“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” — George Bernard Shaw
I remember reading this quote for the first time when I was still a student on campus, and it made me feel both intrigued and a bit unsettled by its implications. And I asked myself, was Shaw suggesting that progress hinged on those willing to challenge norms, to question the “way things have always been done”? That idea stuck with me, echoing as I entered the world of design, a field that seemed ripe for embracing a bit of unreasonableness. I was a fresher in the design field, still trying to memorize the design thinking framework from every book I could find online.
In the years since, I’ve come to see Shaw’s insight as an unspoken motto for the work I do as designer. In my experience, all the best design work, whether it’s building a product, crafting a user experience, or tackling some grand system-level challenge, has involved pushing past reasonable boundaries. And I’ve learned that true progress happens at the intersection of these three approaches, design thinking, systems thinking, and futures thinking. Each on its own offers valuable insights, but combined, they allow us to reimagine the world completely.
My first ever design project was on campus, it was to design eco-friendly packaging for a local business wanting to reduce their environmental footprint. I was so excited. I had a clear direction, and I had done the groundwork. In any typical design-thinking project, you begin with empathy which is, understanding the user’s needs, hopes, and frustrations. But this project demanded something more. It wasn’t just about understanding our clients and end-users; it was about empathizing with the planet and every process our product would touch. I began asking myself questions beyond the brief. How could this packaging not just lessen harm but actually add value to the environment?
I remember one particularly long afternoon when I scribbled down, almost as a joke, “What if the packaging could improve soil as it decomposes?” It sounded ambitious, bordering on absurd. But the thought lingered, and as I dug into it, I found the potential of using seaweed-based bioplastics. Seaweed grows quickly, doesn’t require fresh water or fertilizers, and, if handled right, it could be turned into a material that’s not only biodegradable but also capable of enriching the soil it breaks down in.
Suddenly, a wild idea was taking shape. Instead of trying to create “less bad” packaging, what if we created packaging that actively supported ecosystems? I knew this path would require more effort and investment, but the potential benefits felt far more exciting than simply designing around existing materials. It was the first real lesson this project taught me, that sometimes, the best solutions come when you question the problem itself.
“When you question the problem itself!”
Now that I had the Idea, I had to consider every stage of the product’s lifecycle, from harvesting raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, and finally disposal. In design this is what we normally call systems thinking, basically asking yourself “How might we……., in this kind of mess…….”. I needed to create not just a sustainable product but a sustainable process.
I began reaching out to seaweed farmers thank God I was in Mombasa it was easy to get them, connecting with environmental researchers in my university, and looking at supply chains that could support ethical, eco-friendly harvesting practices. Every conversation taught me something new about the complexities of building a truly sustainable product. I realized that if we were going to use seaweed, we couldn’t just jump into production without understanding the environmental impact of each step. Would our packaging compete with local food supplies? Could we partner with waste management facilities in Kenya to ensure it would be composted correctly?
This stage of the project was humbling. The more I zoomed out, the more I saw how interconnected everything was. It was like tugging on a thread and discovering a whole web of implications. Systems thinking forced me to move beyond designing “a package” and instead start designing for an entire ecosystem.
Once we’d developed the basic prototype, my thoughts turned toward the future. Could this packaging concept inspire an entire shift in how we think about disposables? Could it encourage a mindset where packaging doesn’t end up in landfills but instead goes back into the earth, leaving a positive impact?
At this stage I was not just thinking about solving today’s problem, I was imagining how today’s solution can evolve in a world that’s constantly changing. And in this case, I wanted to envision a future where sustainable packaging wasn’t an exception, but the rule. I started researching how circular economies might impact our design, thinking of ways our packaging could be repurposed, or even turned into a product in its own right after use. I imagined a closed-loop system where businesses would send packaging back to be reprocessed or, even better, where packaging could be planted like a seed to enrich the earth as it decomposed.
Exploring these scenarios might sound like wishful thinking, but it taught me something valuable, to build a bridge between what’s ideal and what’s feasible. And often, it’s that ideal vision that brings out the boldest ideas.
When I look back on this project, I realize it was a lesson in embracing what’s “unreasonable.” It would have been so easy to stick with just a packaging material and call it a day. But pushing past what was convenient led us to something that felt meaningful and impactful. Shaw’s words, that progress depends on the “unreasonable man,” rang truer with each step of the journey.
As designers, we’re not just solving problems, we’re influencing how the world around us grows and changes. Sometimes that requires stepping outside of conventional boundaries, listening to the whisper of a “what if” question, and following it even if it leads to an uncharted path.
So here’s my advice to anyone in design or planning to get into design: be bold enough to ask difficult questions. Push beyond the brief. Look at the bigger picture and imagine the future you want to see. Because sometimes, it’s the willingness to be “unreasonable” that sparks the greatest change.