Strategies in practice
More for less (eco-efficiency)
Products to services
Design for use
Tools and techniques
Long-term strategies

To date, design has responded in an incremental way to environmental issues. This equates to improving an existing product, or more usually, an existing process. Only a few companies have seized this as an opportunity rather than a constraint. Even fewer have instigated eco-innovation programmes to embrace the concept and integrate life cycle thinking into management systems. For example Patagonia, an American outerwear manufacturer, has received considerable media attention for its range of eco-textile products and its management strategy. It is important that this is not just seen to be a simple repositioning of current products and services.

Strategies in practice

Environmentally responsible products can be categorised by their environmental 'focus' or 'objective' For example designs that specifically aim to reduce physical resources. To see sample categories and design examples click here.

More for less (eco-efficiency)

The current trends are:

• Reduce: Companies have learnt to diminish emissions and reduce consumption of energy and physical resources. This has been achieved through process optimisation and effective material selection.
• Reuse: Post industrial waste and post consumer waste has been effectively integrated into certain products. Companies have to organise the sourcing of material to ensure that it can be reused either as a whole or an element. The electronics sector has provided examples in which product architecture can be reused by simply updating electronic components. BT has reused telephone cases which, once refurbished, can be redistributed. Modular components can be easily replaced, maintaining maximum flexibility of use. In order for this to happen, products need to be easy to repair and may even conduct self diagnosis. For example, using 'product history chips' a product's service history can be recorded and the product repaired accordingly. Technical products, such as computers and mobile phones need to be reprogrammable and easily upgradable.
• Recycling: Recycling and waste minimisation have become established industry practice. Companies seek to reduce waste at source by understanding and changing processes to prevent the generation of waste. Companies have recognised the cost effectiveness of recycling and good house keeping.

Successful businesses have moved from a specific focus such as waste minimisation to consider the wider remit of life cycle thinking.

Products to services

Promoting a direct shift from products to services (dematerialising) can, if designed effectively, reduce environmental impact. The producer is fulfilling a need and wants to sell more service units, however, in order to keep costs low and remain competitive, the producer will keep the unit cost to a minimum. For example:

• a producer who supplies, manages and maintains the heating for a building (as opposed to simply selling radiators) will ensure that the system is energy efficient and maintenance is minimal.
• Xerox are now described as 'The Document Company.' The company provides world-wide infrastructure to enable business to produce documents.
• Interface the carpet company provide carpet tiles, replaces worn out tiles, washe the carpet and then remove it once the client wishes to dispose of it and recycles the tiles into 'new' (next generation) carpet tiles.

Product durability and product life extension/optimisation only happens with conscious thought. Organisations need to enhance the relationship between producer and customer: For example the automatic provision of latest technology, without having to remember to place orders.

Design for use

Companies have to consider the context of use and user behaviour. Products and services have to fit culture and lifestyle. Studies have demonstrated that often the most polluting aspect of a product or service is during the use stage.

Behavioural studies provide insight into relationships between people and products. Companies need to explore the expectations of stakeholders and the means to meet these. A well used example to illustrate this point is the Axis kettle.

Tools and techniques

As sustainable design has become more widespread, so has the development of tools to aid implementation.

This section provides an introduction to some of the tools and techniques which have been adopted across a number of sectors (in particular the electronics and automotive sector). Different tools are required for different stages in the product development process.

The tools are generally divided into the following groups:

• tools that assist in analysing the situation; Life Cycle Assessment, Abridged Life Cycle Assessment, Focused Analysis Tools
• tools that help implement sustainable design that help once the situation has been analysed
• tools which assist in reporting data

In common with most design disciplines, successful sustainable design implementation requires the integration of several design and management activities but it also requires a strong link with the stakeholders. It is important to remember that the use of tools alone is not sufficient to guarantee success.

Long-term strategies

To date these design responses have moved industry onto the first rung of the ladder. We need to explore what goes beyond and examine what needs to happen in five and ten years. Whilst sustainable design strategies exist as theories, examples of practice are not so common. This suggests that the great opportunity is to decide where we want to go and how can we facilitate development? Eternally Yours foundation organised meetings which looked at a shift of emphasis from simply designing up to the point of sales to actually maintaining a relationship with user. As a result of this they proposed a new kind of employee called the 'relations manager.' They recognised the need to embed products into services and identified that products should not be forgotten after their market introduction. Design has to include everything that happens after that; such as cleaning, repairing, upgrading, transport, spare parts, information help desk, facilities for shared use, recycling and finally disposal. The 'relations manager' would providing a product/service 'Career Plan' to define how the product or service should develop in the same way as a traditional career plan. This would require career designers to create scenarios for products to enrich their 'career choices'! Sustainable design challenges existing design culture, product development processes and traditional perceptions of the economy. It is clear that sustainability is becoming critical and is set to top the agenda. It is an area in which design can make a significant contribution as long as we are prepared to question both the role of design and the way business functions.