Systematisation of behavioural design strategies to prevent rebound effects: A systematic literature review

Rebound effects (RE), in which induced behavioural or systemic responses offset sustainability gains, represent a critical challenge for design for sustainability. While mitigation has traditionally dominated the discourse, this study advances an ex-ante, preventive approach by identifying and systematising behavioural design strategies with the potential to prevent RE. Using a systematic literature review, 58 unique behavioural design strategies were identified and classified across three criteria: design levels (e.g., product and socio-technical systems, to clarify the scope at which interventions can be operationalised), rebound triggers (e.g., reappraisal of consequences, cognitive biases, to establish a clear link with related rebound mechanisms), and leverage points for systemic change (e.g., information flows, system goals and paradigms, to explore their potential in system change, from shallower adjustments to deeper structural changes). Strategies were further clustered into 13 prevention dimensions, ranging from reflective feedback to co-design. The analysis reveals that the majority of identified strategies operate at the PSS and STS levels, with a strong concentration around mid-level leverage points, particularly the structure of information flows, and behavioural triggers such as cognitive biases and moral licensing. These findings highlight the potential of design to shape behaviour and contribute to the prevention of RE and propose a framework to support the selection of design strategies. Finally, future research is recommended to enhance the generalisability of the identified strategies through empirical testing, as well as to expand into behavioural change techniques, to develop a practical design catalogue for rebound prevention.