Emotionally durable design

Jonathan Chapmans has argued that in the context of sustainable product design "the methods through which we currently address sustainability are not as sustainable as we might like to think" (Chapman, 2005, p170). The rationale behind this argument is that the methods and techniques currently in use appear to go straight to the third, and least preferable, of the 'three Rs' of sustainable design - "REDUCE - REUSE - RECYCLE", when focus should be placed on reduce and reuse first.

In simple terms he advocates that designers need to design products which are emotionally durable, this essentially means that people connect with the product emotionally such that there is more desire to keep and repair, maintain and upgrade a product rather than dispose and replace with a new product.

Chapman, J. (2005) Emotionally Durable Design - objects, experience and empathy, Earthscan Publications Ltd, London, UK.