lectio magistralis by Carlo Vezzoli, Politecnico di Milano, design dept. for his PhD Honoris Causa awarded by the UFPR

1. DESIGNING SUSTAINABILITY FOR ALL
UNIVERSIDAD FEDERAL DO PARANA (UFPR), CURITIBA, BRASIL
Ceremony for Granting the Title of Doctor Honoris Causa
23.09.2021
carlo vezzoli
politecnico di milano . DESIGN dept. . School of Design . Italy www.dipartimentodesign.polimi.it
www.lenslab.polimi.it I www.lens-international-org

2. CONTENTS
1. Sustainable development: call for an urgent system
discontinuity
2. Design for sustainability: a clear and key call for action
3. Product design for enviornmental sustainability
4. Sustainable Product-Service Systems and Distributed
Economies
5. Systems Design for Sustainability: a new role for
designers
6. A key role for design Higher Education Institutions:
LeNS - the Learning Network on Sustainability

3. 1.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
CALL FOR AN
URGENT SYSTEM DISCONTINUITY

4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
the international commitment?

5. first definition of sustainable development:
“development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"
1983-1987: Gro Harlem Brundtland, Chair of the World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED), United Nation
1987 UN WCED Our common future (Brundtland report)

6. 178 UN member states ratified the Agenda 21, an action plan to build a
global partnership for sustainable development to improve human
lives and protect the environment
1992 UN conference, Environment and development, Rio de Janeiro

7. 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit, New York
193 UN member states ratified the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development", with the time-bound and measurable 17 Sustainable
Development Goals
. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
. SOCIAL EQUITY AND INCLUSION
. ECONOMIC PROSPERTITY

8. “the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is
increasing poverty and inequalities at a global scale”
“Everything we do during and after the covid-19 crisis must be
with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and
sustainable economies and societies, more resilient in the face
of pandemics, climate change and all other sustainable
development goals.”
António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
2019.11 – present COVID-19 pandemic crisis

9. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
from international agreements to actions?

10. “human activities have caused our planet’s climate to warm
at a rate faster than anything people have experienced
in at least 2.000 years”
extreme heat
more frequent
more intense
heavy rainfall
more frequent
more intense
ocean warming
acidifying
losing oxygen
drought
increase in
some regions
fire weather
more frequent
“climate change is a problem that is here now”
2021.08IPCC: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis

11. 2021.09.17 UN’s Climate Agency: National Climate Action Plans
“while greenhouse gas emissions are being reduced over time,
nations must urgently redouble their climate efforts if they
are to prevent disastrous global heating in the future”
“the world is on a “catastrophic pathway” to 2.7-degrees of
heating by the end of the century”

12. THESE ARE NUMBERS OF A WORLD WAR!
7 MILLION PEOPLE!
4,2 ambient + 3,8 household
2021WHO: Compendium on health and environment
world premature death/year for air pollution
(particulate matter, O3, NO2, SO2, CO, …)

13. PEOPLE FACING HUNGER IN THE WORLD
in 2020 people facing hunger have been ~ 768 million!
(1 in 10 people in the world)
2021FAO: The State of the Food Security and Nutrition in the World
since 1990 people facing hunger have decreased
since 2014 have grown again!

14. 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development
17 Sustainable Development Goals
we need a radical change
a system discontinuity
we need to take actions NOW!
URGENTLY NOW!
even thought the international (institutional) agreement
we are going worst
VERY CLOSE TO THE COLLAPSE!

15. 2.
DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY:
A CLEAR AND KEY CALL FOR ACTION

16. 2020EU: Circular Economy Action Plan

17. 2020EU: Circular Economy Action Plan

18. 3.
PRODUCT DESIGN FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

19. Life Cycle Design, ecodesign, cradle to cradle design, biomimetics,
emotionally durable design, design for sustainable behaviour, circular design
since late 90s
product design for environmental sustainability: approaches, methods/tools
product design minimising the environmental
impact of the whole of the life cycle phases in
relation to the functional unit
LCA - Life Cycle Assessment
PRE-PROD.
PRODUZIONE
DISTRIBUZIONE USO DISMISSIONE
e.g. eco-idea board, multi-strategy radar
environmantal impact assessment tools
low-environment. impact idea genertion tools

20. Office chair, 12 years warrenty, designed
for disassembly, to enable maintenance, repair, upgrading and end of
life recycling
A GOOD EXAMPLE
MIRRA 2 CHAIR, HERMAN MILLER

