Research Synergies between Sustainability and Human-Centered Design: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

A significant number of publications demonstrate the growing interest in connecting studies on sustainability with HCD-related interventions, though a complete analysis of all endogenous and exogenous dynamics of research lines currently developed has never been made. A study depicting the main cross-sectoral results developed in the recent years would help researchers in design-related areas to improve sustainable design processes and practices, as well as the knowledge needed to identify the unexplored research niches to focus on in the future to produce non-redundant advances toward sustainability’s goals. A systematic literature review of a sample of 122 works allowed us to identify and describe the main themes within this integrated research area and to provide future research trajectories for applied research and practice on sustainable HCD connected to the SDGs. Data found in this work show that studies linking sustainability and HCD produced a complex research framework mainly articulated into four principal design areas: (i) health and wealth, (ii) education, (iii) industrial innovation, and (iv) built environment and living communities. Finally, this study provides designers and researchers working in the HFE and sustainable design macro-domains an overview of the current and future trends where research synergies between sustainability and HCD are likely to develop.

Exploring and Extending Human-Centered Design to Develop AI-Enabled Wellbeing Technology in Healthcare

“…This research could inform the development of similar AI-enabled health technologies by presenting a need for updating a new model and methods for the design process with a Life-centered design approach of AI-enabled solutions that could be prototyped and tested in the following research. Life-centered design, for example, expands humancentered design to include consideration for nature and vulnerable humans by merging practices such as circular design, biomimicry, systems thinking, and futuring, and aligning designers with global goals, such as the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals [62][63][64]. As life-centered design is still emerging, its practices vary and is practiced by only a few.…”

Utilising Artificial Intelligence to Turn Reviews into Business Enhancements through Sentiment Analysis

“…By using sentiment analysis based on natural language processing and machine learning, the authors aimed for the findings of the research to demonstrate the potential that the development of science can have in harmony with market needs. By selecting the 85 case studies at the European level, the researchers wanted to convey the fact that in a growing field such as electronic commerce, technology can have a huge impact [21,32]. On the one hand, it can help analyse consumer behaviour and user actions in a difficult chapter to tackle without technology-content analysis for reviews [50,57].…”

“…In the realm of electronic commerce, the humancentric approach involves the creation and enhancement of digital purchasing experiences. The method necessitates the prioritisation of accommodating unique user preferences and habits [18][19][20][21][22]. Additionally, it acknowledges the need of establishing a user-centric environment that is especially tailored to meet the expectations and desires of consumers.…”

A Collaborative Approach for Triggering Environmental Awareness: The 3Rs for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Ulaanbaatar (3R4UB)

“…The way waste management is integrated within collaborative planning processes influences the environmental management and the free-riding extractions within the common pools of natural resources, such as interpreted by Elinor Ostrom in discussing Hardin's theory [17,18]. The environmental impacts of pursuing personal interests versus common interests is a widely explored topic and is relevant for reflecting on the collaborative profiles and entanglements among communities as background for providing informed and informing environmental planning processes [19,20].…”