10 approaches on Evolution in a nutshell: individual elements of products → product life cycles,

Design for → Product as a service → socio- technical system innovations.

Sustainability Evolution in a nutshell: widening of the design scope, from insular (product)
to systemic (entities interactions) design → a shift from technocentric
(product centric) design to human- centric design → an expansion of the
sustainability focus.

Description
GD-EDfS- Green Because in mid 80s there was realization of the significant environmental pollution
design and product being caused by products namely in global north. this resulted in regulatory
ecodesign developments and industry- led voluntary initiatives, referred to as the ‘greening of
sustainability the market’
1980 – 1990s -
today Green design (product improvement): primarily focused on lowering environmental
impact by redesigning the individual qualities of individual products: optimizing the
amount of material using recyclable materials, replacing virgin materials with
recycled materials and replacing hazardous/ toxic materials with non- hazardous
ones used in a product, and use of some renewable energy.
Design strategies included: recycling and recyclability, the ease of dismantling,
repairability.

Examples:
Tetra Pak street furniture – made from non- recyclable composite material
Berol’s Karisma coloured pencil series - replaced the toxic paint used to indicate the
colour of the pencil with non- toxic transparent resin

Eco-design (product lifecycle improvement): Does not focus only on the product
rather emphasis on the whole life cycle of the product, ranging from the extraction of
raw materials, through manufacturing, distribution and use, and on to final disposal.
Enabled identifying those phases with the highest environmental impact and
therefore providing a strategic direction for design interventions.
Eco-design uses life-cycle assessment (LCA) methods. This enables to compare
different product concepts that deliver the same functional unit and chose those mor
environment friendly.
Ecodesign has become an important consideration for companie due to the Directive
by the European Commission, thought implementation measures for the directive
has been slow and is still in progress
 Ecodesign follow the ‘waste hierarchy strategy (reduce– reuse– recycle in the
management of waste) - These strategies include reducing the amount of materials
used in a product, reusing parts or whole products in the design of new products,
repurposing parts or whole products at the end of their functional life, designing for
ease of disassembly and dismantling (e.g. by avoiding non- recyclable composite
materials, using mechanical rather than chemical ways of binding product parts and
reducing the number of product parts) and using recyclable materials. Also resource
and energy efficiency (renewable energy)
The life- cycle focus of ecodesign brings into consideration aspects that are related to
manufacturing but not controlled solely by the decisions of designers, such as the
geographical sourcing of materials, which influences transport and component-
production related impacts.

Focus on product innovation (is crucial in order to reduce the environmental impact
of products and production processes)
4 Types of eco-design innovations: product improvement, product redesign, function
innovation and system innovation.
Eco-design can provide designers with a set of design strategies to reduce the
environmental impact of a product life cycle.
Eco-design offers a range of design strategies to extend product lifespan. These
include aspects such as enhancing reliability, facilitating maintenance and repairs,
and facilitating upgradeability.

Examples:
FRIA - multi- chamber refrigerator meant to be installed near the (northern) exterior
wall of the house- reduces energy consumption in 50% in winter.
The Sayl office chair - minimizes the material content of the chair, as exemplified by
the Y- shaped back support.

Ecodesign principles, strategies and guidelines

Tools for analyzing the environmental strengths and weaknesses of a product or
concept
• LCA (lifecycle assessment)
• cumulative energy demand (CED)
• material input per service (MIPS)
• the ecological footprint.
Tools for setting design priorities
Tools to support idea generation
Tools to visualise environmental improvements of concepts and final designs

DfEDD – Design Designing the emotional bond between the product and the user
for emotionally Products are also used as a ‘symbol of what we are, what we have been, and what
durable design we are attempting to become.
sustainability
1990s - today DfEDD addresses products that will be discarded before the end of their
technical life (they still function properly) by putting an emotional bond to the user
thus reducing waste – relative obsolesce.
DfEDD addresses relative obsolesce, as opposed to absolute obsolesce (when a
product reaches the end of its technical life)
Typical products where relative obsolesce exists include clothing and furniture
products.
DfEDD addresses user– product relationship and the role of design in strengthening
that relationship in order to lengthen the product lifespan
 DfEDD objective is enhancing the emotional tie between the user and the product
so that the user– product relationship remains satisfactory over time and product
replacement can be delayed or avoided - designing products that can continuously
provide meaning and value to the user over time.
A complex range of factors affects both consumption behaviour and the choice to
replace a product - product characteristics (e.g. technical conditions, comfort of use),
situational influences (e.g. peer influence, media influence, market developments)
and consumer characteristics (e.g. replacement morality).
User– product connection can be explained in 3 aspects: the visceral level, which is
based on the appearance, aesthetic pleasure and immediate emotional impact of the
product on the user; the behavioural level, which is based on the use of the product
and includes aspects such as function, usability and performance; and the reflective
level, which is based on the meaning, message and cultural component associated
with a product or its use and concerns aspects such as self- image, personal
satisfaction and remembrance.
DfEDD aims at differentiation - Developing highly unique products,
Involving the user in personalisation, customisation and co- design activities, Involving
the user in finishing or making, Designing products that ‘age with dignity’, Designing
products that allow users to capture memories, Designing adaptable products,
Involving the user in do- it- yourself repair activities.

