BETA: The Impact Mapping Method
Together with our team, we have been working on a method to understand our design's impact better. In our design profession, we often discuss creating impact or value, but they often stay abstract. With this method, we try to make it more tangible. We invite you to test it and share what you learn so that we can improve it when needed.
The Method
This NEW Life-Centered Design Method helps you understand your design's impact on nature, communities, and the economy and determine what changes you need to make to achieve the best result. We identify five steps.
Describe the context of your design
Make a prototype of your design
Map the impact using your prototype
Understand Direct / Indirect Impact
Iterate for Impact, not for Perfection
1. Describe the context of your design
When you have designed a concept, it is essential to try to predict and understand the impact your design will have on nature, communities around the world and the economy. Before you start creating a prototype and map the impact, Describe the context in which your design will be lining it, how it is made/produced, how somebody will use it and what the end-of-life of the design looks like. Write a compelling story about your design.
2. Make a prototype of your design
While making the prototype, ask yourself:
What is the change you want to make with your design?
What do I want to test, and how do I test it?
How is your design used (journey)?
What elements is your design built out of?
What does the life-cycle of your design look like?
3. Map the impact using your prototype
Print the Impact Mapping tool or draw it on a flip-over sheet.
Step 1. Use your prototype to map the impact of your design on nature, communities, and the economy. Is the impact positive or negative? (what change is caused by your design and prototype?)Is there any overlap or conflict between the different areas (nature, community, economy)
Nature
Think of species, natural habitats & resources affected by production, use and end-of-life.
Community
Think about underrepresented & invisible communities affected by your design's production, delivery, use and end-of-life.
Economy
Think of the end-user, the interested parties that make your design come to life, human habitats and artefacts needed for production, use and end-of-life.:
What is the change you want to make with your design?
What do I want to test, and how do I test it?
How is your design used (journey)?
What elements is your design built out of?
What does the life-cycle of your design look like?
4. Map the impact using your prototype
Print the Impact Influence Circles map or draw it on a flip-over sheet.
Look at the Impact Map and order the different impacts. When you have mapped the possible Impact, you want to know if that Impact is direct or indirect and if it is within your control.
Scope 1: Direct Controlled
For example, when you design a new reusable water bottle, you can control what materials are used, the type of marketing campaign, where you make it and what type of value chain you create. Creating a direct impact on the ecosystem
Scope 2: Indirect Controlled
For example, when you design a new reusable water bottle, you can control with which partners you want to work with that have the same purpose as you. But the impact does not come from you directly.
Scope 3: Indirect Uncontrolled
For example, when you design a new reusable water bottle, you can not control whether the buyer uses tap water or the water quality, how long people use the bottle, or what happens after it reaches the end of its life.
Using Scope 1,2,3 to give insights in our impact is inspired by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), which divides emissions into three scopes:
Scope 1 emissions – direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by a company
Scope 2 emissions – indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heat, and cooling
Scope 3 emissions – all other emissions associated with a company’s activities
On Sustain.life you can learn more
Although it is important to examine Greenhouse Gas emissions, this is not enough. Using the Scope 1,2,3 framework adapted for impact helps us qualify our impact, giving insight into where we can improve.
5. Iterate for Impact not for Perfection
Now that you better understand the different ways of impact your design could make. Ask yourself:
How can I change my design to move Scope 3 impacts to Scope 2 or even 1?
What positively impacts nature & community but negatively impacts the economy?
What positively impacts the economy & community but negatively impacts nature?
What positively impacts nature & economy but negatively impacts the community?
Who do I need to talk to even better to understand the impact of my design?
How can I change my design to qualify and quantify the impact?
What are short-term impacts, and what are long-term impacts?
What are my next steps?
When you answer these questions, you can create another iteration & prototype and start thinking about implementation.
