Designing for tomorrow: A case study exploring post-growth values

While industries increasingly pursue sustainability, global emissions remain far above the levels required to meet 2030 climate targets. The post-growth paradigm responds to this challenge by emphasizing collective economies, community resilience, and environmental wellbeing. However, its translation into design practice remains underexplored. This paper examines how post-growth values can make design more accessible, sustainable, and inclusive in practice. Drawing on literature on post-growth theory, psychographic segmentation, and design management, the study develops a value-based post-growth mindset and explores its application through a qualitative case study. The findings suggest that post-growth values can be translated into three design orientations: Reorient, Revitalize, and Reimagine. These orientations guide designers and practitioners to define purpose beyond profit, involve stakeholders more inclusively, and support transparent sustainability practices. The study develops an exploratory framework for designers, managers, and practitioners, while elaborating contextual insights of the four brands that address the challenges in adopting a post-growth mindset.