Changing consumer habits through design

How can user behavior be used as a lever to limit the environmental and social impacts created by consumer products? A number of studies have shown that consumer behavior generates considerable pressure on the environment, particularly through the excessive energy consumption of everyday products.

As a designer, you can play a role in moving consumers towards more responsible and sustainable uses.

• Identify the user behaviors that have the greatest impact by gathering information in the field through observation, focus groups, interviews or questionnaires.

• Select behavior change strategies using the Loughborough Model .

• Decline the product concepts.

• Balance user expectations against concepts.