My single step actually happened a couple of years ago when, finding myself increasingly disillusioned with the world of technology which I had been inhabiting for a long time, I decided to sign up for a weeks course in sustainable design at the Schumacher College. It was a great experience, delicious homemade food eaten in a naturally lit dining area instead of a windowless canteen in the tech corp, daily meditation instead of daily 'medication' in the form of caffeine and vending machine snacks, interesting conversations instead of tech acronym spattered monologues and most importantly lots of very inspiring ideas about sustainable design.
After 10 years of trying to get the tech industry to focus on people as a starting point for the design process rather than products I was now seeing this goal in the wider context of consumer culture, the role design had played in creating it and the lack of ethical and environmental awareness involved in the industrial product design process. It was one of those moments in life when you realise you need to re-think everything. It wasn't just people-centred design we needed but planet-centred design! I knew this was the direction I now wanted to head in, I just needed to work out how...
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