Exploring Sustainability and Classic Design through Students' Aesthetic Responses

Abstract

<p>There are many ways to design for sustainability, but of particular interest is creating a product that a consumer will enjoy and keep for a long time, i.e., classic design. The current emphasis on staying fashionably up-to-date calls into question the place of classic design in the modern consumer experience. Therefore, consumers' aesthetic response to classic design is key and younger consumers in particular. Data collection included an initial survey followed by interviews with 19 of the survey participants. For the surveys, 60 class participants evaluated six women's coats, dating from 1947 to 1970, deemed as potentially classic. In the interviews, participants discussed their survey answers and brought several garments from their wardrobes that they considered classic design. Most participants stated that classic design is a valuable part of their wardrobe given its uses across contexts. Such experiences with classic design could be valuable to educate future designers about sustainability.</p>