Short answer

When designing for sustainability, identify and focus on the core, highly interconnected practices that influence a wider range of behaviors, rather than solely on isolated or less connected ones.

Field: Sustainability
Source: Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition) (2023)
Method: Quantitative network analysis of practice elements.
Evidence: Strong effect

Focusing design and intervention efforts on 'central' practices within a food system, those deeply interconnected with multiple elements like purchasing and cooking, can more effectively drive overall sustainability transitions than targeting 'peripheral' practices. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition). Using Quantitative network analysis of practice elements., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing for sustainability, identify and focus on the core, highly interconnected practices that influence a wider range of behaviors, rather than solely on isolated or less connected ones.

Study

SustainabilityRecentStrong effect

Identifying 'Central' Practices Accelerates Sustainable Food System Transitions

Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition) · 2023

Key Findings

01Sustainable food choices are embedded within a complex, interconnected system of practices.
02'Central' practices, such as buying and cooking sustainable products, are highly connected and act as key nodes for systemic change.
03'Peripheral' practices, like anti-waste or growing one's own food, are less interconnected but still contribute to the overall system.
04Certain elements within the practice network act as 'connectors' between different practices.

Application

Design takeaway

When designing for sustainability, identify and focus on the core, highly interconnected practices that influence a wider range of behaviors, rather than solely on isolated or less connected ones.

How to apply

Before designing a new sustainable product or service, map out the existing practices related to it. Identify which practices are most central and how your design can integrate with or reinforce these central practices.

Project actions

01When researching a design problem, consider mapping out the different actions and beliefs people have around it.
02Look for the actions that seem to be linked to many other actions or beliefs – these are your 'central' practices.

Method & Evidence

AimHow can the interconnectedness of practices within a sustainable food system be quantitatively mapped to identify 'central' and 'peripheral' practices to inform strategies for accelerating systemic change?

MethodQuantitative network analysis of practice elements.

ProcedureThe study mapped elements (competences, meanings, material devices) associated with various food practices. A quantitative approach was used to analyze the network structure, identifying practices with the highest number of connections ('central') and those with fewer connections ('peripheral').

ContextSustainable food systems and consumption practices.

Variables

IVThe structure of the practice network (degree of interconnectedness of practices).

DVThe rate of transition to a more sustainable food system.

CVElements of practices (competences, meanings, material devices).

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Provides a novel quantitative method for analyzing complex practice systems.
+Offers actionable insights for intervention design in sustainability.

Limitations

It can be difficult to accurately measure how 'connected' a practice is without extensive observation or surveys. The definition of 'central' might be subjective.

Reliability & validity

The reliability of the network mapping depends on the consistency of data collection. Validity is supported by the theoretical grounding in practice theory and the quantitative analysis, but might be limited by the specific elements chosen for analysis.

Think critically

If 'central' practices are the most effective targets, what are the ethical implications of potentially neglecting 'peripheral' practices that might be important for specific user groups or niche sustainability goals?

Design Principles

"Leverage practice network centrality for systemic sustainability interventions."

Understanding the interconnectedness of practices is crucial for designing interventions that have a ripple effect. By identifying and reinforcing core behaviors, designers and policymakers can create more efficient pathways towards systemic change in complex areas like food systems.

What This Means for Your Design

Think of sustainable eating like a social network. Some friends (practices) are super popular and connected to everyone (central practices), while others are more on the sidelines (peripheral practices). To get everyone to be more sustainable, it's easier to get the popular friends involved first because they'll influence others.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify focusing your design on a specific, highly interconnected user behavior that you've identified as 'central' to the problem you're solving.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights that sustainable transitions are driven by interconnected practices. By identifying 'central' practices, such as purchasing and cooking sustainable food, which are highly connected to other elements of the system, design interventions can be more effectively targeted to accelerate broader change.

Source

Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition)

Speeding up the transition to a more sustainable food system: New insights into the links in a system of practices

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about identifying 'central' practices accelerates sustainable food system transitions?: When designing for sustainability, identify and focus on the core, highly interconnected practices that influence a wider range of behaviors, rather than solely on isolated or less connected ones. Evidence: Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition) (2023).
Why does "Identifying 'Central' Practices Accelerates Sustainable Food System Transitions" matter for design?: Understanding the interconnectedness of practices is crucial for designing interventions that have a ripple effect. By identifying and reinforcing core behaviors, designers and policymakers can create more efficient pathways towards systemic change in complex areas like food systems.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing for sustainability, identify and focus on the core, highly interconnected practices that influence a wider range of behaviors, rather than solely on isolated or less connected ones.
What were the main findings?: Sustainable food choices are embedded within a complex, interconnected system of practices.. 'Central' practices, such as buying and cooking sustainable products, are highly connected and act as key nodes for systemic change.. 'Peripheral' practices, like anti-waste or growing one's own food, are less interconnected but still contribute to the overall system.. Certain elements within the practice network act as 'connectors' between different practices.
What research method was used?: Quantitative network analysis of practice elements..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition).
What should I do differently in my next project?: Before designing a new sustainable product or service, map out the existing practices related to it. Identify which practices are most central and how your design can integrate with or reinforce these central practices.
What are the limitations?: The study's focus on a specific food system may limit generalizability to other domains. The quantitative mapping might not fully capture the nuances of individual motivations or cultural contexts.