Jonathan Chapman is Professor and Director of Doctoral Studies in the School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University, USA. His research tackles our throwaway society by developing design strategies for longer-lasting products, materials and user experiences — an approach he calls, emotionally durable design. Chapman's work on the behavioural dimension of product longevity was first established in his book, Emotionally Durable Design: Objects, Experiences & Empathy. The theory proposes the creation of products that endure in terms of their technological, physical and emotional durability – a call to arms for professionals, students and academic creatives to think about designing things we would cherish and keep, rather than throw away. He argues that designing products should incorporate a lasting emotional as well as physical perspective. Through this design approach, we increase value, conserve resources and prevent materials from becoming waste. On describing Chapman's research, New Scientist defined him as 'a new breed of sustainable design thinker'. Chapman feels that emotionally durable design represents a core sustainable design strategy. According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Chapman's work has advanced product design and business thinking in a range of settings. He advises a number of global businesses on how they can design their products and services in a more sustainable way — environmentally, socially and financially, including Puma, Philips, Sony and The Body Shop. Through publications, training, exhibitions, master-classes and films, this research has transformed understanding of sustainable design in professional, policy and cultural settings, propelling the field beyond its focus on energy and materials, towards deeper engagements that link psychosocial phenomena with ideas about consumption and waste; helping them to cut waste and to enhance product, material and brand value. Chapman's work is cited in books, journals and a range of popular international publications and broadcast media including, New Scientist CNN International, New Statesman, New York Times, The Telegraph, The Independent and several features and interviews on BBC Radio 4, including: You & Yours, Click-On and The Today Programme. Books
Chapman, J., Emotionally Durable Design: Objects, Experiences and Empathy, Revised and expanded second edition, Routledge, London, 2015
Chapman, J. & Gant, N., Designers, Visionaries & Other Stories: A Collection of Sustainable Design Essays, Earthscan, London, 2007
Key Texts
Chapman, J., 'Designing Meaningful & Lasting User Experiences', in Moran, A. and O'Brien, S. , Love Objects: Emotion, Design & Material Culture, Bloomsbury, London, 2014
Chapman, J., 'Prospect, Seed & Activate', in Fletcher, K. & Tham, M. The Routledge Handbook of Sustainability and Fashion, Routledge, UK, 2014
Chapman, J., 'Meaningful Stuff: Towards longer lasting products', in Karana, E., Pedgley, O. & Rognoli, V. , Materials Experience: Contemporary Issues Connecting Materials and Product Design, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2013
Chapman, J., 'Emotionally Sustainable Design', in Walker, S. & Giard, J. , The Handbook of Sustainable Design, Berg, London, 2012
Chapman, J., ‘Subject Object Relationships and Emotionally Durable Design’, a contributing chapter in Cooper, T., Longer Lasting Products: Alternatives to the Throwaway Society, Gower, Farnham, 2010, pp61–76
Chapman, J., 'No Alternative', in Predan. B., Krecic, P. & Subic, S., Sustainable Alternatives in Design, Pekinpah, Slovenia, 2009, pp124–132
Chapman, J., ‘Sustaining Relationships Between People and Things’, in Desmet, M. P., van Erp, J. & Karlsonn, M., Design & Emotion Moves, Design & Emotion Society, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2008, pp47–65
Margolin, V., Doordan, D., Brown, B., Woodham, J., Garland, K., Chapman, J., Cooper, R., Lee, S., Salinas, O., Boddington, A., Harper, C. and Pelcl, J., 'Brighton 05-06-07', Design Issues, Winter 2008, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp91–93
Chapman, J., 'Desire, Disappointment and Domestic Waste', in Pavilion Commissions Programme, Pavilion, Leeds, 2007, pp4–11
