Fostering absolute reductions in resource use: the potential role and feasibility of practice-oriented design

This article explores the potential role of design in fostering absolute reductions in everyday consumption. It links ambitions to achieve absolute reductions to concepts from social theories of practice and design. Practice theory directs attention towards expectation levels, opening up questions about sufficiency. Design activity is often pointed out as a potential key instrument for creating change in sustainable directions, and the social practice as a relevant starting point for such work. Little attention is however paid to what may help and hinder practice-oriented initiatives. Consequently, this article asks what the role of design may be in fostering actual reductions in resource use when social practices continuously are in flux, and, what the space for action is, given societal arrangements rooted in ideas about boundless consumption. This is done on a theoretical and empirical basis, by drawing on practice theory and system innovation theory, and a case study on television entertainment practices and work by related actors. This is relevant given the increasing contribution of electronics to the environmental impact of households. The analysis shows how standardisation and predominantly technical experience and value definitions have consequences for resulting resource use levels and the feasibility of creating change. The lack of policy attention to the relationship between resource use and practical value may prevent actors from making use of the theoretical space for practice-oriented action. The article concludes by presenting recommendations for policy and practice on how to foster further exploration of it. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.