What Umbrellas Can Teach Us About Designing Sustainable Tech
The design of a simple tool we all own contains lessons for creating better, more sustainable technology.
An object’s design determines its entire lifecycle. From the materials it is comprised of to how it is produced, maintained, and eventually disposed of, designs are the genetic code of any technology. But as Paul Virilio said "The invention of the ship was also the invention of the shipwreck." In other words, despite all best intentions technology has consequences—both good and bad.
From smartphones to electric cars and appliances, corporations are making highly consequential decisions to produce machines that are made of materials that will outlive humans many times over. The sustainability considerations of tech like the lithium ion batteries used to power our electronics have impacts that alone are worth considering.
But what about something simpler? That’s exactly what Industrial designer Charlie Humble-Thomas had in mind when he used umbrellas to illustrate our complex relationship with technology. And what he learned has consequences that extend far beyond this humble tool.
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