Designing social sustainability with one foot at a time

Background A relatively new phenomenon related to social sustainability is gaining attention, particularly with the emergence of small design and fashion businesses with distinct missions to act as agents of social change. While social sustainability is often discussed in the context of non-profits or as a part of corporate social responsibility, an increasing effort has been made to explore ways in which activities to promote social responsibility can also generate profits at the same time. This studyexaminesthe distinct characteristics of the business model that takes social responsibility to the core of its profit engine. Methods In the forefront of this effort stands a small fashion firm called TOMS shoes. Using the One for One model of TOMS Shoes as a model case, we conceptualize profit-seeking social enterprise (PSSE) and identify behavioral and operational characteristics of PSSE. Results We identify how PSSE led by a small-scale fashion firm, which is often confronted with limited resources for marketing and communication, can gain its brand recognitionand at the same timefoster socially-conscious consumer consumption. Conclusion The importance of sustainability in the design field is often discussed in the context of environmental sustainability in terms of developing more ecologically-friendly products. This paper broadened the discussion of sustainability concerning social and human interactions via the development of an innovative business model in the creative industry.