What are the Living Principles for Design?

October 2009

THE NEED

As one of the defining ideas of the 21st century, sustainability holds tremendous
possibilities for the creative community, its business partners and society. And while
87% of recently surveyed AIGA members view sustainability as a top priority, many
of them confess they are ill-equipped to apply its principles effectively.
Sustainability is complicated. The decentralized nature of resources, the complexities
of the issues and the lack of filtering for how they relate to design appear to be the
main barriers for turning motivation into action. Everyone wants to do the right thing,
but no one relishes attacking this knowledge hairball.

THE APPROACH

The Living Principles for Design distill the collective wisdom found in decades
of sustainability theories and bring them to life in the first quadruple bottom-line
framework for design.

The Living Principles weave together environmental protection, social equity, and
economic health — thus building upon commonly accepted, triple bottom-line
frameworks. But most significantly, they incorporate cultural vitality because culture is
where all aspects of sustainability find their way into the blood stream of society, and
culture is where designers have the deepest impact as their creations and choices shape
habits and values.

The Living Principles framework is a lens that brings clarity to integrated

sustainability and makes it accessible, relevant and ready to put into action.

Use it in everything you do.

Share it.
Enrich it.
Teach it.
Live it.

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 The Framework October 2009

DESIGN’S IMPACT

PERSONAL
ACTION
STUDIO
OPS
BUSINESS
PRACTICE
PUBLIC
POLICY
CULTURE

FUTURE GENERATIONS

Design is a powerful conduit for change. As the messages, artifacts and experiences we
create pass through the hands, minds and hearts of people, we have an opportunity
to weave sustainability into the broader fabric of culture and to shift consumption
and lifestyle aspirations to a more sustainable basis for living.

In order for individuals, societies, economies and the planet to flourish, we must
support environmental responsibility, social equity, economic health and cultural
vitality and recognize that they are inextricably linked. The Living Principles for Design
form a practical framework that illustrates the confluence of these four streams –
the key to sustainable design.

Four Streams of Integrated Sustainability 1

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Social Equity Economic Health Cultural Vitality

Actions and issues that affect natural Actions and issues that affect all Actions and issues that affect how Actions and issues that affect how
systems, including climate change, aspects of society, including poverty, people and organizations meet communities manifest identity,
preservation, carbon footprint and violence, injustice, education, their basic needs, evolve and define preserve and cultivate traditions, and
restoration of natural resources. healthcare, safe housing, labor and economic success and growth. develop belief systems and commonly
human rights. accepted values.

1 Adapted from Adam Werbach, Strategy for Sustainability, 2009

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design’s opportunity

ENVIRONMENT Society Economy Culture

Design can visualize complex Designs and messages that are based Design thinking can help invent new Design can connect people with ideas,
information and make it comprehensible on principles of inclusion, equality economic and business models motivate behavior change, and
and relevant. It can help invent new and empathy provide harmonious appropriate for 21st-century realities shift mindsets. This transformative
systems, products and services to and healthy conditions in which all and set the foundation for a more power can shape new values and
deliver more value for less material and members of society can flourish. sustainable world. Design’s approach provide a compelling understanding
energy used. Design solutions that Design can visualize acute needs, to investigation, analysis, and of sustainability that ensures its
integrate environmental criteria at raise awareness, prompt response, visualization can be leveraged to assimilation by a broad array of people,
every step can overcome natural and affect policy to improve quality create opportunities and value for nations and cultures.
resource constraints, whether animal, of life. companies and people across all
plant, mineral, air or water. streams of sustainability.

designers’ ROADMAP

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Social Equity Economic Health Cultural Vitality

