ways of living . product and context-based well-being Ezio Manzini INDACO, Politecnico di Milano

1. ways of living.product and context-based well-beingEzio ManziniINDACO, Politecnico di Milano

2. backgroundissues.

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

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

5. the 20/80 issue20% of the world population is consuming 80% of the Planet’s resources.

6. 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.

7. product-based well-being.

8. the main-stream vision: • more well-being = more (material) goods

9. the most influential image: • the shopping mall • i.e. the dream the “freedom of consumption”

10. first step in the learning process.well-being=productsproducts=environmental impact

11. first step in the learning process.well-being=productsproducts=environmental impact

12. first step done.to work on product = environmental impactto realize products and services with a reduced environmental intensity

13. first lesson learnt.

14. rebound effect (1): • light and greener products have the tendency to proliferate • the total consumption increases!

15. access-based well-being.

16. the emerging vision: • well-being = services/experiences

17. from possession and consumption • to access and experiences

18. the most influential image (the consolidated optimistic vision): • the theme park • i.e. the dream of a seducing and exciting world of exiting leisure

19. the most influential image (the emerging pessimistic vision): • the gated village • i.e. the dream of a safe world of total-security

20. second lesson learnt.

21. rebound effect (2): • bits move atoms and experiences are physically embodied • the total consumption (still) increases!

22. hypothesis.

23. present trends GNP Index of development ISEW time GNP = Gross National Product ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

24. present trends GNP ? Index of development ISEW time GNP = Gross National Product ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

25. “ 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 ”

26. the crisis of the local common goods the proliferation of the remedial goods the disappearance of the slow and contemplative time

27. context-based, active well-being.

28. the vision of a “sustainable well-being”: • context-based, active well-being

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

30. “ to learn how to live better consuming less andregenerating the contexts of life”

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

32. regional differences.

33. the transition towards sustainability and its local articulation … • … in the mature industrial societies and in the not-yet industrialized ones

34. present trends GNP Index of development ISEW time GNP = Gross National Product ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

35. present trends Mature Industrialized Countries GNP Index of development ISEW time GNP = Gross National Product ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

36. mature industrialized countries > product-based well-being shows all its limits • > new directions are difficult because the system is heavy and inertial

37. present trends Not-yet Industrialized Countries GNP Index of development ISEW time GNP = Gross National Product ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

38. not-yet industrialized countries > product-based well-being appears as a promising opportunity • > every direction is possible because nothing has been done yet

39. present trends Newly Industrialized Countries GNP Index of development ISEW time GNP = Gross National Product ISEW = index of sustainable economic welfare

40. newly industrialized countries > product-based well-being starts to show its limits • > new directions are possible because the system is still flexible

41. the ‘Leapfrog’hypothesis the shift towards context-based well-being in the not-yet (fully) industrialized societies 3 context-based well-being 2 product-based well-being 1 traditional visions on well-being

42. design implications.

43. design for context-based well-being.

44. 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:

45. a design research program

46. common goodsvs.remedial ones • how to regenerate common goods?

47. ecology of timesvs.mom-logic of the “fast time” • how to promote “slow • and contemplative” time?

48. enabling systems vs. disabling ones • how to empower people and communities?

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

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