Design’s role in contributing to our climate breakdown

Here’s the thing, designers have been part of the problem; we've helped sell fast fashion, pushed planned obsolescence, created desire for stuff people don't need, and made unsustainable lifestyles look sexy.

Our industry has been really good at making people want more things, but not so great at considering the consequences.

I believe the design industry can play a crucial role in driving climate action.

Those same skills we used to create these problems are exactly what we need to solve them. Designers are uniquely positioned to make climate solutions desirable, sustainable behaviors normal, and complex climate science understandable. We're literally trained to change how people think and act.

This is what keeps me up at night: Most climate solutions fail not because the technology is bad, but because they're poorly designed. They're confusing, ugly, or just don't fit into people's lives. That's a design problem we can fix. Imagine if we put the same creative energy into making sustainable choices irresistible as we do into selling the latest trendy product.

Real talk. Designers and design studios have incredible power to shape what's "normal" and desirable. We can choose to use our persuasive skills, storytelling ability, and creative problem-solving to make climate solutions mainstream instead of niche. Every brief is a chance to push clients toward better choices.

We're entering an era where everything needs to be redesigned for a climate-changed world. That's not just a responsibility, it's literally the biggest design opportunity of our time.

So designers, the question isn't whether to get involved, but whether you'll help shape this transition or watch from the sidelines.