All good design begins with two questions: Why are we doing this and who are we doing it for? Designers identify these issues as the consumer's “need states.” If we get the answers right, the product can be successful. Our goal is to meet basic expectations such as performance, functionality, ease of use, ergonomics and attractive form factors. However, our world is constantly changing due to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, disruptive events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and long-term trends such as climate change. Good designers anticipate these changing needs, even before consumers recognize them. Therefore, the definition of good design is always evolving, and the ideal is to anticipate changes rather than react to them.

Consumer demand for sustainable products is a good example of how public expectations shape product design. We know that people around the world prefer devices that have the least possible impact on the environment. Also, we recognize that sustainable design is essential if we want to keep our planet habitable for human beings. Take plastic, a material used to make most products, including electronic devices.

If current trends continue, by 2050 annual plastic production could reach 1.1 billion metric tons. This is unsustainable in terms of climate impact, and dangerous for our world's ecosystems because the material breaks down into micro plastics. That's why we believe that a good design should also be a circular design. About 80 percent of a product's impact is determined in the design phase. By applying our design principles, we can meet consumer expectations for the technical and environmental performance of our products throughout their life cycle.

Sustainable by design

Circularity has greatly influenced HP product design for more than 30 years. By integrating sustainability and design reporting findings from the outset, HP ensures that environmental considerations are built into the core design process, ensuring our devices contribute to a low-carbon, sustainable, circular economy. HP follows a four-pronged approach: using increasing amounts of recycled materials such as plastics; identify innovative sustainable materials for future products; design devices for easy repair and recycling; and create products with longer lifespans and potential for a second life.

As digital innovation accelerates, we as designers are going beyond what is currently possible and creating new “magic” by incorporating sustainability. For a company the size of HP, we must create sustainability solutions that are both pragmatic and scalable.

We know we can take advantage of waste to make bigger things, but it takes a lot of ingenuity to achieve it. A little over five years ago, we designed the HP Dragonfly laptop using just 7 grams of recycled plastic. It may not seem like much, but at the time it was revolutionary for the industry. The Dragonfly notebook that launched in 2023 now contains large amounts of recycled aluminum, recycled magnesium, post-consumer recycled plastic, as well as plastic rescued from the ocean.

In fact, 100% of our PCs, workstations, monitors, and Original HP toner cartridges are made with recycled content. This means that HP has used more than one billion pounds of recycled materials in our products and packaging since 2019.

We also design our devices to have a longer life. For example, the new EliteBook 1040. We have made it so that the user themselves can replace the battery, thereby prolonging its life cycle. By extending product life, we delay the creation of a replacement PC and the associated emissions. We continually make our products more useful with each generation, using fewer screws, reusable fasteners, and making batteries easier to replace.

Sustainability must also go beyond the product itself. Shipping and packaging make up a large part of the product's carbon footprint. Last year, we launched the 24- and 27-inch HP All-in-One and redesigned it to optimize palletization to reduce our carbon footprint. By separating the monitor from the stand and making assembly easier, we reduced box size by 62% and increased pallet density by 66%. This is equivalent to reducing the carbon footprint of transportation by 60%. This is a great example of how sustainable design needs to be taken into account from the beginning. This year we've made big strides in packaging, reducing the amount of single-use and petroleum-based plastic in all of our PCs. We've completely redesigned our packaging and also improved the out-of-the-box customer experience, and made it 100% plastic-free for all premium PCs, starting with the OMEN Transcend 14 that launched last January.

Design sustainability in the life cycle of our products

Today, sustainability is central to how HP's design team develops new products. We constantly look beyond the digital technologies used in our devices to reinvent the manufacturing processes and sourcing of materials that go into product design. If the speckled finish of this year's Envy Move has caused admiration, it is also possible to appreciate the innovative use of used coffee grounds, which are one of the many materials repurposed from waste streams that give new life to our products.

Our design approach creates a perfect balance between “beauty” and “environmental responsibility.” And, most importantly, we integrate sustainability into each product throughout its entire life cycle because only then can we meet the expectations of our customers and our planet.