World Usability Day 2009 (http://www.worldusabilityday.org/)  is approaching design from Cradle to Cradle. Coming from a user-centric perspective and looking beyond form and function, we are exploring the impact design has on our World. The ‘Cradle to Cradle’ approach is to start the design with the premise of using materials that can fully enter a new life cycle by either going back to nature or going back into the design process as a new product. This holistic approach to sustainable design shows how usability can apply to all of what we do and build.

Designing for a Sustainable World focuses on how our products and services impact our world. We look at all products and services, whether they are buildings, roads, consumer products, business, services or healthcare systems; throughout their life cycle. The impact focuses on – our environment, energy, water, soil, and more. Have the materials and processes that have been used been recycled and are they re-usable? Are they user and environmentally friendly? These are questions we all must consider as we design, purchase, use and dispose of products each and every day.

Human-centered design directly supports the first two pillars of sustainability:

• Economic – matching a design to user’s needs and abilities enhance its utilization, quality, and efficiency, thus providing cost effective solutions and reducing the likelihood that systems products and services will be rejected by their users;
• Social – taking a human-centered approach results in systems, products and services which are better for the health and wellbeing of their users, including users with disabilities;

Human-centered design also supports the environmental component through promoting a whole lifecycle approach to design. It explicitly encourages all those involved in design to consider the longer-term implications of their system for their users and therefore for the environment. ( ISO DIS 9241-210)

Let World Usability Day 2009 be your impetus to create greater awareness for designs, products and services that improve the sustainability of our world. Be the one to bring the word to your company and community this year. Get Involved in World Usability Day 2009 by emailing: wud@usabilityprofessionals.org.