The METROPOLIS Leadership Summit at Neocon brought together design leaders to discuss how to simplify sustainability’s complexity and bring more people into the conversation. This year’s summit was held in person, marking a return to the event’s origins. The industry has undergone significant changes since the first summit four years ago, evident in the shift in conversation.
Leaders were asked to identify priorities. With numerous frameworks, certifications, and sustainability goals in play, they considered how to focus on the right priorities and drive meaningful impact. One participant noted that designers care, and the challenge is helping clients care.
The amount of data on carbon, material health, circularity, transparency, and product impacts has grown tremendously in recent years. However, this can make it difficult to prioritize and determine what matters most. Sustainability is often just another layer of complexity to a project rather than an integrated part of the design process.
Translating Technical Information
Metrics alone rarely inspire care. The conversation kept coming back to the need to translate technical information into shared human values: healthier communities, environmental justice, better outcomes for future generations, and a more meaningful connection between design decisions and their impacts. Several leaders pointed to systems like the Common Materials Framework as promising examples of how the industry can simplify complexity through a unified framework.
Certifications and reporting systems can become proxies for impact, but they shouldn’t be seen as the end goal or a box to check off. The group questioned whether the ever-growing number of frameworks, certifications, and reporting requirements are removing creativity, agency, and even joy from their work. It’s a good problem to have, but designers shouldn’t have to choose between science and creativity.
As one designer stated: “If we can connect sustainability to desire, joy, and the creation of a better world, we are probably moving in the right direction.” The challenge is no longer a lack of information, data, resources, or tools, but aligning around what matters most and translating that into meaningful action and great design.
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From Parallel Efforts to Collective Action
The second session focused on how the design industry can move from parallel efforts to collective action. What kinds of partnerships, shared priorities, or “big moves” could better connect firms, manufacturers, educators, and associations? The group rejected the premise that parallel efforts were creating fragmentation, instead focusing on the divide between those already committed to sustainability and everyone else.
The conversation shifted into a discussion about invitation, accessibility, and shared values. One designer challenged the room to consider whether sustainability sometimes presents itself as a cultural identity rather than a set of broadly shared values.
The goal isn’t simply better coordination among firms, manufacturers, educators, and associations, but expanding the circle of participation. They challenged themselves to move beyond familiar sustainability audiences and engage contractors, owners, dealers, clients, manufacturers, and communities that may not already identify with sustainability. The strongest call to action was not for a new certification, framework, or organization, but for a more inclusive and accessible conversation grounded in shared values.
As the discussion wrapped up, one designer encouraged the group to move from “elitism to invitation.” Collective action depends less on getting everyone to agree and more on creating enough common ground for people with different perspectives, priorities, and experiences to move forward together.
AECOM, ASID, Contract Textiles, and Design Collective were among the prominent firms and organizations represented at the METROPOLIS Leadership Summit.
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