Transition Through Handprint Business Design for Eco-Responsible Consumer Solutions

Abstract

The requirements for corporate environmental responsibility have shifted from reducing the carbon footprint of production to also cover the increasing use of carbon handprint by lowering the environmental impact of the offering. This paper discusses the guidance and development tools that support environmentally responsible, customer-orientated offering development in small-scale businesses. This support for the businesses has been created through business interviews, benchmark analysis, and co-creation in training sessions. The customer-driven design tools for environmentally responsible product and service solutions consist of a systemic design type of loop canvases to enable the modelling of low-impact consumption and production, and tools to analyze possibilities to lower the consumption impact of offerings, to cover the customer journey, and to support customer behavior change. The design of environmentally sustainable services changes the design goal from customer-driven, desirable solutions to transformation support, for customers as well as for businesses.