Understanding Sustainable Design: Part II
Applied Systems Innovation and Design Thinking in the Fashion Industry
This is Part II of our exploration of sustainable design, delving deeper into the concepts introduced in Part I.
A littler heavier than Part I, I shall try and use simple terms to explore how the collaborative application of systems innovation and Design Thinking as a research methodology can lead to effective and sustainable business practices in the fashion industry. Let’s start by defining each concepts.
What is Systems Innovation?
Systems innovation represents a new set of ideas of how to enable transformational innovation within complex systems (Si London Hub, 2022). It involves viewing and analyzing the entirety of a system rather than its components in isolation. It requires understanding the interconnectedness of each part within the whole. This approach focuses on studying the relationships between inputs/materials, technology, people (stakeholders), products, services, and stakeholder interaction (communication, transactions etc). This holistic perspective is crucial for sustainability, as it considers all the interactions and processes within an ecosystem. A notable example of designing systems innovation worth studying is one proposed by a great systems designer and educator whom I deeply admire, Vezzoli et al. (2018), who states:
Sustainable Product-Services Systems (S.PSS) can be defined as;
‘…an offer model providing an integrated mix of products and services that are together able to fulfill a particular customer demand (to deliver a “unit of satisfaction”), based on innovative interactions between the stakeholders of the value production system (satisfaction system), where the ownership of the product/s and/or its life cycle responsibilities remain by the provider/s, so that the economic interest of the providers continuously seek new environmentally and/or socio-ethically beneficial solutions.’
Using Methods for Systems Design for Sustainability (MSDS) (Vezzoli et al, 2022) design steering tools such as the Sustainable Design-Orienting Scenario (SDOS) toolkit, one can create a circular business model. This tool seeks to “source inspiration for possible stakeholders’ interaction to design radically new social, economic, and technical solutions, and as co-design strategic conversations (Azzi et al., 2020)”.
What is Design Thinking?
Now systems thinking does not work in isolation. One must also understand Design Thinking which is a fantastic tool/process that not only fosters innovation, but also for business modeling.
Design Thinking (note the uppercase usage, as it’s often discussed within management discourse) is a powerful catalyst for innovation. Generally, designers possess an innate understanding of Design Thinking, applying it intuitively in their work. At its core, Design Thinking is driven by empathy, focusing on identifying problems, exploring potential solutions, and designing with end users in mind. To note, this process is iterative and non-linear. Scholars suggest that Design Thinking is a complex cognitive process aimed at conceiving new realities. It signifies the introduction of design culture and its methodologies into areas like business innovation (Tschimmel, 2012).
Several definitions have been proposed but here are my two favourite ones:
Brown (2008, p.86) defines DT as:
‘a system that uses the designer’s sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with what is technologically feasible and what a viable business can convert into consumer value and market opportunity.’
‘Design Thinking is a process that begins with understanding the needs and desires of the end-user and then moves through ideation, prototyping, and testing to arrive at a final solution (IDEO)’.
Let’s now put these definitions into context.
Consider an example of creating a sustainable fashion brand. Instead of focusing solely on individual elements like design or production, systems innovation that apply DT examines how these elements interact and impact each other, leading to more sustainable and efficient outcomes.
Infographic 1 is a Systems Map that was developed from an existing SME. Notice how the author thinks about all stakeholders, their interaction thereof, the technologies that are used, the processes that will be conducted. The innovations that can be trademarked, patents or any sense of uniqueness including the specific products and service offerings. The resultant demonstrated was to establish where, within the interactions and configuration of the business model, the brand is prioritizing sustainability.
Another exciting aspect of creating a Systems Map is the ability to unpack every single element on one dashboard and identify how the business is engaging within the circular economy — An ideal that all businesses should be striving for.
Circular Economy (CE) refers to a systems solution framework for building a resilient economy that delivers both long-term prosperity and a means to address global challenges (Ritchie & Freed, 2021). From the fashion point of view, it would mean that the life cycle of the resultant products and services is ‘circular’, meaning that processes such as ‘long lasting design, maintenance, refurbishing (Camilleri, 2018)’, recycling, reuse, repurposing, repair, or downcycling are performed without any environmental harm.
I particularly love this SDOS tool. The systems map allows entrepreneurs to visualize and examine the nature of a your business, identifying gaps and opportunities to ensure that as you launch or grow your fashion business, you are doing so with circularity in mind. This approach is at the heart of sustainable fashion.
The UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion suggests that entrepreneurs should focus on reducing pollution by exploring avenues for recycling, downcycling, or upcycling. They should also prioritize good working conditions for employees and, most importantly, seek ways to minimize the environmental impact of their business operations. I dedicated my thesis research to system innovations within the fashion industry, thoroughly exploring these considerations.
In the example illustrated in Infographic 1 (outlined in red), the fashion brand is highlighted as an exemplary model of sustainability. According to the Focus Group Discussions I conducted, this brand uniquely stood out as economically successful and profitable (W.S. as cited in Lubano, 2023). What makes their approach exceptional is their focus on the end of the value chain: they first collect used textiles during the disposal stage and then repurpose and or reuse these materials for new products. Businesses that adopt this end-of-life approach are considered to have the most promising and attractive S.PSS (Sustainable Product-Service System) model (Vezzoli, 2021, Vezzoli et al., 2022). This transition from a traditional linear model to a ‘closed-loop’ system demonstrates a clear methodology for advancing circular fashion.
During my research, I was surprised by the diverse interpretations of sustainability in the fashion industry across different types of businesses. I was also taken aback by some companies that claimed to be sustainable but fell short in practice. Greenwashing is alive and well, even in the Global South. However, I’d like to spotlight a few genuinely sustainable brands that I reviewed and admired during my literature review.
