When is a Gadget Really Green?

From Businessweek, Feb. 2008
Allan Chochinov of design network Core 77 explains why designers need to step up to embrace sustainability.

When is a gadget really green?

At a minimum, a greener gadget needs to give no less than it takes. Devices that depend on renewable energy sources (solar, kinetic, wind, for example) get you halfway there. The other half is embodied in how the materials are sourced, manufactured, shipped, and ultimately disposed of.

portable solar cells

And then there’s the third half that is all about social sustainability: What are the labor practices in a gadget’s manufacture, for instance? What social value does the device bring when it’s in use? These are some of the more humanistic concerns in creating sustainable products and services. They’re also some the best entry points to groundbreaking innovation.

Do you think consumers are confused or overwhelmed by the idea of sustainability?

I think people on the contrary are just waking up, and for the design community, the challenges surrounding the creation of sustainable products, services, and systems are incredibly fertile.

What do you make of companies’ claims that amount to little more than greenwash?

I believe that change needs to come both from the bottom up and the top down; that we need government regulation as well as a groundswell of initiatives from consumers, designers, and producers. I think that we will see a shaking out of standards over the next five years, but that designers—as the “first movers” of many products and services—must take the lead in their design thinking.

Which labeling systems do you think have potential?

Initiatives like the Designers Accord are all about getting the design community on board, equipping them with shared tools, and compelling clients to have discussions around sustainability right from the first meeting. (Its adopters pledge to reduce their organizations’ carbon footprints, raise social and environmental impact with every client and every product, and — rare in a fiercely competitive industry — collaborate with one another.)

What role can designers play in the greening of tech products?

Designers need to play an absolutely central role in the greening of tech products. Designers can make things emotional, employing user-centered methodologies and storytelling techniques and that can persuade very effectively.

Find green gadgets and chargers here: Household Gifts | Gadgets and Chargers

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