Studio Every Conversations: Tom Domen, ex-Ecover + Method Global Head of Long-Term Innovation, with Kelly from Studio Every
We caught up with Tom Domen, ex-Ecover + Method Global Head of Long-Term Innovation for almost two decades. He is now an independent innovation and sustainability consultant, and keynote speaker.
We connected to learn more about Tom’s career journey and experience in long-term innovation and his perspectives on sustainability.
1. Are you able to share a bit about your background and summarise your career?
I have a background in innovation and sustainability. My expertise lies in fostering a mindset of innovation and sustainability, empowering businesses to thrive in this rapidly evolving global landscape.
With a solid foundation in sustainable practices, I specialise in guiding companies towards innovative and transformative solutions that supercharge your sustainability goals and maximise future brand value.
I now collaborate with organisations and experts to develop and implement strategic circular economy initiatives, bringing people together to rally around a new vision for the future.
“A vision can only come to reality through an iterative process where the learnings from your actions are shaping the end goal.”
image credit: Ecover
2. Do you feel people’s appetite for sustainability is changing?
We often hear that sustainability doesn’t sell - do we need to entice people to make the sustainable choice?
Sustainability has become the norm that people expect. But it’s hard for a consumer to evaluate whether a product is truly sustainable or not. It’s an ever-moving target.
So, it’s about making clear that you go above and beyond. If the impact reduction is clear and the compromise people need to make is not too big (e.g. performance, price etc), the majority of people will shift to the more sustainable alternative.
A perfect sustainability proposition does sell. The problem is that not many brands manage that equation very well. The positive news is that the overall market for sustainable products is still growing, even there where a compromise is to be made, which is often price.
“A perfect sustainability proposition does sell. The problem is that not many brands manage that equation very well.”
3. How far do you feel we have we come in the last decade with sustainability? What sort of progress have you experienced and witnessed throughout your career?
Nowadays, I feel that sustainability is a factor that should be considered is any innovation project. It may not reach the level of ambition we hope for, but at least it is being tackled.
Legislation is also driving continuous improvement in the portfolio, so one can no longer ignore it completely. Companies that are leading the way have now taken sustainability to a new level though where it is not just about the incremental improvements, but about a complete redesign of the product or service.
4. Do you have any favourite examples of great sustainable design? Who are the pioneers or movers and shakers that have got your attention?
I’d like to give the example of the NNormal running shoe - my favourite hobby is trail running. It’s in trial, so not available for all yet, but it’s a great example of clever circular design.
Running shoes have been my guilty pleasure for a long time but having to throw away a lot of still good-looking shoes because of the fact they lose their cushion function after 1000K. Kboix from NNormal is a modular shoe concept where you can replace the mid-sole and bottom sole. You keep the main frame of the shoe for much longer as you replace the sole. It also provides the modularity to use the appropriate sole for the specific run. Or changing between having more comfort vs feeling more natural.
image credit: NNormal
It’s the combination of massive improvement on material use, it’s also a new business model (repair service) and provides the user with a new benefit. NNormal makes sure they collect the waste they generate and can find a more qualitative recycling partner for the soles.
image credit: NNormal
5. Often the sustainable choice comes at a greater cost - how do we make the right choice more affordable for all?
There are two factors that currently make it hard to compete with certain unsustainable practices.
Firstly, the actual cost of the planet impact they cause is not included in the cost and price of the product.
Secondly, sustainable alternatives haven’t reached the same scale yet. If these two factors are at play, we need to find a different value proposition. For example, joining a car-sharing scheme is cheaper than owning a car but asks for a big behaviour change.
“In a rapidly changing world, you can no longer rely on pure historical data to make projections about the future. ”
6. Brands are often caught in the near term. Why is thinking about long-term innovation important?
In a rapidly changing world, you can no longer rely on pure historical data to make projections about the future.
The shift towards radical sustainability and digital transformation is providing fertile ground for disruptive business models. However, the pull from the day-to-day is so strong that even with the best intentions, long-term thinking doesn’t get the attention it needs with the majority of brands.
Long-term thinking requires the dynamic of test and learn that is not compatible with running a predictable innovation pipeline.
7. What’s next? Where is sustainable design heading?
In a future where solutions need to match the scale of the challenge, disruptive system innovation is our beacon of hope.
It will be bold ideas, not incremental tweaks, that forge a path towards a resilient society and planet.
New circular business models where the material consumption is decoupled from the growth. They will require industry collaboration and a matching policy to create the big shifts we need to see. We will need to get out of our comfort zone and take responsibility beyond the product launched to market.
We need to proactively create alliances and jointly demonstrate that these new models work, if the scale is there.