21. A PIECE OF GOOD NEWS!
it’s available a consolidated knowledge-base and
know-how (methods and tools) to design products
minimising the environmental impact

22. 4.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT-SERVICE SYSTEMS
AND
DISTRUBUTED ECONOMIES

23. Xerox offers a package deal to installs the photocopiers - not owned by the customer-
maintain, repair, substitute and collect them at the end of life; the customer (only) pays
per page
offering ownerless photocopiers with all-inclusive life cycle services, xerox is
economically incentivised to provide (and design) them long lasting, reusable, re-
manufacturable and recyclable products, i.e. reducing the environmental impact
PAY PER PAGE, XEROX
since early 2000s
S.PSS cases started to be studied as eco-efficent win-win model

24. since 2005
Distributed Economies (DE) cases/model were studied as a promising
for locally-based and resilient sustainability
centralised
coal power
plant
from
home-based
solar powered
minigrid
to

25. OFF GRID Electric - Solar Home System
OFF GRID Electric offers to Tanzania rural people a Solar Home System (SHS) which
includes: Solar panel + Storage + Wires + Energy Using Products (EUPs, e.g. two lights +
phone charger). OFF GRID Electric retains ownership of SHS and EUPs; customers pay per
period (daily fees).
Cutting initial and life cycle costs of SHS hardware, make them accessible and
preservable over time even to low-income people (to all); while economically
incentivizing OFF GRID Electric to provide (design) highly efficient, long lasting and
recyclable products.
since early 2010s
the coupling of S.PSS and DE has been studied as a win-win locally-
based sustainable and resilient solutions accessible to all

26. we know promising win-win offer models - S.PSS, DE and
S.PSS&DE – asking for a system discontinuity and promoting
environmental protection, social equity and inclusion, and
economic prosperity as resilient systems for all
A SECOND PIECE OF GOOD NEWS!

27. 5.
SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY:
A NEW ROLE FOR DESIGNERS

28. S.PSS design, S.DE design, S.PSS&DE design, design for (sustainable) social
innovation, systemic design, design for sustainability transition
since 2005
system design for sustainability: approaches, methods and tools
design integrated mix of products and services
to fulfil a satisfaction unit, and those
(distributed) stakeholders interactions (offer
models), where the providers seek
environmentally and socioethically beneficial
solutions with economic benefits, for all
e.g. MSDS method/tools (by LeNS)
Private energy
company
Community
User
decides…
User
orders…
Central kitchen
receives orders
and prepairs …
Local cooperative
gives users
information …
Upgrade
TV/Desktop PC
Private energy
company
Private energy
company
methods/tools have been developed with
public funding support (e.g. EU and UNEP)

29. (thought it need to be further researched and consolidated)
it’s available a knowledge-base and know-how (methods
and tools) to design sustainable and resilient system for all
A THIRD PIECE OF GOOD NEWS!

30. 6.
A KEY ROLE FOR DESIGN
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

31. today the design and offer of both
products with low environmental impact
and
Sustainable (Distributed) Product-Service System is still too
limited!
THE BAD NEWS…
today the design community (as a whole) is still more
part of the problem then part of the solution!

32. increasingly clear a key role need to be played by
DESIGN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
strongly promoting basic and applied research
and education on sustainability
to build a new generation of designers
well equipped for both
product and system design for sustainability

