Hasta La Ideas

Nathan Shedroff’s latest book, Design is the Problem: The Future of Design Must Be Sustainable, has just been published by Rosenfeld Media, and is likely to become one of the most important books for designers on the subject of design, design practice, and sustainability. (If Bruce Sterling called Worldchanging “not the book of the year; the book of next year” when it was first released, we’re calling Design is the Problem “the definitive guidebook to the future of design practice.”) Filled with insanely pragmatic advice, persuasive argument, and impassioned calls for action, Nathan’s book is essential reading for all designers, design students, business people, business students, innovation specialists, and advocates of all stripes. In celebration of its launch (and in conjunction with our exclusive excerpt, Core77’s Editor-in-chief Allan Chochinov sat down with Nathan (well, email was more sustainable, being on opposite coasts) to chat about the book, the challenges ahead, the culture of business, and the amazing opportunities for designers right now.

Chochinov: Let’s start with the title, Nathan. “Design Is the Problem” is certainly a wonderful provocation, and then you follow it up with a subtitle imperative: “The Future of Design Must be Sustainable.” I know that the first publisher you worked with balked at the title. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Nathan Shedroff: I’m grateful to Lou Rosenfeld who accepted the book and title. I think he’s still a little concerned that designers won’t find the book though.

The first publisher complained that the title “didn’t say what the book was about.” They envisioned that the book was about sustainable design, which is only partly true. For sure, the book discusses sustainability—what it is, why it’s important, how to approach it, and how to design for it. For those already on this path, this book can help with that journey; we’ll get them with the subtitle.

But, I didn’t want to only attract designers already interested in sustainability. Design is the Problem is a provocation to the designers (and engineers and managers, etc.) who aren’t yet ready to talk about sustainability and I want to draw them into a discussion about the contribution design has had in promoting consumption and the potential role Design can have in creating a more sustainable world. It’s a discussion the Design world needs to have because sustainability isn’t merely a few more things to add to the design checklist. If some are a little put-off or challenged by the title, they should jump into the conversation. Designers need to take a larger, systems-perspective to their work and to the world and a book like, Sustainable Design for Dummies, isn’t going to challenge them enough to change their mindsets.

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