Learn and inform about the environ- Create messages, artifacts, services and Understand financial parameters Create messages, artifacts, services
mental impacts of choices and behaviors. experiences that respond to the needs and ensure that solutions meet market and experiences that provide people
of all people, celebrate beauty and criteria for performance and cost. with choices that can change attitudes
Consider intended and unintended promote and enable joyful, healthy living. and redefine prosperity.
ecological consequences of components Communicate truthfully and with
over the entire lifecycle, including Consider intended and unintended transparency. Support and promote the uniqueness
extraction of raw materials from nature, consequences for individuals and of different cultures and recognize
conversion of materials into artifacts, communities from all components over Understand and communicate sound that highly functional systems like eco-
artifact use / reuse, transportation, the entire lifecycle, including impacts on business values and short- and long- systems and human communities are
disposal, and recycling. human toxicity, water pollution, cancer term benefits of sustainable solutions resilient because of their diversity.
causing potential, resource depletion including efficiency, competitive
Consider the entire supply chain. and climate change. advantage, profitability, increased sales, Consider historical, place-based, social,
Seek sustainable suppliers and clean brand equity and employee morale. cultural and economic contexts to
production technologies at every step. Understand the ethical supply chain to make design and messaging culturally
Plan to optimize shipping volumes and ensure that products and services are Consider and encourage business relevant and to preserve local cultures.
transportation distances. manufactured under safe and fair labor models that incorporate product take-
conditions, supporting human rights back systems, end-of-life product Promote desirable visions that compel
Eliminate waste. Maximize use of and basic needs like sufficient pay, collection, product upgrading and people to want to live sustainably.
recycled, recyclable and compostable healthcare and benefits. material recycling.
materials. Plan for use of materials in
continuous cycles including disassembly, Minimize environmental, health and Consider solutions that turn products
ease of recovery, take-back programs, safety risks to employees and into lease or service models.
upcycling and recycling. communities involved in manufacturing,
use, and end-of-life scenarios with safe Consider equitable systems of corporate
Avoid the use of any substances that technologies, facilities and operating ownership and governance, such as
may cause environmental damage to procedures. co-ops.
air quality, water or the earth.

Consider appropriate durability to make

artifacts last longer or decompose
more easily. Design for multiple functions
and repairability to encourage reuse.

Minimize energy use. Maximize use of

clean energy sources such as wind and
solar in manufacturing, transportation
and product use.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES The Living Principles for Design are meant to guide purposeful action. They will Communication Design
evolve, grow and draw openly from a wide range of professional practices. Packaging Design
Experience Design
Join our feedback loop on Facebook and help create and share tried-and-true Interaction Design
best practices, guidelines, tools, ideas, case studies, and general support for Fashion Design
a broad range of design disciplines, including: Industrial Design
Architecture/Interior Design
Service Design

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 About the Living Principles

Created by the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design (CFSD), the Living Principles for
Design were born out of the design profession’s need for an aspirational and actionable
framework that provides designers and their clients with a common understanding of
the core facets of sustainability and enables them to take action. Its ongoing development
is dependent on the contributions of the design community at large. Conceived and
developed over the summer of 2009, the Living Principles were officially unveiled at
the AIGA Design Conference in Memphis on October 9, 2009.

ARCHITECTS / AUTHORS Gaby Brink Nathalie Destandau Phil Hamlett

Co-chair Strategy Committee Chair Co-chair

AIGA Center for Sustainable Design AIGA Center for Sustainable Design AIGA Center for Sustainable Design
www.sustainability.aiga.org www.sustainability.aiga.org www.sustainability.aiga.org
Executive Creative Director | Founder Director of Business Strategy Graduate Director, Graphic Design
Tomorrow Partners Tomorrow Partners Academy of Art University

510 644 2332 x201 510 644 2332 x209 415 618 6321
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
www.tomorrowpartners.com www.tomorrowpartners.com www.79nm.com

Additional Contributors The seeds of the Living Principles SF SUMMIT ATTENDEES Editorial Reviewers
sprouted in February 2009, at the
Allison Arieff Marc Alt
Compostmodern conference, and were
Gaby Brink Kathleen Byrnes
cultivated at other events like Adobe
Valerie Casey Emily Carr
Systems’ Sustainability Roundtable
Nathalie Destandau Jeremy Faludi
in the spring. Genesis of this specific
Brian Dougherty Cheryl Heller
approach began at the AIGA
Valerie Elliott James Hobbs
Leadership Retreat in Portland in
Ric Grefé Terry Irwin
June 2009. The core architects emerged
Lynda Grose Sheri Koetting
from that event, pulled together the
Phil Hamlett Dan Kohan
Geneaology research document, and
Jamie Koval Michelle Mullineaux
invited an inter-disciplinary advisory
Clement Mok Emily Pilloton
board to a strategy summit in San
Susana Rodriguez Barbara Sudick
Francisco in August. The harvest of
Laura Shore Adam Werbach
that day’s activities found its way into
Pam Williams
the Living Principles, which were vetted
SPECIAL THANKS Ann Willoughby
across a wide review board.
Nathan Shedroff

JOIN THE CONVERSATION Join our feedback loop on Facebook and help us create and share tried-and-true best practices, guidelines, tools,
case studies, and general support for a broad range of design disciplines.

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