Human behavior meets planetary needs with the help of tech

Design Thinking shapes our fundamental approach at the HPI d-school. Both our practical innovation projects and our research projects are centered around people’s needs and perspectives. We humans are the sole cause and drivers of the climate crisis, but we are also the only ones who can stop it. Design Thinking includes people in the design process right from the start and asks them about their needs. However, a core problem with sustainability is that human and ecological needs are not always the same, for example when it comes to consumption. How can we take both into account? This is an important area of tension in our work.  
If we understand how people think, feel, and act, we can design systems, products, and processes so that they promote sustainable decisions, as Vincent Beermann has investigated in his PhD project on saving energy and water. In short, Design Thinking creates the basis for reflecting on behavior patterns and developing alternatives that are both ecologically and socially sustainable.