Xiaozhu Lin
pp. 113-129, download
(https://doi.org/10.55612/s-5002-069-006)
Abstract
The transition to sustainable business practice increasingly depends on how choices are designed, not only on what people know or intend. This paper develops the concept of “eco-accidentalism” as a more design-oriented framework for positioning sustainability as the obvious default option that consumers can choose with minimal friction. The argument is anchored in the creative industries, where products, services, brand narratives, and lived experiences shape cultural norms and consumer expectations. Drawing on work in sustainable design, behavioural defaults, choice architecture, premium strategy, and critical debates on sustainability claims, the paper proposes five design levers to embed sustainable defaults across product and service touchpoints. After that, it shows how the framework works through selected applications in creative settings, followed by a critical, document-based analysis of Nespresso’s “Da Chicco a Chicco” initiative. Overall, the paper offers a methodological and teaching-focused framework for design practice and education, while emphasising ethical safeguards, transparency, reversibility, and evidence-backed claims.
keywords: Sustainable design, Premium design, Eco-accidentalism.
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