Reflecting on my biggest gig of 2024 and the reasons why.

The Design Council Design for Planet Festival 2024 at Manchester School of Art was a landmark event, bringing together innovators and practitioners to redefine sustainable design. The Festival was a call to action, encouraging organisations to move beyond conventional practices and embrace design as a strategic force for tackling the planet's pressing challenges. ?

As a Design Council expert and CEO of leading product, innovation and sustainability consultancy Pd-m I was privileged to be asked to speak at two sessions and help facilitate a workshop at the event. The Festival had hundreds in attendance, over 5,000 registered online in over 110 countries which demonstrates the reach, impact and pace that this subject is now gathering.

The Festival kicked off the night before with a speakers dinner hosted at the Firehouse. Great to catch up with Minnie Moll (now a Dr!), Bronwen Rees , Matilda Agace and Rachel Bronstein as we walked to the venue from the hotel. I don’t think I’ve spoken to so quickly to update the Design Council team of the most recent Pd-m updates and how we're really taking off, with support and guidance from our Chair Andrew Davidson .

Over dinner I had a superb conversation with Rachel Bronstein , Pete Swift , Dr. Bernice Pan and Alexie Sommer . All from different walks of the design spectrum. Fascinating insights from very impressive people to chat about and understand the significant drive they have in their respective businesses. In fact at some points during the evening I had to overcome my anxiety of imposter syndrome surrounded by such good company!?

The event day was jam-packed of keynote speeches, break out sessions and workshops. The takeouts from the main stage for me were:

From Circular to Regenerative Design - moving beyond circularity, Sophie Thomas urged designers to embrace regenerative principles and repurpose materials authentically, challenging traditional aesthetics in favour of durability and sustainability.? ?

Cross-Disciplinary Innovation - Patrick Grant 's call to rethink profit-first metrics resonated strongly. Pd-m’s use of co-design methodologies fosters collaboration, creating solutions that are not only sustainable but also deeply user-centered.? ?

Systems Thinking?- Dr Talia Hussain emphasised the ripple effects of design decisions on broader systems, a concept central to Pd-m’s commitment to evaluating product lifecycles and ecosystem impacts.

My role at the Festival

My first engagement of the day was to help facilitate a workshop focused on the role of leadership in design. The purpose was to share our experiences about how design and sustainability should be embedded into business in order for organisations to make informed management decisions.

Speaking to the attendees I spoke about my experience working with Senior Leadership Teams and the journey Pd-m has been on. Whilst sustainability is a driver to addressing the net zero challenge, the reality is that organisations have a balancing act of profitability and growth to keep its employees and please shareholders happy.

I spoke about the motivations for businesses and why an organisation should be sustainable from slides which my colleague Rich Shaw created. Risk and regulatory is one driver where there is limited comparative differentiation. Similarly aligning and following requirement are a form of business protection, again with no distinct value proposition. And some organisations embrace sustainability because it's the right thing to do. Very admirable but this is at the risk of business survival. Where the real business winners are in to approach sustainability as a revenue and reputation driver. The business opportunity of the three P's - people, profit and planet.

Interestingly the debate pivoted around the role of middle management and how each department interpreted the Senior Leadership Team strategy and how it would manifest in their individual roles. This is where carbon literacy is required, so that middle management are empowered to make decisions on information and data.

Other lightning talks were superbly delivered by Laura Matz and Ned Gartside who provided very thought provoking insights from their experience in B Corp and DEFRA.

Talking on a big stage

I felt like a rock star, being chaperoned to the green room and offered refreshments. Cup of tea for me these days. After getting mic'd up there was the final briefing and the first chance to meet all of my follow panellists. Then onto the main stage to be part of the Design Debates: Products vs Business Models session to explore how best to achieve sustainability.

I championed the value proposition that reducing carbon = reduce cost = increase profitability and gave some prime examples using health technology as the driver of change, considering the Net Zero stance the NHS has made with its road map.

The panel brought together leading voices from both perspectives, each offering unique insights into the paths toward a sustainable future. ?

The Product Approach: me, alongside Lisa H. and Dr. Bernice Pan , championed the potential of well-designed products to deliver immediate, tangible benefits. I argued that a single product, thoughtfully designed, can disrupt markets, inspire innovation, and make a significant impact.? ?

The Business Model Approach: Opposing this view, Efia Mainoo , Pete Swift , and Simeon Rose emphasised the power of business models in driving systemic change. By embedding nature-positive principles into corporate strategies, business models can foster cultural shifts and create long-term, accumulative benefits.??

Expertly chaired by Nilesha Chauvet the key themes explored?were:

• Speed vs Scale: Products offer quick, visible wins, while business models enable broader, lasting transformations.?
• Impact: Both approaches must balance cost with effectiveness in addressing environmental and societal challenges.?
• Diversity: Inclusive solutions are vital, ensuring sustainability benefits reach diverse communities.

The Path Forward for Products vs Business Models?

While there may not be a definitive answer to the debate, the session underscored an essential truth. Products and business models are not mutually exclusive. A well-designed product can catalyse broader systemic changes, and innovative business models can amplify the reach and impact of sustainable products.

So why was this my biggest gig of 2024?

The Design for Planet event created a significant impact and has moved the dial towards the Design Council's mission to up-skill 1,000 designers to help mobilise towards the sustainability challenge. Something which I highly endorse because decisions made at the design phase influence how long something lasts, what it is made of, if it can be repaired, and what happens to it at the end of life. In fact,?according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation 80% of a product's environmental impact is influenced by decisions made at the design stage. This is critically important because it will be an enabler to tackle the NHS England NHS Scotland Net Zero road map for scope 3.

The atmosphere was electric and full of energy as I rubbed shoulders with some incredibly influential people in the world of design. The most interesting thing was that people were using the same language as I would use. It was a meeting of minds, the sum of the parts bigger than the individuals. Being part of a movement, almost like a home coming. Weird.

It was an absolute pleasure to speak on a larger stage and share the tacit knowledge the Pd-m team have an acquired in our own journey to decarbonise health technologies. I spoke with authority having all the cuts and bruises to show that it is possible to address the Net Zero challenge and be profitable. We are getting significant traction with this, and primarily because we speak the language of business. Something which all of the design community should really embrace if we are going to be the catalyst for change.

My expanding network

Great to catch up with Barry Waddilove , Cat Drew (and frog!), Fiona Dahl , Toby de Belder , Edward Hobson , Darren Evans , Dan Martin and Jarred Evans . And to finally meet Martyn Evans FRSA and Jonathan Ball after so many years hearing about your great work! And a final mention to Kyle Soo who expertly compared much of the day with seeming ease.

The best thing about Design for Planet was to make new friends at the evening DJ, drinks and canopies. Too many to name check here, but you know who you are!