Product design in the 21st century
What if humans designed products and systems that celebrated the abundance of human creativity, culture, and productivity? That they are so smart and confident, our species leaves an ecological footprint to delight, not lament? ~ From McDonough and Braungart’s ‘Cradle to Cradle’
Collectively, the ants on planet Earth would weigh more than all humans put together. We know that ants are incredibly industrious. Their work nourishes plants, animals and the soil. Humans work hard too. However, in just a couple of centuries, human industry has caused a decline in the quality of our ecosphere. We have treated Mother Nature as an enemy to be conquered instead of a friend to be preserved and nurtured.
Perhaps we should think more about our work, what it means and its impact on our world. In their book, ‘Cradle to Cradle’, architect William McDonough and ecological chemist Michael Braungart make a compelling case for rethinking product design.
Why is modern design based on a cradle-to-grave model? Why do more than 90 percent of our raw materials extracted to make durable goods become waste almost immediately? Why are normal everyday products, including products intended for children, made with chemicals that are known to be toxic and carcinogenic?
Instead, the authors propose a cradle-to-cradle design approach. Buildings must produce more energy than they consume. Factories must produce clean water instead of toxic effluents and products that become food instead of waste. Transportation should improve the quality of life. We should revel in a world of abundance, not one of limits, pollution, and waste.
There are two discrete metabolisms on the planet. The first is biological metabolism: the cycle of nature in which the waste of one entity is the food of another. The second is technical metabolism: the cycles of industry, including the gathering of technical material from natural places. Mimicking nature, we too often believe that with proper design, all products and materials made by industry will safely fuel these two metabolisms.
A cradle-to-cradle approach offers enormous opportunities in the coming decades. Virtually all products can and should be analyzed and redesigned with simpler and safer material. The manufacturing process should be thought of, ideally around small-scale production units that minimize the need for long-distance transportation.
A completely new service can be set up to collect and dismantle products after their useful life. We need to initiate systematic approaches to dismantling existing factories and supply chains in an ecologically safe way.
Our new approach will also have to rethink how products are packaged, distributed and consumed, especially as packaging adds (a) a level of material use and (b) recycling concerns. Localizing manufacturing presents an opportunity to use local materials and labor, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all industrial approach.
In countries like India that have not fully experienced the joys and pains of industrialization, the time has come to jump into the next wave of products and production. The design talent available in India can produce innovative and useful products that have a global impact and help everyone, rather than financial products like derivatives and swaps that only help a few wealthy bankers.
The small-scale sector can be reactivated to localize production. The store Kirana (recycling), along with sophisticated supply chain systems, can convert bulk product packaging into smaller customer-supplied portions that reduce packaging material.
Share your own thoughts and insights on accelerating cradle-to-cradle thinking? What role will legislation, markets and innovators play? Get involved and keep contributing.