One is Orange Fiber, a beautiful Italian brand currently recycling orange citrus waste to produce fabric. They have even patented their process for creating yarn and textiles from this waste.
Another noteworthy brand is Shokay, a Chinese social enterprise based in remote Tibet that focuses on social sustainability. They go beyond economic impact to also consider environmental impact. They work to preserve the heritage, customs, and artisanal craftsmanship of Tibetan yak herders, positively impacting society by maintaining traditional practices such as combing, cleaning, and processing wool. The brand collaborates to design and deliver luxury wool garments to the world.
Although it may not be as famous as the other two, UndaMeta is emerging as a noteworthy player. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, UndaMeta is a marketplace for sustainable textile sourcing, allowing anyone in the fashion or textile industry to purchase African-inspired contemporary and traditional textile designs. Users can either outrightly own a pattern design by an independent designer or print their own from the many textiles provided on the platform. What is admirable about UndaMeta is that it links textile designers, fabric producers, and fashion designers, enabling customers to know the designer of the artwork and sustainably print fabric without wastage by selecting from various surface pattern designs. The platform offers both synthetic textiles and 100% locally spun, woven and sourced cotton from Kenya and Uganda, giving customers the power to choose what they would like to purchase.
One emerging brand that must be highlighted in this discussion and is a true shining star is Rethread Africa. This brand has been showcased extensively and recently won several awards for being a phenomenal game changer in fashion circularity, and for offering a regenerative fashion solution. They are pioneering textile production by using technology to transform post-harvest agro-waste from smallholder farmers into bio-based materials. Post-harvest agro-waste is a resource abundantly available in Kenya. This innovation taps into the significant amount of waste produced by pineapple farms and sugarcane plantations, turning it into a valuable raw material for textile production. The best part? These innovative textiles can be recycled up to six times and will naturally decompose if discarded (Rethread Africa).
It is evident that each of these businesses has implemented design thinking and systems innovation principles to address challenges within the fashion industry. They exhibit varying degrees of transformative innovation, disruptiveness, and offer eco-efficient and social ethical benefits to the stakeholders within their ecosystems. And therefore, one could argue that these businesses are “programmed” to be committed to pursuing sustainable outcomes.
In conclusion, embracing both systems thinking and Design Thinking is essential for navigating the modern world, ensuring that fashion businesses — and any business, for that matter — are not only economically viable but also promotes environmental and socio-ethical sustainability now and in the long run.
Building sustainable businesses might seem challenging and time-consuming, but it is definitely achievable. I firmly believe that applying these approaches in synergy is crucial for advancing the economic world toward a new, sustainable world order.
Notes
The thesis paper referenced can be accessed here: Lubano, T. (2023). Designing Sustainable Product-Service System (S.PSS) Framework for SME’s in Kenya’s Fashion Industry [Thesis]. University of Nairobi. http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/164166
To download a free template of the SDOS x clothing toolkit, visit: https://lens-europe.eu/tools/view/59
To download a free template for visualising a Systems Map, visit: http://lens-europe.eu/tools/view/4
References
Azzi, B., Vezzoli C., Conti G. M. (2020 May). Sustainable Fashion Scenario: Designing Sustainable Product-Service Fashion System. [Book Chapter]. Textiles, Identity and Innovation: In Touch (pp.527–534) Milan: Politecnico di Milano. DOI:10.1201/9780429286872–78
Brown, T. (2008, June). Design Thinking [Article]. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2008/06/design-thinking
Camilleri, M.A. 2018. The Circular Economy closed loop and service systems for Sustainable Development. A comprehensive review and appraisal. Sustainable Development 27(1). DOI:10.1002/sd.1909
GreenPeace. (2022, April 12). Greenwashing: What it is and how not to fall for it. [Article]. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/what-is-greenwashing/#:~:text=Promoting%20one%20'green'%20feature%2C,Not%20being%20specific.
Ritchie, K. J., Freed, E. C. (2021). Circular Economy for dummies [E-book]. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 978–1–119–71640–2
Si London Hub. (2022, May 24). Three examples of systems innovation that will help you understand what it is. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/si-london-hub_systemsinnovation-systemicchange-activity-6934851088760115200-WQUo?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Sisk. B. A., Morzesky, J., Antes, A. L., DuBois, J. M. (2020, March 24). The “Ought-Is” problem: An implementation science framework for translating ethical norms into practice. The American Journal of Bioethics. Vol 20(4). doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2020.1730483 Retrieved from https://taylorandfrancis.com/knowledge/medicine-and-healthcare/medical-ethics/social-ethics/
Tschimmel, K. (2012). Design Thinking as an effective toolkit for innovation. Conference: XXIII ISPIM Conference: Action for Innovation: Innovating from Experience. DOI:10.13140/2.1.2570.3361
UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion. (2022, April 4). What is the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion [Website] https://unfashionalliance.org/
Vezzoli, C., Ceschin, F., Osanjo, L., M’Rithaa, M.K., Moalosi, R., Nakazibwe, V., Diehl, J. C. (2018). Sustainable Product-Service System Design Applied to Distributed Renewable Energy. Green Energy and Technology. DOI 10.1007/978–3–319–70223–0
Vezzoli. C. (2021). 1.1 Sustainable development and system innovation. Design and system innovation for sustainability. [Lecture notes p.34]. LeNS Polimi website.
Vezzoli, C., Macri, L., Takacs, B., Yang, D. (2022). System design for sustainability in practice. Methods, tools and guidelines to design Sustainable Product-Service Systems applied to Distributed economies. Maggioli Editore 2022. ISBN 978–88–916–5574–5. DOI 10.30448/UNI.916.55745
World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2006). Eco-efficiency learning module [Article]. https://docs.wbcsd.org/2006/08/EfficiencyLearningModule.pdf
