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ASSESSING SYSTEMIC DRIVERS AND BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABLE DESIGN TRANSITIONS: RELATIONSHIP STRENGTHS AND RESEARCH GAPS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2023

Hossein Basereh Taramsari ,
John McFarren ,
Matilda Watz ,
Sophie I. Hallstedt  and
Steven Hoffenson
Hossein Basereh Taramsari*
Affiliation:
Stevens Institute of Technology, U.S.A.;
John McFarren
Affiliation:
Stevens Institute of Technology, U.S.A.;
Matilda Watz
Affiliation:
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden;
Sophie I. Hallstedt
Affiliation:
Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden; Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Steven Hoffenson
Affiliation:
Stevens Institute of Technology, U.S.A.;
*
Basereh Taramsari, Hossein, Stevens Institute of Technology, United States of America, [email protected]

Abstract

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The sustainable design transition has proven to be a challenging process, in part due to the diverse set of stakeholders, which includes the general public, policymakers, scientific researchers, and businesses. In prior work, the interconnected relationships among systematic drivers and barriers for sustainable design were identified and mapped using a causal loop diagram at a relatively abstract level. To further understand and characterize this complex system, this research aims to identify the relationship strength levels among the variables in the system, as indicated by previous research identified in the literature. In addition, the knowledge maturity levels of these identified relationships are specified to illustrate strengths and gaps in the literature. The findings are used to create a refined system representation that illustrates the power dynamics between systemic driving forces to sustainable design transitions. The results of this work reveal valuable insights about the linkages among the driving forces of sustainable design transitions that can be used as a foundation for further investigation, such as experiments and data analytics that can better quantify these relationships.

Keywords

Systems thinkingSustainabilityEcodesignComplexitySustainable design transitions
Type
Article
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 3: ICED23 , July 2023 , pp. 677 - 686
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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