What conscious design solutions have the potential to drive positive environmental and social outcomes? What does ESG best practice mean in terms of design and how do you work with it? What questions should we be asking ourselves at the start of the design process? How can design help pioneer solutions that safeguard the well-being of future generations, and go beyond compliance towards design excellence?

Focusing on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) regulation as key for our dream of a sustainable future through design, this session of the COMMON GROUND Symposium, held at our festival this past June, explored what design looks like when protecting the environment is the starting point.

Titled “Leading with ESG & Design,” joining us as speakers to exchange perspectives were: Designer Ineke Hans, CEO and Impact Fund Manager at Design Impact Capital Management, Liza Chong, B-Corp expert Steffen Kallehauge, and Senior Designer at IKEA, Marcus Arvonen. Together they dived into a conversation about transformative design practices.

Critical Matters

Addressing climate change is a benefit to brands and manufacturers. An opportunity to not only protect our planet, but also to adapt in ways that can bring about a more inclusive and equitable way of living. As a global design community, it’s a chance to work together to explore how we can use ESG principles in our design processes.

So how does design play a part? From assessing product life cycles and quantifying environmental footprints to auditing supply chains evaluating social and ethical practices, designers can integrate sustainability considerations into their design process, with products that are “born” sustainable from the beginning.

Reflecting on the current approaches in design thinking, each speaker shared their observations about our common systemic challenges, and how we might transition to more beneficial ways of structuring the business of design.

Considered a critical designer, Hans talked about being open to exploring new design strategies that address societal needs, and that break away from traditional methods:  

“We need to come to terms with the fact that if the planet is to survive, we need to accept that things slow down, they must slow down - less demands, less consumption. We cannot make this change on our own as designers, but we can be much more critical of what we participate in, and ask stakeholders for change, to be responsible for the designs we help put into the world from the very beginning.” _{– Ineke Hans}

In Chong's opinion, less is definitely more, and a world with design is still better than a world without design. Having spent decades advocating for the shared responsibility of change, she sees a shift in how we structure design practices:

“The design world is undergoing transformative change, a paradigm shift. Smaller companies and the start-ups are pioneering new ways of doing business, while larger, established corporations with decades of history, naturally take more time to revamp their supply chains. The smaller and more agile companies are now leading the way as they are 'born' sustainable from the beginning but struggle in a system that rewards short term gains. We need to invest in these brands, rewarding the people and brands being accountable, and championing sustainable change on the basis of ESG principles and those doing it authentically. It is how we scale impact and everything in-between.” _{– Liza Chong}

Referencing the fact that it will take more than ESG reporting to change businesses, Kallehauge alluded to the need for including the planet in boardroom decision-making:

“ESG as we know it is dead. It will not deliver the change we so desperately need and seek, because it does not transform the mindset of business. You simply cannot save the world only through reporting only. Decisions will still be made based on the mindless hunt for short term profit. We need to reframe the conversations in the boardroom, allowing planet Earth a seat at the table to prioritise the vision of a more sustainable and transparent design community.” _{– Steffen Kallehauge}

Arvonen drew attention to the challenge of finding more holistic ways to connect designers to the rest of the businesses in which they operate.

“It can be difficult to navigate ESG principles as a designer, it big and complex to know what is the right thing to do. Curiosity, persistence and courage helps in understanding the bigger picture, while making tough decisions that shape our vision for a better future.” _{– Marcus Arvonen}

Finding common ground

The speakers emphasised the imperative for design professionals to embrace ESG considerations as integral to their creative process in order to benefit from long-term value. Through compelling anecdotes and examples, the session illustrated the multifaceted impact of design decisions on ESG performance, informing investors, consumers and regulators driving demand for more sustainable designs.

Interested in more? Listen to Ineke Hans as she continues the conversation in our podcast — or watch her Walk & Talk through the streets of Copenhagen with Dezeen’s Editorial Director, Max Fraser, during 3daysofdesign last summer.

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Learn more about out speakers

Ineke Hans

Ineke Hans is the Founder of her eponymous, Arnhem-based design firm Ineke Hans Studio. Hans' studio specialises in designing furniture, products and exhibitions with a special focus on the use of recycled materials. Creating product typologies aimed towards future social and environmental contexts for an array of clients, communities and leading international manufacturers. Hans investigates the psychological roots of products, in her work perceiving and playing with the interaction between people and objects. ‍
inekehans.com

Liza Chong

Liza Chong is the CEO and Impact Fund Manager at Design Impact Capital Management, an asset management consultancy headquartered in Copenhagen, investing in high-impact companies with solutions to improve quality of life. The Design Impact Fund co-invests globally across stages and sectors, focusing on transformative solutions for the benefit of people and our planet. Previously CEO of The Index Project, Chong advocated for design-based methodologies to drive social and environmental impact alongside diverse stakeholder groups within academia, industry, government, and UN organisations across nations in the Nordics, Asia, Latin America, and the US.
designimpactfund.com

Steffen Kallehauge

An external lecturer and Partner at the change agency Märk, Kallehauge helps companies create positive impact for all stakeholders. He has years of experience working with the B Corp movement, both internally as Head of Impact and Growth at B Lab Nordics, and externally now at Märk. Kallehauge trains B Leaders and helps hundreds of companies measure and manage their impact within Fashion, Design, Arts and Culture, Food, Tourism and the Service industry.
maerkcph.dk

Marcus Arvonen

Inspired by designs and pattern formations found in nature, Arvonen works primarily with wood, metal and post-consumer recycled plastic. As a Senior Designer at IKEA, having joined the company in 2005, Arvonen is a strong advocate of designing for a circular economy, keen on encouraging industry professionals and consumers alike to see their shared role in making responsible choices.
ikea.com

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_{COMMON GROUND Symposium was hosted by 3daysofdesign in collaboration with IKEA Denmark. Innovators, designers and thought-leaders explored ways sustainable design practices can be more inclusive, equitable and protective of the planet. Moderated by Veronica D’Souza, social entrepreneur and keynote speaker on design, impact and inclusivity, we organised four sessions spanning a variety of pertinent topics, such as social sustainability, ESGs, materials and what good design really means.}