Pervasive Design for Sustainability – Expose

This compact book contains the bare minimum an interaction designer have to know about design for sustainability.

The the first message is that sustainability is the most important design goal. A second message is that information technologies, and in particular pervasive computing are invaluable keys in the quest for sustainability. The third message is that there is a lack of knowledge on sustainability issues in the interaction design community.

A unique meta-level framework structures the content. It is based on a principle of justice that is complemented by circumstances for sustainability, chosen from the perspective of interaction design. We suggest and shortly present the following circumstances: limited shared resources, socio-technical components and structures, technology development, vision and reflection, cognitive and behavioural support, joint ventures and political action.

Within the framework a participatory design approach is promoted based on stories and values.

The exposé concludes with four short case studies. They discuss sustainable design for consumption, character, family and society.

In total the book consists of the equivalence of 161 pages excluding references and index. For an acceptable reading experience please use at least an 8.9” device. Available readers include the KindleforPC viewer, Apple Kindle app, Kindle cloud reader and the Android Kindle reader app.

There is of course more to learn and the interested reader is recommended to take a look at the 459 pages in the extended companion volume “Pervasive design for Sustainability – Convolute”. The convolute adds more on many topics including Latours’s modes of existence, Design fiction, Futures studies, theories for reflection and behavioural change, Practice theory, Multi level perspective, and design for joint ventures and computer games. The convolute extends the case studies from the exposé and adds some new ones. It is not yet available for Kindle (Amazon), only as Adobe .pdf.

Håkan Gulliksson is a lecturer on Interaction technology and Sustainable design at Umeå University for more than ten years.

Table of Contents

Part I: Sustainability And Design
Chapter 1. Sustainability
Chapter 2. Design

Part II: Framework For Sustainable Hci Design
Chapter 3. The Sustainability Problem
Chapter 4. The Principle Of Justice
Chapter 5. Circumstances Of Sustainability
Chapter 6 Criteria For Sustainability
Chapter 7. The Practical Layer

Part II: Circumstances For Hci
Chapter 8. Limited Shared Resources
Chapter 9. Socio-Technical Components And Structures
Chapter 10. Technology Development
Chapter 11. Vision And Reflection
Chapter 12. Cognitive And Behavioural Support
Chapter 13. Joint Ventures
Chapter 14. Political Action

Part IV: Practical Layer – Case Studies Of Hci Design For Sustainability
Chapter 15. Designing For Sustainable Consumption
Chapter 16. Designing For A Sustainable Character
Chapter 17. Designing A Sustainable Home For A Family
Chapter 18. Designing A Sustainable Society

Part V: Final Words
Chapter 19. Incidit In Scyllam, Qui Vult Vitare Cha-Ry’Bdim