Design for Nonsumers
trends in innovative designs across multiple disciplines
that appeal to a new breed of future-focused
ecologically minded consumers

We believe that there is a new breed of
ecologically-minded yet future-focused
consumer emerging. We’re calling them
nonsumers - people who are actively
cutting down on their consumption and
looking for a more sustainable way of living
that still fits into a modern, technology-
driven world. Where have they come from
and what ‘s driving their buying behaviour?

Let’s start with where we are…

Source: www.worldbank.org

But don’t get disheartened because…

Source: www.worldbank.org

The big question is: if the credit tap turned
back on again would we simply go back to
the way we were…

Or has a rising awareness of the need to
change our behaviour in order to stem
climate change combined with the
realisation that we can still have good
lifestyles while buying less challenged our
values so fundamentally that there’s no
going back?

On April 15 each year, the UK
goes into ecological debt…
Do Good Lives Have to Cost the Earth, Andrew Simms & Joe Smith

On April 15 each year, the UK
goes into ecological debt…
Do Good Lives Have to Cost the Earth, Andrew Simms & Joe Smith
Approximately 65 per cent
of the annual growth in
carbon dioxide emissions
is due to the increase in
global economic activity
New Economics Foundation, www.neweconomics.org

we knew this stuff when times were good…

But luckily there were lots of things to buy that
made us feel better about it all

Hmmm, so many
overpriced organic olive
oils to choose from…

Very expensive and
ethical - what’s not to
like?

What ..
no special offers?

Well that makes sense - a
“hydration vessel” for 30
quid when I could just buy
a plastic water bottle for 2
and keep using it!

Of course - that’s the
solution. Buy a car!
Why didn’t we all
think of this sooner…

Organic and ethical was
almost exclusively a value-
add proposition in the boom
years. But this luxury
positioning is very much at
odds with the new mood of
austerity and the pragmatic
need for frugality….

And I’m not alone in thinking so
“One in nine people polled in a survey of 1,030 adults in July said they could no
longer afford to pay a premium for ethical or environmentally friendly products,
while 19% said they were not in a financial position to think about such issues.
But, the new research from consumer, media and market research firm Mintel
also found a strong commitment to ethical and environmental issues among
consumers with 97% of adults claiming to have adopted at least one of the
"more green" types of behaviour included in the survey.”
Source: Mintel via The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/12/ethical-shopping

What’s important to nonsumers?
- Proactively buying less
- Living small, compact and without wastefulness
- Thinking ethical, all the way through the chain
- Rejecting unnecessary products, embracing experiences
- Expressing self through what they do, not what they have
- Being part of global communities of like-minded people
- Crusading for change through how they behave and what
they buy

Let’s look at some of the trends that are
driving a new form of design with
nonsumer appeal…

URBAN FARMING
Future ecological living is going to be urban-focused. But
nonsumers have a new appreciation for the local and the
natural alongside an understanding of the spiritual importance
of connecting with Nature’s biodiversity. Here are some ideas
that bring the farm back into the city…

Eco-pod
A living skyscraper

Aquaponics
Farm in Box
A rooftop
fish pond
that grows
vegetables

Biosphere Farm
Futuristic kitchen garden
from Philips

The Bikube
An urban
beehive that
attaches to your
outer wall

The Eglu
A town garden
chicken coop

Vbites
New family-friendly
vegan fast-food
restaurant led by
Heather Mills

Stuwer
A vending
machine for local
farm produce

MULTIFUNCTIONALITY
For people who are trying to live with less “stuff”, multifunctionality not
only makes financial sense, it makes ecological sense. Products that
are cleverly designed to perform more functions and to extend their life
will be valued. Here are some innovative designers who are
responding to this trend.

Vanishing
Creatures
Packaging
that turns
into a bird feeder

(and allows you to eat
chocolate rhinos…)

Solo Ora
Clock, mirror and
lamp in one object

Andrea
Decorative indoor
planters that filter
and purify the air

1to3
A garment that
changes form
and function

Energy Belt
Monorail system by Iosa Ghini in Bologna,
a multifunctional structure that incorporates
a solar system and pedestrian walkway

Iflect
Fashion that
becomes reflective
at night for urban
cyclists

Solar panels shaped
like clay roof tiles

Trask
Low-energy LED
lighting system that
can be reshaped as
a standard lamp,
desklamp or
overhead track
lighting.

