Understanding the relationship among sustainability, industrial design and service system design: co-design in Aalborg to access local food

Abstract

Design has been a structural part of the industrialization processes and has inadvertently contributed to the creation of the current ecological problems of the planet. So far industrial design discipline has been producing its ecological solutions, mostly using an approach focused on products, but the changes required by the question of sustainability are systemic and can be based on the usage of services. Considering the requirement of changes in production and consumption modes, this thesis proposes a systemic approach to the problem of sustainability. Systemic change, which focuses on social interventions in daily life as well as alternative production models, is a more holistic approach for sustainability. When shifting the focus from product-based and result-oriented solutions towards process-based, experience-oriented and context-related ones the design discipline introduces co-design approach with more intense participation of users to the design process. This thesis investigates the issues mentioned above through a case study about the development of local food system in Aalborg. To this purpose, more specific user and local area research is conducted. The case study consisted on the development of a service concept, using the co-design approach to propose relevant changes in daily life in local area.