Usability and sustainability – a false concept of contradiction

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Can we make products more sustainable without compromising usability and cost? The idea that sustainability has drawbacks in cost and other parameters has endured for a long time. We talked to Karin Habermann, team leader at Knightec, to get a deeper understanding.

It is wrong, and we often identify advantages for companies and users when designing more sustainable products. Karin Habermann, team leader at Knightec with a long history in circular product development, shared her thoughts on the topic: “I was part of a team that recently delivered a study for one of our customers where we were asked to challenge one of their products by redesigning it with improved environmental impact without compromising usability and cost efficiency.”

It is attractive to Karin that the customer believes that sustainability and other parameters are incompatible. In addition to the positive impacts of sustainable design, the study found no contradictions. Karin argues that it all comes down to understanding the product’s core purpose. “If you want real innovation, you must strip the product down to its essential function. The core of the problem must be chiseled out. You can look for improvements in the current design, such as minimizing or changing materials and increasing durability. Still, try to understand the product’s functions and start your imagination with that as a starting point. In that case, you will probably have more exciting innovations.

When conceptualizing, the team started with circular design principles (reduce, reuse, recycle, etc.) and used them as an innovation method. Karin explains that a lot can be accomplished by combining strategies. It is, for example, difficult to reduce material and make it more durable. Most of the time, you must choose and stick to your strategy. “Due to the product characteristics, we could ideate around many strategies. Several solutions gave the same output, but the combination did not necessarily give a better result and, in some cases, even a less desirable result.”

The team was forced to think outside the box using upcoming EU regulations and legislation as indicators for evaluating the concepts. For our clients, we proposed bio-based materials with minimal environmental impact and short life expectancy. We also developed solutions in robust materials with a long service life. Both resolutions were a clear improvement on the current solution, not only from an environmental perspective but also in cost and usability.

When asked about why there can be a misconception about sustainability taking a toll on usability, Karin elaborated on her thoughts: “I think one reason is that some companies feel that the product they have developed is already close to perfect and trying to make it more sustainable would therefore make it less perfect. However, the exciting thing is that we must question and challenge how the product is produced and used when designing things more sustainably. This opens possibilities for ideas – also around improvements to usability and cost.

In this case, the client was surprised by the delivery width. They assumed that our solutions would be closer to their starting product. Instead, they received approaches and indicators for future product development. This will undoubtedly raise the requirements and quality of their products.” The answer is simple when asked what the difference is between redesigning an existing product and designing a completely redesigned product. Circular principles can be applied in both cases.

Let us help you on your sustainability journey.

Knightec specializes in overall strategic sustainability work, sustainable products and services, and other attributes necessary to sustain a complete solution. These attributes include circular design, digital enablers, and other components. In that way, Knightec covers the entire sustainability spectrum. Our experts specialize in helping companies navigate the complex landscape of laws, regulations, and standards on both organizational and product levels. We map out your sustainability challenges and strategically, tactically, and operationally support you. Contact our Sustainability and Circular Design advisors, Madelene Wiil and Teo Enlund, or head to our Sustainability page.

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