ways of living. product and context-based well-being

Ezio Manzini INDACO, Politecnico di Milano

backgroundissues.

billions of people in the Planet are entering the main-stream industrial economy, culture and behaviour…

… pulled by a vision of well-being that, extended at the large scale, is an environmental and social catastrophe.

the 20/80 issue

20% of the world population is consuming 80% of the Planet’s resources.

the dream of well-being dreamt until now by few, i.e. the rich industrial societies, cannot be proposed on a global scale, i.e. to the remaining vast majority of human beings.

product-based well-being.

the main-stream vision:

more well-being = more (material) goods

the most influential image:

the shopping mall

i.e. the dream the “freedom of consumption”

first step in the learning process.

well-being=productsproducts=environmental impact

first step in the learning process.

well-being=productsproducts=environmental impact

first step done.

to work on product = environmental impact

to realize products and services with a reduced environmental intensity

first lesson learnt.

rebound effect (1):

light and greener products have the tendency to proliferate

the total consumption increases!

access-based well-being.

the emerging vision:

well-being = services/experiences

from possession and consumption to access and experiences

the most influential image (the

consolidated optimistic vision):

the theme park

i.e. the dream of a seducing and exciting world of exiting leisure

the most influential image (the

emerging pessimistic vision):

the gated village

i.e. the dream of a safe world of total-security

second lesson learnt.

rebound effect (2):

bits move atoms and experiences are physically embodied

the total consumption (still) increases!

hypothesis.

In

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GNP = Gross National Product

GNP

ISEW

ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

In

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GNP = Gross National Product

GNP

ISEW

ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

?

“ un-sustainability, on a local scale, is a process of deterioration of contexts of life, caused by proliferation of remedial goods,the crisis in common goods and the disappearance of contemplative time ”

the crisis of the local common goods

the proliferation of the remedial goods

the disappearance of the slow and contemplative time

context-based, active well-being.

the vision of a “sustainable well-being”:

context-based, active well-being

well-being = collaborative services + common goods + ecology of times

“ to learn how to live better consuming less and regenerating the contexts of life”

“ to move from a product-based idea of well-being to a context-based, active one”

regional differences.

the transition towards sustainability and its local articulation …

… in the mature industrial societies and in the not-yet industrialized ones

In

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present trends

GNP = Gross National Product

GNP

ISEW

ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

In

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present trends

GNP = Gross National Product

GNP

ISEW

ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

MatureIndustrialized

Countries

mature industrialized countries

> product-based well-beingshows all its limits

> new directions are difficult because the system is heavy and inertial

In

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present trends

GNP = Gross National Product

GNP

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ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

Not-yetIndustrialized

Countries

not-yet industrialized countries

> product-based well-beingappears as a promising opportunity

> every direction is possible because nothing has been done yet

In

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present trends

GNP = Gross National Product

GNP

ISEW

ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

NewlyIndustrialized

Countries

newly industrialized countries

> product-based well-beingstarts to show its limits

> new directions are possible because the system is still flexible

traditional visions on well-being

product-based well-being

the ‘Leapfrog’ hypothesisthe shift towards context-based well-being in the not-yet (fully) industrialized societies

context-based well-being

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design implications.

design for context-based well-being.

let imagine a cultural and production system where a reduction in the consumption of product and material services is (more than) compensated by an increase in other forms of quality:

a design research program

common goods vs. remedial ones

how to regenerate common goods?

ecology of times vs. mom-logic of the “fast time”

how to promote “slow and contemplative” time?

enabling systems vs. disabling ones

how to empower people and communities?

the most challenging design theme, for the emerging countries and for the not-yet industrialized societies …

how to use existing social and cultural resources to jump directly to the most advanced, network-based solutions?

THANKS!