SUFFICIENCY | A QUESTION OF EMOTION?

This paper analyses the influence of emotions on the motivation of consumers to act sufficiently. Sustainability in the sense of sufficiency requires a cultural value change in society. This transformation process cannot be achieved by education and knowledge transfer only. In fact, the unsustainable actions of consumers, contrary to their own convictions, show an interplay of ratio and emotions as their leading motivation for action. The importance of emotions and their effects on consumer behaviour is obvious. The type of emotion just like the situation, in which the consumers find themselves, is crucial for their behaviour. The current corona pandemic, for example, illustrates the emotionally driven willingness of society to make a change during a crisis. But also, in everyday life, feelings towards politics, the own social environment and the way consumers perceive themselves influence their decisions. Design offers great potential in the communication of sufficiency and as a tool for cultural transformation. It can address consumers not only on a rational but also on an emotional level and help to create a common vision of a more sustainable future.