Consumers are becoming more socially conscious and want to know how products came to exist and if those means were eco-friendly. The health and wellness movement ties into sustainable design, both of which are changing consumer habits. Sustainable and ecological trends are affecting the future of design and these are things to keep in mind as you approach projects.
Truth On Display
Ethical products and transparent packaging is growing to satisfy the increasing demand for truth and the desire for brand visibility. One way to address that is see-through packaging, which implies that the brand has nothing to hide and is communicative. Another is by making smart design choices that promote the positive aspects of a brand’s product, like highlighting its organic ingredients.
Recyclable Packaging
In making positive decisions to consumer demands, brands are utilizing more recyclable plastic packaging to reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint of their products. “Unilever announced in January 2017 that it has committed to ensuring that all of its plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.”
Eco-Friendly Products
No longer are products designed to just fulfill one purpose. Head of AUT’s school of Art and design in New Zealand says, “now you can expect our product designers to design shoes that are multi-purpose and biodegradable, with seeds in the sole so when they go into landfills, they turn into trees”. It is a novel way approaching design that should be creatively implemented in the future.