In a critical analysis, Dezeen editorial director Max Fraser outlines ten ways in which the design and furniture industry is dysfunctional, highlighting systemic issues from overproduction to limited diversity.
One key problem is excessive resource consumption. Despite widespread discussions about circular economy principles, most products still follow a linear take-make-waste model, combining materials and chemicals that make recycling difficult. Without stronger legislation, brands have little incentive to change.
The industry also produces too much stuff, especially repetitive iterations of objects like chairs. The drive to constantly launch new products, combined with market and media pressure, fuels overproduction and a relentless demand for novelty, while factories operate at full capacity.
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Broken royalty systems leave designers undercompensated, typically earning only 3–5% of wholesale prices, often without advances. This model encourages break-and-replace products over repairable designs, contradicting sustainability goals.
Risk-taking and diversity are also limited. Major brands favor established designers and predictable designs, often under corporate ownership, which stifles innovation. Leadership remains largely homogeneous, limiting perspectives and affecting hiring, product decisions, and inclusivity.
Luxury products dominate high-end markets, but affordability and accessibility for the broader population are declining. Simultaneously, market volatility, rising material costs, tariffs, and uncertain trading conditions create instability, while an influx of design graduates faces scarce job opportunities, particularly outside expensive urban centres.
Fraser criticizes the brand-driven "immersive experiences" that often prioritize marketing over meaningful design engagement. Environmental responsibility is another shortfall: only 43% of designers feel equipped with green skills, and sustainable practices remain a minority against a backdrop of extractive, polluting materials and processes.
In conclusion, Fraser argues that while pockets of innovation and sustainability exist, the industry largely tinkers at the edges rather than addressing core issues. He warns of entrenched norms: overproduction, superficial experiences, inequitable labour models, and insufficient environmental action.
This critique, part of Dezeen's Performance Review series, calls for systemic change in the design and architecture sectors to ensure innovation, sustainability, and equity are genuinely embedded across the industry.
Source: Dezeen