33. LeNS Africa
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Namibia University of Science and Technology
The Federal University of Technology
Université Cheikh Anta DIOP(UCAD)
Zimbabwe institute of Vigital Arts
LeNS Colombia
Universidad El Bosque, Colombia
University de Los Andes, Colombia
University Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Colombia
University Colegio Mayor de Cundinamarca, Colombia
University Javeriana, Colombia
University UDI, Colombia
University De Pamplona, Colombia
University de Medellín, Colombia
University San Buenaventura de Medellín, Colombia
University Pontificia Bolivariana, Colombia
Fundación Reconectándonos, Colombia
LeNS Europe
TUD Technology University Delft, the Netherlands
Aalto University, Finland
Istanbul Technical University
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern
Switzerland FHNW
LeNS United Kingdom
Brunel, University United Kingdom
University of Lincoln
LeNS Australia
University of New South Wales
University of Western Sydney
RMIT University
Swinburne University of
Technology
Monash University
University of Canberra
the Learning Network on Sustainability
LeNS Argentina
National University of La Plata, Argentina
Buenos Aires University, Argentina
National University of Lanús, Argentina
National University of Mar del Plata, Argentina
National Institute of Agricultural Technology INTA, Argentina
Tomás Maldonado International Center of Design Knowledge
IHAM Instituto del Habitat y del Ambiente, Argentina
FAUD-Facultad de Arquitectura Urbanismo y Diseño UNMdP
LeNS Mexico
Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico
Universidad del Valle de México
Nacional Autonoma de MexicoUnivesidad
Instituto de Estudios Superiores de
Occidente ITESO
LeNS Italy
Politecnico di Milano - Design Department
Politecnico di Milano - ABC Department
Politecnico di Torino
Università degli studi di Firenze
Università di Chieti
Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi
Vanvitelli
Napoli Federico II
Università di Camerino
Università di Genova
Università IUAV di Venezia
Università di Palermo
Sapienza università di Roma
Fraunhofer Italia Research scarl
LeNS Peru
Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima
Universidad de Ingenieria Y Tecnologia ，Lima
LeNS Iran
Tehran University of Art
University of Tehran
Iran University of Science
and Technology
University of Tehran, Kish
International Campus
LeNS India
Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology
CMR UnInstituteiversity
Indian of technology Guwahati
C.A.R.E. School of Architecture
Indian Institute of Information technology Design
and Manufacturing Jabalpur (IIITDMJ)
Indian Institute Of Technology Gandhinagar
Goa College of Architecture
Integreater foundation
National Institute of Design
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
Kabani - The Other Direction
LeNS France
The Sustainable Design School, Nice
ENSCI Les Ateliers
LeNS China
Tsinghua University
Hunan University
Jiangnan University
Wuhan University of Technology
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Tongji University
The University of Science and Technology Beijing
Beijing Information Science and Technology University
Beijing Forestry University
Beijing University of Technology
Beijing Institute of Technology
AnotherLand
Guangzhou academy of fine arts
School of Art & Design, GDUT
Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts
LeNS Vietnam
FPT University
University of Industrial Fine Arts
National University of Civil Engineering
Ton Duc Thang University
University of Science and Technology –
The University of Danang
LeNS Portugal
University of Beira Interior
LeNS USA
Ringling College of Art + Design, Sarasota, FL
Universidade do Minho
Universidade Europeia
LeNS New Zealand
Auckland University of Technology
University of Canterbury
LeNS Uganda
Makerere University
Kyambogo University
LeNS Botswana
University of Botswana
Botswana International University of Science and Technology
(BIUST)
LeNS Kenya
University of Nairobi
Machakos University
Maseno University
LeNS South Africa
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Stellenbosch University
Farm and Garden National Trust
Cape Craft and Design Institute NPC
Tshwane University of Technology
University of Johannesburg
LeNS Germany
HfG Karlsruhe
Technical University Munich
econcept, Agency for Sustainable Design
LeNS Brazil
Universidad Federal do Parana (UFPR), Brazil
Universidad Federal de Pernambuco,, Brazil
Universidade do Estado do Parà, Brazil
Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos- Campus São
Leopoldo, Brazil
Unochapecó - Universidade Comunitária da Região de
Chapecó
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES)
Universidade Feevale, Brazil
The Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis, Brazil
Fluminense Federal University, Brazil
Federal University of Alagoas, Brazil
Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil
Universidade da Regiao de Joinville, Brazil
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Londrina State University, Brazil
Universidade FUMEC, Brazil
Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais (UEMG)
Universidade de São Paulo - campus of São Carlos
Universidade de São Paulo - campus of São Paulo
Universidade Federal do Maranhão
LeNS Austria
Institute of Design Research Vienna
University of Applied Arts
Technical University Vienna
FH Salzburg
New Design University
THE LENS ETHOS
(and manifesto for the design community worldwide)
to shift towards a
multipolar, distributed and open access
learning-by-sharing
knowledge generation and dissemination
on design for sustainability
international open and multipolar network of Higher Education Institutions
to diffuse Design for Sustainability
launched in 2007, now counts nearly 150 Universities/Organisations in 25 regional networks
www.lens-international.org

34. there is world-wide community of design researchers and
educators sharing the same open ethos
to unify the efforts to better and faster build
the new generation of designers
we need to effectively contribute envisioning and designing
a sustainable society for all
A FOURTH PIECE OF GOOD NEWS!

35. JOIN THE LENS NETWORK!
www.lens-international.org
FOR A NEW DESIGN HOPE
FOR OUR COMMON FUTURE
SUSTAINABLE
FOR ALL

36. THANKS
GRAZIE
OBRIGADO
www.lens-international.org
www.lenslab.polimi.it
www.dipartimentodesign.polimi.it
www.design.polimi.it
carlo.vezzoli@polimi.it