diverse set of people while being easier to repair and recycle as a sustainable solution.
Designing for Neurodiversity
Designing spaces for neurodiverse individuals means first considering how different people interact with a given environment. It’s important to keep in mind diversity in the perceptions of certain stimulants, for instance—such as light, sound, smell, and texture. Conscious designers should focus on flexible solutions that benefit everyone, empowering each person with options to support their needs.
With that in mind, pba set out to design its TOCCO collection, first asking themselves: how can we contribute to designing a more neuro-environment? From there, they considered the role that door hardware can play in accommodating individuals with sensory sensitivities. It was a continuation of the company’s dedication to addressing the need for universally inclusive environments that empower as many people as possible.
Recognizing that we are all subject to sensory stimulation, whether hypersensitive or hyposensitive, TOCCO created the first door hardware collection specifically designed to address sensory sensitivity. It offers multiple options for visual stimulation, including a choice of colors, and two tactile options–a smooth or faceted grip. The grip itself is crafted from ECONYL® nylon, a soft material with a temperature like that of the environment, minimizing thermal stimulation.
Responsible Design: Designing Better for the Planet and People
Interior designers may be directed by the tenants of beauty and function. But they also have a responsibility to planet and people. We can’t afford to sacrifice any of those factors.
“Design profoundly impacts people’s well-being, shaping the environments where we spend the majority of our time and heavily influencing the quality of our existence,” says Anesi. “Embracing inclusivity in design fosters well-being by fulfilling everyone’s fundamental psychological needs.”
For designers interested in pursuing responsible design, we recommend learning the science behind how people interact with shapes, sounds, lights, colors and textures, as well as the potential sensitivities that exist with these stimulants. Then, select responsibly sourced, recyclable materials and construct your design in a way that can be disassembled and recycled at end of life.
By taking the time to educate ourselves and make intentional choices, we can reimagine responsible design, together.
Author: Maria Giovanna Sandrini, Chief Communication Officer of Aquafil Group
