Designing for Intentional Consumption - The role of design in supporting agency among Canadian youth for sustainable consumption

Aug 22, 2026

Overconsumption persists despite growing awareness of social, environmental, and financial harms, exposing a gap between attitudes and consumptive behaviours shaped by digital consumer environments. Social media platforms embed purchasing in spaces for entertainment, social connection, and identity formation, where algorithms, frictionless payments, and persistent advertising reduce the distance between exposure and purchase. Restoring agency through system-level design can interrupt low-friction patterns, enable intentional decisions, and widen alternatives for fulfilling social, emotional, and material needs. The study examines these mechanisms among Canadian youth (18–25) and proposes intervention directions informed by co-design outputs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages105

Reading Time4 h 25 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Dedication

Who Is this Report For?

Business Innovators and Strategic Foresight Leaders

Designers, Design Researchers, and UX Practitioners

Designing for Intentional Consumption The role of design in supporting agency among Canadian youth for sustainable consumption by Neecha Klee and Hannah Weider Submitted to OCAD University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2026 Copyright Notice This document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) [You are free to:](You are free to:) Share—copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format Adapt—remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially Under the following conditions: Attribution—You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the licence, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. With the understanding that: You do not need to comply with the licence for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation No warranties are given The licence may not give you all permissions necessary for your intended use, such as privacy, publicity, or moral rights Abstract Overconsumption persists despite growing awareness of its social, environmental, and financial harms, revealing a gap between attitudes and the consumptive behaviours shaped by digital consumer environments. Social media platforms have transformed how young people engage with consumption by embedding purchasing within spaces designed for entertainment, social interaction, and identity formation. Within these environments, algorithmic recommendations, frictionless payment systems, and persistent advertising compress the distance between exposure and purchase, making consumption more ambient and difficult to resist. Meaningful intervention requires restoring user agency through system-level design strategies that interrupt low-friction consumption behaviours, support more intentional decision-making, and expand alternative ways of meeting social, emotional, and material needs. This study investigates how design can support reduced consumption among Canadian youth aged 18-25 through a mixed qualitative approach combining semi-structured interviews, horizon scanning, and a participatory co-design workshop. Findings indicate that consumption is closely tied to identity and social participation and is reinforced by digital environments that prioritize speed and visibility, constraining youths’ ability to act on their intentions. This purchasing behaviour is further magnified by uncertainty and nihilism about the future which in turn motivates hedonic, joy-seeking purchasing behaviours. The research identifies two complementary directions for intervention: introducing moments of reflection within high-speed digital systems and strengthening alternative infrastructures that reduce reliance on purchasing. Insights from the co-design process informed a portfolio of interventions aimed at making more intentional relationships with consumption both viable and desirable, highlighting opportunities for designers, businesses, and policymakers to reshape consumer environments and restore agency. Dedication We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our supervisor Professor Helen Kerr for her guidance throughout this research process. Her leadership in foresight helped us define a clear scope for this project while encouraging intellectual breadth and analytical rigor. She consistently challenged us to engage deeply with complex problems that resist simple solutionsand to examine the structural conditions shaping them. We are deeply grateful to the youth participants whose candor and reflection made this research possible. Their willingness to articulate ambivalence, contradi

FAQs

How do digital consumer environments influence overconsumption among young people?

Digital platforms embed purchasing into entertainment, social interaction, and identity formation. Algorithmic recommendations, frictionless payments, and persistent advertising make exposure-to-purchase happen quickly, reducing users’ ability to act on intentions.

What research methods are used to study reduced consumption for Canadian youth aged 18–25?

The study uses a mixed qualitative approach combining semi-structured interviews, horizon scanning, and a participatory co-design workshop.

What intervention directions does the research identify?

It proposes introducing moments of reflection within high-speed digital systems and strengthening alternative infrastructures that reduce reliance on purchasing.

Aug 22, 2026

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