Can We Design for a Better Tomorrow? Steve Baty / Ep. #208

Service Design Show

How can we leave the world in a better place than we inherited it... And what's design's role in all of this? In this episode, we tackle these big questions with Steve Baty. Steve is an author, former political candidate, the current CEO of the Australian Design Council, and co-founder of the renowned Meld Studios. He joins us to confront the undeniable breakdown of our existing systems. Yes, as we've discussed in previous episodes, redesigning these systems is daunting, but Steve believes a turnaround is possible – and urgent. We explore how today's design decisions shape tomorrow's world, balancing profit with doing good for our planet. And I ask Steve the burning question: How can we know we're on the right track when our work's impact won't be felt for generations? But don't worry, I can assure you this isn't just about lofty ideals. We also discuss practical steps we all can take right now to make a difference. It's a good reminder that every monumental shift begins with the small steps. For me, this episode joins the playlist that makes us rethink what good (service) design looks like. So, I would love to hear from you: What does good design mean to you in the context of creating a better world?

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to Episode 208

04:00 Who is Steve

07:00 Better Planet for Our Kids

09:30 Design's Role

13:00 The Landfill Problem

14:30 Why Haven't We Solved It?

17:00 Old Ways, New Challenges

18:00 Potential Changes

21:45 Decision-Making for Longevity

24:30 Designer's Dilemma

27:30 Staying Positive

30:34 Measuring Success

33:00 Products vs. Services

37:00 Reconnecting People and Nature

41:00 Accelerating Change

44:00 Government Intervention

45:30 What to Do?

48:30 Good Design Defined

51:00 Designing Standards

53:00 Final Thoughts

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebaty/
• Designing Tomorrow by Steve Baty & Martin Tomitsch (Book) - https://www.designingtomorrowbook.com/

--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---

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