The Meaning of Sustainability for Design. A Comparison Between Users, Design-Educated and Professionals

The necessary dialogue between users, students, and professionals in the field of sustainable design requires a precise understanding of the conceptual meaning of the term ‘sustainability’. This concept is multi-componential, and different categories of actors on the design scene attribute varying components and varying degrees of importance to each component. This research, conducted on a sample of 304 participants, employed qualitative analysis to map the differences between the groups, both for the static definition of the concept and the definition anchored in perceptual data. It is interesting to note that the specific materials used, and the impact of the product’s life cycle on the environment emerged as the most frequently cited topics by all participants. Furthermore, our research finds significant differences in conceptualization between the different groups: the idea of sustainability is substantially different for professionals, individuals with design education and general users. The differences identified by this study are essential for designers who aim to create in a way that aligns with the categorization of users.