(In)visible Sustainability
Sustainability is becoming more and more an integrated part of the development process. It extends beyond the use of recycled materials to include the entire lifecycle, from concept design and production to maintenance and end-of-life considerations.
At the concept level, principles like modularity, upgradability, and repairability are pivotal for creating solutions that are not only flexible and cost-effective but also built to last. Using insights from Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), teams assess production techniques alongside the Colour, Material, and Finish (CMF) of components to identify the most sustainable options.
In the professional market, sustainability is also influencing the aesthetic design of products. By 2025, we expect to see a blend of visible and subtle design cues that reflect sustainable practices. Today, visible markers—such as the texture of sustainable materials or an embedded logo—play a important role in communicating a product’s environmental benefits. However, as sustainable development becomes the norm over the next decade, these clear signals may fade in importance, leaving designers to focus on a new aesthetic language that delivers a quieter but equally impactful visual appearance.
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