EXAMPLES:
Do Scratch Lamp - Users can scratch the surface to liberate areas which the light can
then pass through and thus create own drawings (own products).
Stain teacup - set of a teacup designed to aesthetically improve through use
Save/ Space/ Vase – set of plastic vases manufactured through a rotational molding
process In the last step of the manufacturing process, each vase is compressed under
a load, giving it a unique shape.

Focus on product innovation (is crucial in order to reduce the environmental impact
of products and production processes).

CHALLENGE:
Product innovation approaches constitute symptomatic solutions which do not
address the root of the sustainability problem because: traditional business logic
wants to sell and not to extend lifespan or optimize resource consumption across the
lifecycle of a product. Still, improvements in products are often negatively
counterbalanced by an increase in consumption levels, leading to more waste.

DfSB - Design for Inspiring and supporting changes in human behaviour

sustainable Focuses on influencing users to adopt desired sustainable behaviours and abandon
behavior undesired unsustainable behaviours.
Middle 1990s - Focus attention to the influence that the user’s behavior can have on the overall
today impact of a product - the way in which users interact with products can determine
substantial environmental impacts – for example energy consumption through their
use its determined by user’s behavior (mostly).
Focus on to facilitate shifts in the everyday behavior of people in order to support the
adoption of sustainable innovations
DfSB addresses products, systems of products, services, digital artefacts, the built
environment and even policies.
DfSB argues that designers need to take moral responsibility for the actions of
people as a result of interactions with designed artefacts.
DfSB is design for sustainable behavioral change
Individual behaviour is directly determined by influences from three possible sources
(habitual, intentional and situational processes) and indirectly determined by
influences from a fourth one (normative processes).
DfSB is a relatively young area of study

DfSB mujst consider designing for:

- making it easier for people to adopt the desired behaviour;
- making it harder for people to perform the undesired behaviour;
- making people want to perform the desired behaviour;
- making people not want to perform the undesired behaviour.

DfSB approaches and tools developed so far have been built upon various
behavioural change theories - there are many different DfSB approaches because
there are many different models of behavioural change in the social sciences.
However there re thre major groups:

• individualistic rational choice models, where the focus is on the agency of individuals
to make choices and act independently;
• context- driven models, which see behaviour as a consequence of the contextual
elements of the social structure in which individuals live;
• middle- ground models, which combine the individual agency and the contextual
approaches.

EXAMPLES:
Power- Aware Cord - is a power cord that visualizes energy consumption through
patterns of glowing and pulsating light: the higher the energy usage, the faster the
flow of light.
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York has been designed with wide
staircases and more easily accessible than elevators - encourage people to use the
stairs rather than the lifts

Focus on product innovation (is crucial in order to reduce the environmental impact
of products and production processes)

CHALLENGE:
Product innovation approaches constitute symptomatic solutions which do not
address the root of the sustainability problem because: traditional business logic
wants to sell and not to extend lifespan or optimize resource consumption across the
lifecycle of a product. Still, improvements in products are often negatively
counterbalanced by an increase in consumption levels, leading to more waste.

DfSB methods and tools (3 approaches)

Individual– cognitive methods and tools (several options)
Middle- ground methods and tools (several options)
Context-driven methods and tools (several options)
CTCDfS - Cradle- to- Nature- inspired design, also known as CTC (Cradle to Cradle) and Biomimetic say -
cradle design for imitating nature’s materials and processes is the only way to achieve sustainability.
sustainability Cradle to Cradle 3v Principles: waste equals food (implies imitating nature’s nutrient
USA-GER cycles in human production– consumption systems), eco- effectiveness (use of
Middle 1990s - regenerative materials than depletive materials) and respect diversity (abolish
today monoculture).
In nature, one organism’s waste becomes another organism’s food or resource.
CTC defines two types of nutrients: biological and technical
Biological nutrients (products of consumption)- biodegradable materials - includes
the processes of resource extraction, manufacturing, use and eventual return to
natural systems.
Technical nutrients (products of service) - are synthetic or mineral and have the
potential to be circulated within production systems, through recovery and reuse,
without losing their quality and function. durable goods that provide a particular
service to the customer while the ownership remains with the manufacturer who
then, at the end of the life of the product, handles the reuse of the materials and
parts.
CTC is a use- oriented product– service system (product as a service)
CTC argues that human production– consumption systems should only use
renewable energy - photovoltaic, geothermal, wind, hydroelectric and biomass.

