1. course System Design for Sustainability
subject 4. Design for social equity and cohesion
learning resource 4.2
System design for social equity and cohesion
carlo vezzoli
politecnico di milano . DESIGN dpt. . DIS . School of Design . Italy
Learning Network on Sustainability (EU asia-link)
Learning Network on Sustainabile energy systems (EU edulink)
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

2. CONTENTS
. Design for social equity: main approaches
. System Design for social equity and cohesion: a definition
. System Design for social equity and cohesion: approaches/skills
. Criteria of system design for social equity and cohesion:
. Improve employment/working conditions
. Equity and justice in relation to stakeholders
. Enable a responsible/sustainable consumption
. Favor/integrate weak and marginalized
. Improve social cohesion
. Empower/enhance local resources
. System Design for social equity and cohesion: methods/tools
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

3. SUSTAINABILITY IN DESIGN ROLE: STATE OF THE
ART … aim at
100%
(in industrially mature contexts)
be
(education and practice)
to
DISSEMINATION
ct ”
b je
low impact
mat./energies
e “o
th Product
ing Life Cycle Design
d en ed ecodesign
wi sign
de
system design for
eco-efficiency
design for social
equity and
cohesion
new
research 0 CONSOLIDATION 100%
frontier … (research achievements on knowledge-base and know-how)
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

4. DESIGN FOR SOCIAL EQUITY: A GENERAL FRAME
if and how various forms of social inequality
are directly addressed in the design process
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

5. SOCIAL EQUITY
…. is there a role for the design?
… avoiding the risk to be merely moralistic,
is there an effective (operative) role?
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

6. TODAY MAIN APPROACHES OF DESIGN FOR SOCIAL
EQUITY AND COHESION
. product design for basics needs in low-income
contexts (design for BOP, etc.)
. SYSTEM (STAKEHOLDER INTERACTIONS) DESIGN
FOR SOCIAL EQUITY AND COHESION
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

7. WORKING HYPOTHESIS: SYSTEM INNOVATION FOR
SUSTAINABBILITY:
“a system innovation (PSS approach) may act as a business
opportunity to facilitate the process of a social equity and
economic development (in an emerging context) - by
jumping over the stage characterised by individual
consumption/ownership of mass produced goods - towards a
more advanced service-economy with a low resource-
intensity being “satisfaction-based”,
characterized by the development of local-based and
network-structured enterprises and initiatives, for a
sustainable re-globalisation process characterised by a
democratisation of access to resources, goods and services”.
LeNS book: “PSS design for Sustainability”,
Greenleaf, 2013 (to be published)]
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

8. SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SOCIAL EQUITY AND
COHESION (FOR SUSTAINABILITY):
A DEFINITION
“the design of the system of products
and services that are together able to
fulfil a particular customer demand
(deliver a “unit of satisfaction”) based on
the design of innovative interactions of
the stakeholders (directly and indirectly
linked to that “satisfaction” system)
where the economic and competitive
interest of the providers continuously
seeks (both environmentally and) socio-
ethically beneficial new solutions
[to be published in 2013, by Greenleaf
english, chinese, thailandese,
pdf free of charge and in copy left www.lens.polimi.it]
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

9. SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SOCIAL EQUITY AND
COHESION (SUST.): APPROACHES/SKILLS
A. “SATISFACTION-SYSTEM” APPROACH
design the satisfaction of a particular demand
(satisfaction unit) and all its related products and
services
B. “STAKEHOLDER CONFIGURATION” APPROACH
design the interactions of the stakeholder of a
particular satisfaction-system
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

10. H. SYSTEM MAP (DETAILED)
STAKEHOLDERS
SYSTEM MAP
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

11. SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SOCIAL EQUITY AND
COHESION: APPROACHES/SKILLS
A. “SATISFACTION-SYSTEM” APPROACH
design the satisfaction of a particular demand
(satisfaction unit) and all its related products and
services
B. “STAKEHOLDER CONFIGURATION” APPROACH
design the interactions of the stakeholder of a
particular satisfaction-system
C. “SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY” APPROACH
design such a stakeholder interactions (offer
model) that for economic and competitive
reasons continuously seek after socio-ethical
(and eco-efficient) new beneficial solutions
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

12. C. “SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY” APPROACH
design such a stakeholder interactions (offer
model) that continuously seek after socio-ethical
(and eco-efficient) new beneficial solutions
NOT ALL SYSTEM INNOVATION ARE SOCIO-
ETHICALLY SUSTAINABLE!
> CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES ARE NEEDED
> METHODS AND TOOLS ARE NEEDED to orientate
design towards equitable and cohesive stakeholder
interactions
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

13. SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SOCIAL EQUITY AND
COHESION CRITERIA
. improve employment/working conditions
. increase equity and justice in relation to
stakeholders
. enable a responsible/sustainable consumption
. favor/integrate the weak and marginalized
. improve social cohesion
. empower/enhance local resources
[ADOPTED BY POLIMI-DIS WITHIN LeNS]
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

14. IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT/WORKING
CONDITIONS
SYSTEM DESIGN FOR,
PROMOTING AND ENHANCING
EMPLOYMENT/WORKING CONDITIONS (within the
enterprise)
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

15. IMPROVE EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN RELATION
TO STAKEHOLDERS
SYSTEM DESIGN FOR,
FAIR AND JUST RELATION (outside the enterprise):
within the partnerships, up-stream, down-stream and
in the community where the offer takes place
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

16. ENABLE A RESPONSIBLE/SUSTAINABLE
CONSUMPTION
SYSTEM DESIGN FOR,
ENABLING (MORE OR LESS INVOLVING)
A RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE CLIENT/END-
USER CHOICE OR BEHAVIOUR
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

17. FAVOR/INTEGRATE THE WEAK AND
MARGINALIZED
SYSTEM DESIGN FOR,
FAVORING (MORE OR LESS INTEGRATING):
. kids, elderly, differently able,… (weak) and
. unemployed, illiterate, … (marginalized)
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

18. IMPROVE SOCIAL COHESION
SYSTEM DESIGN FOR,
PROMOTING SYSTEMS ENABLING SOCIAL
INTEGRATION:
in neighbourhood, between generations, between
genders and between different cultures
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

19. EMPOWER/ENHANCE LOCAL RESOURCES
SYSTEM DESIGN FOR,
REGENERATING AND EMPOWERING LOCAL
ECONOMIES BY ENHANCING THEIR HUMAN AND
NATURAL RESOURCES
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

20. INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN SOCIO-ETHICAL
CRITERIA (AND RELATED GUIDELINES)
FOR A GIVEN SATISFACTION SYSTEM:
- some have HIGHER RELEVANCE than others
- can be SYNERGETIC or NOT
FOR DECISION MAKING (DESIGNING)
identify the (environmental) design PRIORITIES:
> CRITERIA relevance (relative) per system type
> most promising stakeholders’ INTERACTIONS
types (criteria related GUIDELINES)
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

21. SDO SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN-ORIENTING TOOLKIT
stakeholder interaction guidelines (criteria related)
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

22. [for such new skills] NEW METHODS/TOOLS
few methods/tools developed to orientate system
design towards sustainable solutions:
MEPSS, MEthodology Design4Sustainability Product-Service
for Product Service Step by step approach System Design for
System development [UNEP funded project] Sustainability
[EU funded project] [EU – asia link]
METHOD
DESIGN
TOOLS
Stor
yboar SDO portfoli B
d Interac toolkit
Offering diagram o diagram l
tion SDO
u Story
table toolkit
board
Offering diagram
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

23. MSDS PHASES/PROCESSES
METHODS/TOOLS BY LeNS:
STRATEGIC ANALYSIS
METHOD FOR SYSTEM ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT PROMOTERS
DESIGN FOR ANALYSIS OF THE REFERENCE CONTEXT
ANALYSIS OF THE REFERENCE STRUCTURE
SUSTAINABILITY (MSDS) ANALYSIS OF BEST PRACTICES
DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN PRIORITIES
EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES
IDEAS GENERATION ORIENTED TO SUSTAINABILITY
DEVELEPMENT OF THE SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN
ORIENTING SCENARIO - VISIONS/CLUSTERS/IDEAS
SYSTEM CONCEPT DESIGN
VISIONS, CLUSTERS AND IDEAS SELECTION
SYSTEM CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
ENV., SOC. & ECON. CHECK
SYSTEM DESIGN (AND ENGIN.)
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT (EXECUTIVE LEVEL)
ENV., SOC. & ECON. CHECK
SDO toolkit:
socioethical system design orientation
COMMUNICATION
on-line use, free access:www.sdo-lens.polomi.it
free download open: www.lens.polimi.it > tools DOCUMENTS EDITING
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

24. SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SUST.: FINAL REMARKS
WE DON’T HAVE TO HAVE CONCERN ANYMORE ON
PRODUCT DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY?
NO!
> even designing on a system level, sustainable products
need to be designed afterwards
DESIGNING ON A SYSTEM LEVEL TAKE US FAR FROM THE
CORE OF DESIGN?
NO!
> designing for the (unit of) “satisfaction” it is to go at the
deeper rooth of the design, settling the innovation at the
level of the behavioral patterns (more sustainable and
satisfactory)
Carlo Vezzoli
Politecnico di Milano / DESIGN dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy