Chapter 3 "Design Is the Problem": Why I Think The Sustainability Helix Model is Best

After reading Chapter 3 of Design is the Problem, I think the most important message I learned was Shedroff's point that no one model is incomplete. They can and should be used together, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses. However, if having to select the best out of these frameworks, I believe that the Sustainability Helix model is the best. It is the best because it is accessible and more likely to enact and more comprehensive in what issues are being evaluated. The process of identifying the Sustainability Helix model as the best was heavily grounded in looking for a model that surpassed the Life Cycle Analysis model.

As I examined the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), I began to identify qualifying benchmarks that would shape which model I selected was the best of Chapter 3. Undoubtedly, LCA is an incredibly well-suited and thoroughly accurate mechanism for assessing environmental impacts. However, it is also tricky, time-consuming, and expensive. Consequently, it may be something businesses do not have the capacity or desire to perform. Additionally, it fails to adequately assess financial or social performances.

These weaknesses elucidated what qualities I believed needed to be present to be the best. Unlike the LCA, the best model needs to be feasible for businesses to perform. Possible in the sense that it is something that smaller companies can perform and that larger firms have the desire to achieve. Feasibility, and thus the likelihood to enact, to me translates into overall net impact. The more businesses that are willing to commit to a model, the higher the cumulative positive yield. Unlike the LCA, the best framework also is comprehensive in its evaluation of sustainability. It is expansive and evaluates social and financial performances as well as environmental impacts.

With that being said, when I read about the Sustainability Helix, it was an a-ha moment. One of the most significant resonating factors of this model was its positive business mentality and higher accessibility. Shedroff articulates this, saying it is "... decidedly business-positive, and it describes a clear path from wherever an organization might score initially toward greater sustainable development... " (Shedroff, 2009). I believe that being business-friendly is incredibly important. If something is difficult or obstructed, it is less likely to be pursued and, consequently, less productive.  I believe that there are lower barriers to utilizing this framework in the Sustainability Helix model's case. Thus, more people are able and willing to use this model, resulting in higher overall sustainable productivity. 

Furthermore, on the end of accessibility, the Sustainability Helix model is something that all internal levels of a company can use. Shedroff (2009) mentions that while it is geared more towards leadership, it should be used at all levels of an organization when creating new solutions. The high level of accessibility from an internal standpoint is exciting because it prompts sustainable choices at all business levels. Nobody is excluded from the mission of sustainability, which is a powerful collective message. 

Additionally, the Sustainability Helix model also is inclusive of a broader range of sustainability issues. This model encapsulates evaluations on societal performance, environmental performance, and market performance. Including more topics within assessments is essential because it enables a more holistic and healthy business. For example, if one issue is too dominant, you potentially risk something being sacrificed for the sake of something else. The LCA model illustrates this by explaining that making a thinner wall may score lower in its environmental impact but may risk its structural integrity. A potential drawback of including multiple issues is that you cannot thoroughly dive into evaluating all of these issues. The LCA may win in its thoroughness. 

In conclusion, I believe that the Sustainability Helix model is the best for its accessibility and its more comprehensive range of social issues covered. These factors enable the highest sustainability progress, in my opinion. However, to reiterate Shedroff's point, these models exist best when paired with each other. The Sustainability Helix certainly has its weaknesses, and the LCA certainly has its strengths.