“…No one knows what it exactly means”: how do design graduates approach the concept of sustainability?

Purpose By exploring the understanding of design graduates toward the concept of sustainability in both their professional and personal lives, this study aims to uncover how they approach the concept of sustainability, providing insights for design educators, researchers and curricula. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a phenomenological approach and uses a mixed methodology, incorporating semi-structured interviews with 18 design graduates and a survey conducted with 181 design graduates from industrial design departments at universities in Türkiye. Regarding the research approach, the authors analyzed the data using thematic analysis. Findings Empirical findings revealed that design graduates from various universities in Türkiye perceive sustainability as a complex, multifaceted and popular concept. They associated it with environmental factors, including material properties, recycling and reuse activities, as well as with daily life practices. In terms of critical perspectives on sustainability, the prominent findings were on the transparency of the concept, its limitations and its outcomes. Another critical view they expressed was the lack of expertise in sustainability. Furthermore, their engagement with the concept of sustainability was influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Originality/value This study distinguishes itself by exploring how design graduates approach the concept of sustainability, complementing existing research that focuses on design curricula, learning outcomes, design projects or students’ perspectives in higher design education.