Sustainable Colour Design Strategies: A framework for action

Abstract In recent years, the design discipline has faced increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices that address the environmental, social and ethical challenges of production. Colour design plays a pivotal role in influencing consumer behaviour, resource consumption and waste generation, yet it remains an underexplored area in sustainable design research and education. This article presents the development and peer review of the Sustainable Colour Design Strategies (SCDS) framework, a tool designed to guide designers, educators and industry stakeholders in making informed, sustainable colour decisions. The framework comprises eight strategies and 40 concrete actions, addressing key themes such as fostering a sustainable colour mindset, integrating colour circularity, embracing local identity and promoting bio‐colour innovations. The SCDS framework was developed from a research‐through‐design approach, using a qualitative methodology combining systematic literature reviews to identify gaps, the analysis of 65 case studies to understand sustainable practices, stakeholder interviews and peer‐review feedback to highlight the framework's potential to bridge the gap between theory and practice, emphasising its applicability in design education, industry and policymaking. By positioning designers as system thinkers, the framework supports interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. This study contributes to advancing the discourse on colour sustainability, calling for its integration into design curricula and industry practices to promote a more sustainable, regenerative future for colour design.