EXAMPLES:
Nike Considered - use mechanical rather than adhesive interlocking systems, high
percentage of renewable materials, such as hemp and cotton fabrics
Biobased Xorel - textile collection made of polyethylene yarn, 60– 85% of which is
derived from plant- based (sugarcane- based) materials

Focus on product innovation (is crucial in order to reduce the environmental impact
of products and production processes)

CHALLENGE:
Product innovation approaches constitute symptomatic solutions which do not
address the root of the sustainability problem because: traditional business logic
wants to sell and not to extend lifespan or optimize resource consumption across the
 lifecycle of a product. Still, improvements in products are often negatively
counterbalanced by an increase in consumption levels, leading to more waste.

CTCDfS methods and tools

Broad design guidelines - Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
Cradle- to- Cradle Certified Product Standard Version 3.1
CRADLE TO CRADLE® TOOLS - http://www.c2c-centre.com/tools

BMDfS – Taking inspiration from nature

Biomimicry design BMDfS framework argues for imitating nature’s processes as a way of achieving
for sustainability sustainability in production– consumption systems.
Middle 1990s - Mimicking nature or being inspired by analogies from nature
today It encourages the observation of the ways in which nature solves problems in order
to create novel solutions
The premise of BM design is to use nature as a model - Using nature as a model
involves studying the models and processes within nature and adapting these to
solve human problems.
Using nature as a mentor places an emphasis on learning from nature rather than
exploiting it.
BM design can take place bi- directionally, moving from biology to design (approach
1: solution- driven design) and from design to biology (approach 2: problem-driven
design)

Focus on product innovation (is crucial in order to reduce the environmental impact
of products and production processes)

CHALLENGE:
Product innovation approaches constitute symptomatic solutions which do not
address the root of the sustainability problem because: traditional business logic
wants to sell and not to extend lifespan or optimize resource consumption across the
lifecycle of a product. Still, improvements in products are often negatively
counterbalanced by an increase in consumption levels, leading to more waste.

EXAMPLES:
Shinkansen bullet train - inspired by kingfishers long, narrow beaks and they dive
into water without causing any splash
Supertree Grove Gardens in Singapore - The trees host a large number of plants of
different species, are fitted with solar photovoltaic systems
 BMDfS methods and tools
Idea Inspire 3.0
Biomimicry Card Deck
Biomimicry Resource Handbook
AskNature

PSSfS – product (as) It implies to move away from a focus on product improvements towards a wider
a service design for design approach, focused on producing structural changes in the ways in which
sustainability production and consumption systems are organized.
Middle 2000s - PSSfS is a mix of tangible products and intangible services designed and combined so
today that they are jointly capable of fulfilling final customer needs.
Functional economy (shift from consumption based on ownership to consumption
based on access and sharing).
Decouple economic value from material and energy consumption to thus achieve
sustainability
Product as a Service philosophy
Manufacturers retain the ownership of products and deliver performance for their
customers – this leads to manufacturers develop solutions to lower costs of
maintenance, disposal and manufacturing of new products.
PSSs are complex artefacts composed of products (the tangible elements of the
system), services (including the services that make products available and services to
manage products in the use and end- of- life phases) and a network of actors (the
socio- economic actors needed to produce, deliver and manage the PSS)
Designing a PSS means designing these 3 elements simultaneously and requires a
shift from product design thinking to system design thinking
PSS implies methods for the integrated development of products and services,
methods for the modular design, computer- aided design systems, methods for
building collaborative networks, methods to be used more at managerial and
strategic levels.
PSS design consider aspects such as employment/ working conditions, equity and
justice, improvement of social cohesion and the valorization of local resources,
integration of vulnerable and marginalized people.

