Chapter 6
User Activity Matters: An Activity
Theory Informed Design Toolkit
for Sustainable Behavior Design
Wanjun Chu, Wiktoria Glad, and Renee Wever
Abstract Recent developments in eco-design have shown a growing interest in
incorporating user perspectives in sustainable product and service design. However,
users’ needs and behavior are not static, but under a dynamic transition process.
Design purely informed by user needs thus may lead to environmental and social
sustainability issues. In this paper, we approach this sustainable design challenge
from an activity theoretical perspective. First, we conducted a literature review
on the use of activity theory (AT) in sustainable design-related studies. Based on
the literature insights, we translated the abstract AT concepts into more descriptive
and practical design implications. Following that, we developed an activity-centered
design (ACD) toolkit prototype to support design practitioners in integrating users’
dynamic activities with specific sustainable design goals in the early-stage design
ideation process. Finally, we evaluated the practical use of the toolkit with both design
experts and participants without a design background in a case study. Results indicated that the ACD toolkit prototype allowed participants to engage with complex
sustainability issues while taking multiple aspects of users’ activity into account.
It also offered an interactive way for designers to better develop early-stage design
ideas to solve sustainability-related problems from a product and service design
perspective.
Keywords Design for sustainable behavior · Activity theory · Activity-centered
design · Design ideation tool · Circular design
6.1 Introduction
Recent developments in the field of eco-design have shown a growing interest in
incorporating product usage phase and user behavior in the design of sustainable
W. Chu (B) · R. Wever
Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
e-mail: chu.wanjun@liu.se
W. Glad
Department of Thematic Studies, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_6
79
User Activity Matters: An Activity
Theory Informed Design Toolkit
for Sustainable Behavior Design
Wanjun Chu, Wiktoria Glad, and Renee Wever
Abstract Recent developments in eco-design have shown a growing interest in
incorporating user perspectives in sustainable product and service design. However,
users’ needs and behavior are not static, but under a dynamic transition process.
Design purely informed by user needs thus may lead to environmental and social
sustainability issues. In this paper, we approach this sustainable design challenge
from an activity theoretical perspective. First, we conducted a literature review
on the use of activity theory (AT) in sustainable design-related studies. Based on
the literature insights, we translated the abstract AT concepts into more descriptive
and practical design implications. Following that, we developed an activity-centered
design (ACD) toolkit prototype to support design practitioners in integrating users’
dynamic activities with specific sustainable design goals in the early-stage design
ideation process. Finally, we evaluated the practical use of the toolkit with both design
experts and participants without a design background in a case study. Results indicated that the ACD toolkit prototype allowed participants to engage with complex
sustainability issues while taking multiple aspects of users’ activity into account.
It also offered an interactive way for designers to better develop early-stage design
ideas to solve sustainability-related problems from a product and service design
perspective.
Keywords Design for sustainable behavior · Activity theory · Activity-centered
design · Design ideation tool · Circular design
6.1 Introduction
Recent developments in the field of eco-design have shown a growing interest in
incorporating product usage phase and user behavior in the design of sustainable
W. Chu (B) · R. Wever
Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
e-mail: chu.wanjun@liu.se
W. Glad
Department of Thematic Studies, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Kishita et al. (eds.), EcoDesign and Sustainability II, Sustainable Production, Life
Cycle Engineering and Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6775-9_6
79