Design thinking and sustainable innovation: ideas, solutions and skills that serve the future

In the contemporary debate on innovation, few keywords are as evocative as “design thinking” and “sustainability.” These two concepts are often covered separately, but are now becoming ever more intermeshed, giving rise to a new vision of enterprise and progress. The increasing urgency of addressing environmental and social challenges requires us to rethink the way we innovate: no longer by taking linear and predictive approaches, but rather by adopting methods that embrace complexity, enhance creativity and generate long-term, positive impact.

That's where design thinking comes in. Born as a way of designing effective user experiences and functional products, this approach has now evolved into a powerful tool for addressing systemic problems. When applied in an informed way, design thinking is no longer just a technique, but a way of looking at the world, asking the right questions, and rethinking business models to respond to real needs, rather than generating fictitious ones. It thus becomes a strategic ally in sustainable innovation.

In this context, the role of purpose – understood as the organisation’s profound value direction – and the training of managers capable of combining environmental sensitivity and entrepreneurial vision take on crucial importance. To explore these topics in depth, we interviewed Stefano Magistretti, Director of the Master in Entrepreneurship and Design for Sustainability at POLIMI Graduate School of Management.

According to the World Economic Forum, the transition to sustainable business models could generate more than $10 trillion a year in opportunities and create 395 million jobs by 2030. How can we best seize these opportunities in the field of sustainable innovation and design thinking? Can you give us some examples?

I’m going back about 20 years, to a TED talk by Tim Brown – one of the founders of design thinking – when he said that design can no longer be limited to aesthetics, but must deal with complex and relevant problems. The opportunity is huge, but what really matters is understanding how we can make a real contribution to sustainability, not by chasing numbers, but by building strong, impactful visions. The key point is that design thinking, when used consciously, can help us intercept genuine problems, avoiding designing pointless, redundant solutions. This is a major shift in perspective. If we use design thinking simply because it is “in fashion,” we risk producing superficial innovation, while if we adopt it with the aim of deeply investigating real needs – environmental, social, and economic – then it can become a true catalyst for sustainability.

In design thinking, the concept of “framing and reframing” is fundamental: it means learning to ask the right questions, questioning assumptions, and understanding whether the problem we want to solve is really the core issue or just a symptom. This critical process helps us avoid consumerist drifts – such as introducing a new product only because there is apparent demand – and instead, leads us to essential, simple, and truly functional solutions.

There are examples of companies that have focused on a reduced, transparent and simplified offering: instead of hundreds of product combinations, they have chosen a few standardised models. This has not only minimised industrial complexity, but has also reduced the environmental burden and improved the user experience. Choosing to do less but better, in an age of hyper-personalisation, is an act of entrepreneurial courage. It's a strategic vision that sees sustainability as a lever of value.

What methodologies and tools are needed to turn these visions into concrete projects and businesses that combine environmental sustainability and profitability? How can design thinking drive the development of innovative solutions that positively impact society and the planet?

The first step is to include the planet as one of the “humans” in the system. That sounds provocative, but it isn’t: the planet, like any user, can be observed. It doesn't talk, but it communicates through data, evidence, and impact. It represents a “stakeholder” in the design thinking project. If we also start to consider natural resources as actors in our design ecosystem, we introduce constraints that – far from being obstacles – become catalysts for innovation. Design thinking can help us interpret these constraints not as limitations, but as creative stimuli.

When we design with scarce resources, environmental limitations and social sustainability in mind, we can no longer afford “standard” solutions. We need to imagine new value configurations. If, for example, a given solution requires a high use of rare earths, but these are difficult to source or their exploitation has a devastating impact, design thinking invites us to look for sustainable alternatives, to rethink the business model, to innovate in the very fundamentals as well.

From a methodological point of view, there is no single recipe. The real key is the ability to ask the right questions. I often say this in class: if there were a foolproof method, all of us in the field of sustainability would be millionaires. The reality is that we need awareness, vision and a strong connection to values. Some companies have made employee wellbeing or the beauty of their work environments their purpose, willing to spend more to create real and lasting value. This kind of consistency is conveyed in products, in services, and in the way the company relates to the world. And it stems from one question: “What impact do I want to have?” Design thinking helps you find answers.

How can we build an entrepreneurial mindset that sees sustainability not as a limitation, but as a valuable opportunity to be seized through the right approach to design thinking? What training strategies can help develop this type of mindset and purpose in the coming generations?

Sustainability should not be seen as a problem to be solved, but as fertile ground for generating opportunities. In the classroom, we try to change the narrative, shifting the focus from risk to possibility. It is not just a question of explaining the negative impact of finite resources, but of asking: “What new solution can we create to address this problem in a sustainable way?” It's a different way of teaching, which stimulates creativity and responsibility.

At POLIMI Graduate School of Management, we do a lot of work on the concept of purpose and the formation of a sustainable entrepreneurial mindset. We organise series of meetings with entrepreneurs and managers who have made purpose the heart of their company. We call them “Purpose Pioneers.” Some work on aesthetics, others on social mission, and yet others on transparency and inclusion. Our students – both junior and senior – listen to these stories, discuss them, ask questions, and begin to imagine their own path.

In our Master in Entrepreneurship and Design for Sustainability, students also participate in global challenges such as ChangeNOW and Climate Fresk. These are practical experiences that test them on real problems, on an international scale. It’s not just a question of learning methodologies, but of training their mindset: being able to deal with uncertainty, thinking systemically, and working in multidisciplinary teams. All of this builds awareness and vision.