Sustainability is the subject of the moment in all fields of society. When you work with design and products it should be one of your main concerns.

There are lots of articles and books about it but there is a book that is an ultimate compendium of sustainability’s current understanding and an articulate guide to its implementation. A perfect mix of detailed analysis, practical advice, examples, and insight show designers how their work can be sustainability-driven shaping a better world: Product Design and Sustainability, written by Jane Penty.

As a guide and reference text, Product Design and Sustainability provides design students, practitioners and educators with the breadth and depth needed to integrate the most appropriate sustainable strategies into their practice. It establishes the principles that underpin sustainability and introduces a diverse range of social, economic and environmental design responses and tools available to designers. The numerous real-world examples illustrate how these strategies play out in different product sectors and reinforce the view that sustainability is the most positive opportunity and the creative challenge facing designers today.

With its many illustrations, plain-speaking language, and real-life cases, the most compelling feature of this book is its calm and reassuring tone. Jane Penty, being an educator and a sustainable design specialist, is in a unique position to call upon fellow designers to be responsible and conscious and to teach them how to.

The book covers several design disciplines and their intersections and is a valuable tool to inform the practice of any designer. Last month we had the chance to discuss some ideas with Jane, precisely about this subject. You can watch the conversation between her and our founder and production manager, Carlos Silva.