I’m interested in corporate social responsiblity and the evolution of enterprise (I am brewing a post on this subject that will be up here soon). Tangentially related to corporate responsibility is the notion of consumer responsibility. How does one, as a product designer, inventor, or entrepreneur create platforms that create infectious positive social behavior?
The universe of consumers is dramatically larger than the universe of producers. So much of product design and development is focused on understanding what users (consumers) need, and then synthesizing a solution that addresses the need. It can’t always be about what users “need” in the near term. In the big-picture-long-term-view, we ALL need more sustainable ways to transport ourselves and our goods than we currently have. Whose job is it to educate consumers about this need? And, once they’re educated, don’t the producers have to deliver alternatives? Alternatives that may, at first, cost more than the conventional product… but alternatives that are differentiated to be superior in the consumer’s mind.
A potential solution might be the company that causes all its consumers to think differently about reducing, recycling, and reusing their products in different ways. We could take a step back and think about companies that might foster constructive (e.g. entrepreneurial) behavior in its consumers. What if the longevity and sustainability of the company actually depended on their consumers behaving in a certain way? Well this already happens to a certain extent (customer evangelism like Apple fanboy sites), but it doesn’t necessarily have a positive social benefit all the time.
Design thinking is evolving to “get it”.
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