THE HUMAN TOUCH
A combination of factors - technology & social media, the global recession,
an appreciation of the simple way of life, a straightforward reaction to the
highly technical forms of the past 10 years - is driving a return to products
and services with a spirit of humanity.

Good Hotel
Guest co-creation
wall in a low
carbon hotel

We are scarf
Community-created
design for a design-
led fashion scarf

Calgary Society for
Disabilities Annual Report
Entirely written by hand on
objects bought through
fundraising efforts

Scott Chair
Gathers fibres from
bottoms to create a
story of all who sat in it

aboxlife.com
Recycled box project where
people can add to the story
of each box via a tracking
number on web/ mobile/
twitter/ flickr

Kinded.com
Community brand-building initiative by kindsnacks
where an act of unsolicited kindness is supported
by a card which is tracked as it travels the world

The Forever Story
A public online
story-telling project
to raise funds for
autistic children

Fabric Calendar
A slightly sinister
photographic take
on middle England

FUTURISTIC ECO
Until now, ecological products were visibly so. Nonsumers
appreciate design, and with the new mood of austerity,
future-focused eco design will be both intelligent and stripped
back, not just to eliminate unnecessary materials and
processes, but to reflect an almost monastic aesthetic.

Tofu Chair
100% recyclable
breathable chair
that moulds to the
human form

Lanana
Shopping bag
made of folded
recycled paper

Philippe Starck & Ballantyne
Multifunctional ergonomic garments
made with “intelligent cashmere”

Ecopod coffin
It's made only of earth-friendly materials, such as
papier mache, which readily biodegrades when buried.

CRUSADING
COMMUNITIES
The collapse of many of the stable structures within society -
religion, global peace, the environmental health of the planet, our
financial system - is spurring the search for a new meaning in life.
Crusading brands with evangelistic qualities and genuine integrity
that allow people to gather around a common purpose will win in
this new economy.

Change
Obama’s use of social media
united America around a
common crusade for change

The Human Race
Nike united a global
community around running
and tapped into running’s
spiritual qualities

Earthkeepers
Timberland’s eco outdoor boots were
supported by a viral tree-planting
campaign and an online community
of Earthkeepers activists

Earthkeepers
Activist website and
online shop

1010
Public campaign with a simple rallying call
- cut carbon emissions by 10% by 2010

1010
Twitter page
that makes you
feel part of
something big

LoFi
Aesthetics that are driven by content and functionality combined
with an appreciation of the hand-made and the authentic.

Sew Sew
Handstamped branding
system by Because Studio

Wolf Olins
Deceptively underdesigned
website with “elastic” pages

Twitter
Inclusive, easy
to use, open &
sharing ethos.

Blogs
Free Wordpress templates rule!
The lo-fi website that values
content above all and still allows
you to express your personality.

Hattomonkey
Uber modern milk
packaging design
that embroidery as
the graphic device

CRADLE TO CRADLE
Highly innovative designs using environmentally-friendly
production processes that incorporate an ecological end for a
product when it comes to the end of its life.

Cradle to Cradle
Technical nutrients
and biological
nutrients to remake
the way we make
things. Essential
reading.

Sebola
Technical sportswear that is
Aesthetic, Technical and Ecological.
Great brand, great ethos.

EcoATM
An ATM for recycling
consumer electronics

Bloomcard gift card
When you’re done, cover it in
soil and it turns into wildflowers

Are these just niche products
with niche appeal?

83% of global consumers say they are willing to
change their consumption habits if it helps make
the world a better place to live, and 68% feel it's
becoming unacceptable not to make efforts to
show concern for the environment or live a
healthy lifestyle.
Source: Edelman global survey of 6,000 consumers, Oct 09

Interested?
Bored?
Cynical?
Inspired?
Join the debate or share your ideas
www.twitter.com/nonsumers
Or every time you find something that you feel is
relevant to this group of people, just add
#nonsumers to your tweet and let’s build a
global picture of how things could be.

Want to hear the background
to the nonsumer theory?
www.wearethreesixty.com