In January 2019, a diverse group of expert panelists gathered in New York City for a Nature Sustainability Panel to discuss the intersection of design, sustainability, and behavioral science. The goal was to draw connections between disparate disciplines and reconnect research and practice in order to advance global sustainability (read more about the panel here).

The result? We digested the experts’ discussion and a year later our report was published in Nature Sustainability: “Twenty questions about design behavior for sustainability.” We presented the conversation as guiding questions that everyday people might have about this area, organized in four main topics:

1. the behavior of designers,
2. the design process,
3. the role of stakeholders, and
4. evaluation.

Each question posed challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary sustainability work. For example, what mental shortcuts do designers use? How can we overcome the challenging public perception that sustainability is a trade-off? In many cases, the opportunities include exciting research and collaborations.

Our final question in the report was a call for action: “Will you join us?” Now, two years after the original panel, we’re reconvening (virtually, this time) to check-in. Who has taken up this call? What progress have we made?

Please join us for a moderated panel on November 20, 2020 at 12:30 to 1:30pm EST. Our panel will be moderated by Katelyn Stenger, a Doctoral Fellow at CBSI, and panelists include:

• Bethany Gordon, Doctoral Fellow at Convergent Behavioral Science Initiative, University of Virginia
• Catriona Tassell, Research Postgraduate at Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London
• Deidra Miniard, Doctoral Fellow at O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University

Our discussion will bring in the voices the original panels’ “Rising Stars” and is open to anyone in academia, industry, policy, and more.

Register HERE (zoom link will be emailed closer to the date).