Creating a Planet Centric Future
Tags: Sdgs, Sustainable Innovation, Sustainable Development, Planet Centric Design

User-centred design has taken the world in the wrong direction. The shift to Planet Centric Design needs to happen now.

by Kathrin Dimai & Joana Casaca Lemos

Planet Centric Design is a methodology for designing products, services and ways of working that enhance real environmental, social and economic sustainability — we call this planetary value.

It’s called ‘planet-centric’ because it puts our shared planet and the communities that depend on it at the centre of the design process. This means decisions are taken with a view to creating wider planetary benefits beyond the individual user. Up until now, design has been centred around satisfying individual needs, with innovations to make our lives faster, more ‘frictionless’ and efficient. But to rise to the challenges the world is facing today, we have to reconfigure this model and start prioritising the wellbeing of communities and the planet in how we design and make things.

For the past ten years, Impossible have been pioneering Planet Centric Design methods and supporting businesses to create new sustainable products. We hear a lot about sustainability in public discourse, but we know that if we are to become serious about creating systemic change it has to be much more than a buzzword. Our experience has shown us that creating true planetary value means going beyond superficial initiatives, and embodying sustainability in every aspect of our businesses, from the values that shape us down to the smallest details of how we operate.

Our holistic approach is guided by the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet and business. Using the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of our framework, we think carefully about how new thinking can bring us closer to achieving these goals — whether reducing inequality, improving planetary health or championing women and girls. Our unique methodology translates these goals into actionable targets, helping organisations bring sustainability to life in a real and tangible way.

Becoming planet-centric isn’t only good for the planet — it’s untapped opportunity for business too. Re-orientating organisations towards having greater planetary purpose can differentiate their offering from others, attract the best employees, expand business into new areas, help take advantage of digital opportunities, change culture, as well as contribute to a more sustainable world. This is the thing: it’s a win-win. The planet-centric revolution has to happen, otherwise everyone loses. What kind of legacy do you want?

A toolkit for planet centric innovation

Over the past decade, digital technology has transformed the way we communicate, work and live. Yet these extraordinary innovations have often come at a planetary price, whether increased extraction of resources, spiralling consumption and waste, or widespread negative impacts on our mental health.

At Impossible, we know that to create systemic change, we have to transform our digital planet to address these undesirable consequences, creating sustainable digital solutions that put communities and the planet first.

That’s why we have designed a toolkit to help organisations create value through bridging this gap between innovation and sustainability.

Our toolkit contains a set of collaborative methods for supporting small, large or new businesses to become more planet-centric.