A Design Thinking Approach to Policy Interventions for Nudging Responsible Consumption

A Design Thinking Approach to Policy Interventions for Nudging Responsible Consumption | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A Design Thinking Approach to Policy Interventions for Nudging Responsible Consumption Aasha Sharma This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8170901/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The importance of access to safe drinking water for human health is well established. However, increasing concerns about the quality of public water supplies have led to a surge in bottled water consumption, contributing significantly to plastic pollution and environmental degradation. This study examines whether strategic public infrastructure improvements, specifically, the installation of Water Vending Machines (WVMs) by Indian Railways, can serve as a choice architecture nudge to promote responsible consumption and reduce reliance on bottled water. Drawing on the Expectation Confirmation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, this Research identifies key constructs influencing passengers' behavioral intentions toward WVM use, expectation confirmation, environmental beliefs, consumer attitude and trust, perceived usefulness, and risk perception. Using Design Thinking under Research through Design (RtD), the study employs an empathize–define–ideate framework to gather commuter insights, synthesize pain points, ideate potential interventions within the Infrastructure that could nudge commuters toward using WVMs, and ultimately propose these interventions in the form of a policy document to the Railway Authorities of India. The Paper also attempts to build a theory using the Design Thinking exercise. Research through Design Design Thinking Public Infrastructure Intervention Choice Architecture Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 09 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 29 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 28 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Dec, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 27 Dec, 2025 Editor invited by journal 09 Dec, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 04 Dec, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 04 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 04 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8170901","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":567314172,"identity":"a48c5c17-4657-43a8-b1ef-10929f25db5d","order_by":0,"name":"Aasha 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Consumption","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-sustainability","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"disu","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Sustainability](https://www.springer.com/43621)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Sustainability","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Research through Design, Design Thinking, Public Infrastructure Intervention, Choice Architecture","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8170901/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8170901/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe importance of access to safe drinking water for human health is well established. However, increasing concerns about the quality of public water supplies have led to a surge in bottled water consumption, contributing significantly to plastic pollution and environmental degradation. This study examines whether strategic public infrastructure improvements, specifically, the installation of Water Vending Machines (WVMs) by Indian Railways, can serve as a choice architecture nudge to promote responsible consumption and reduce reliance on bottled water. Drawing on the Expectation Confirmation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, this Research identifies key constructs influencing passengers' behavioral intentions toward WVM use, expectation confirmation, environmental beliefs, consumer attitude and trust, perceived usefulness, and risk perception. Using Design Thinking under Research through Design (RtD), the study employs an empathize\u0026ndash;define\u0026ndash;ideate framework to gather commuter insights, synthesize pain points, ideate potential interventions within the Infrastructure that could nudge commuters toward using WVMs, and ultimately propose these interventions in the form of a policy document to the Railway Authorities of India. The Paper also attempts to build a theory using the Design Thinking exercise.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A Design Thinking Approach to Policy Interventions for Nudging Responsible Consumption","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-31 09:12:27","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8170901/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-02-09T11:24:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-06T05:09:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-29T06:51:03+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"21733117058330133808565449164073415174","date":"2026-01-28T12:28:45+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"260219778168551672723146160789883263741","date":"2026-01-28T08:56:19+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-06T10:42:15+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"216122590722978332065602444245680093307","date":"2025-12-30T11:27:18+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-12-27T05:28:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-12-09T11:05:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-12-04T08:57:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-12-04T06:08:20+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Sustainability","date":"2025-12-04T05:58:21+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-sustainability","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"disu","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Sustainability](https://www.springer.com/43621)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Sustainability","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"119e0ae9-b7cc-4be1-8d44-a114b8ae10a1","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 31st, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-18T11:09:34+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-31 09:12:27","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8170901","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8170901","identity":"rs-8170901","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}