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

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.