Examples:
Carsharing (Riversimple, Sharenow, drive now, etc …)
Patagonia (ells all its products with a set of services - repairs (free, excluding damage
due to wear and tear), returns (with a full refund) and care and maintenance advice
Pay- per- lux (by Philips) is a business- to- business solution that provides lighting
equipment. as a service to firms/offices) he offer includes the design, installation,
upgrading, repair and end- of- life collection of the lighting system.
 PSSfS methods and tools
Kathalys: A method for sustainable product– service innovation
The DES methodology
MSDS (method for system design for sustainability)
PSSLDM (product service system lean design methodology)
PSS design criteria and guidelines for system eco- efficiency
PSS design criteria and guidelines for social equity and cohesion
Strategies for circular business model design
The SDO (sustainability design- orienting) toolkit

DfBoP -design for Addressing the needs of low- income people – The Global South (developing
the base of the countries) those forming the base of the pyramid.
pyramid BoP is characterised by a lack of access to basic services (such as public health,
sustainability education and sanitation) and by social, cultural and political exclusion and
Middle 2000s - purchasing power parity (PPP) at $2 per day.
today

Global North companies should look at unexplored business opportunities in low-

income markets and treat the poor as consumers and not as victims. This would
result in profit and at the same time bring prosperity by allowing low- income people
access to better and cheaper products and services.
1 generaiton of BoP startegies: seeing the BoP as consumers and seeing the BoP
as producers.
2 generaiton of BoP startegies: BoP as business partners who are to be
empowered, enabled and involved in the process of business co- creation
Design in low- income countries had to use indigenous traditions, skills and materials,
it also should be used as an economic development resource and that it should
exploit the power of science and technology
Design should focus on basic individual and community daily life problems, addressed
by low- tech solutions based on the use of locally available resources
Design in and by low- income countries
Living in low- income contexts should be seen as a source of ideas and innovations

Challenges:
much of know- how in product design in industrialized countries is not directly
applicable in low- income contexts due to lack of market information about the BoP
(e.g., what low- income people need, what capabilities they can offer), an
underdeveloped or inappropriate regulatory environment, slow bureaucracy and
corruption, inadequate infrastructures (e.g. roads, electricity, water), low literacy and
educational levels, and limited access to credit.

Framework to address challenges:

 Desirability – identify the real desires from people in low income countries by
involving people in the co-creation process.
Feasibility – run Feasibility study (if technologies developed for high- income markets
are suitable for BoP contexts, and so on)
Viability – cost benefit analysis (financial analysis)
Sustainability - take into consideration the environmental and social impacts

Examples:
Mitti Cool (natural refrigerator made from clay for rural India)
The Sun Shines for All (home solar energy product as a service package)
SafariSeat (low- cost, all- terrain wheelchair for rural communities)

DfBoP methods and tools

number of manuals and tools have been proposed in recent years, providing a set of
diverse and complementary approaches. The UN (ONU) is very active in this. The
DfBoP methodologies which have been most adopted are described in the following
publications:
Design for Sustainability: A Practical Approach for Developing Economies
The Field Guide to Human- Centered Design
Base of the Pyramid Protocol
Market Creation Toolbox
BoP design methodological framework (Gomez Castillo)
DfSI - Design for Social innovation: innovations that concern the BoP (base of the pyramid) aiming to
social innovation product and process innovations with a social purpose. Are Innovation activities, that
sustainability aim to improve social enterprises, company- internal activities and business/ social
Middle 2000s - sector collaboration. Are innovations that aim to solve social problems such as
today poverty and access to safe drinking water. Are intentional social configurations of
social practices that address left unmet needs.
It is a bottom- up approach and explored how communities conceive and implement
solutions to address their daily needs
Social innovation focuses on socially relevant issues that are not addressed through
established mechanisms.
Social innovation covers a broad range of activities; however, the defining factor is
that it aims to address socially relevant issues.
The outputs of social innovation include products, services, strategies, ideas, new
organizational forms and social movements, as well as new approaches to the
delivery of public services.
The main emphasis has been on the role played by people and communities in
creating change within their own local environment and circumstances
Creative communities’ approach - ordinary people that innovate socially in a creative
manner.
There are many projects done that include social habitation, create and promote
help networks between ordinary people online (share resources and ideas, tools,
books or excess food),
There are no rule- of- thumb approaches
DfSI projects may use one or a combination of the problem framing, research and
solution- development approaches that are commonly used in different design fields
including, but not limited to, product design, participatory and collaborative design,
strategic design, service design, urban design and game design.

SDfS methods and tools (mostly online sites)

The Young Foundation’s The Open Book of Social Innovation
Nesta’s DIY (Development Impact & You) toolkit
The European Social Innovation Toolkit 2018
SDfS -Systemic It combines cradle-to-cradle and Biomimicry approaches.
Design for Key principle is : waste equals food (similar to the cradle-to-cradle)
sustainability Implies moving from a linear to a circular production– consumption model
Italy, Torino Creates industrial products and complex industrial systems and implements sus-
Middle 2000s - tainable productive systems where material and energy flows are designed so that
today waste from one process becomes input to other processes, preventing waste.
Focus of industrial ecology (understands and improve industrial systems, with a focus
on their material and energy flows and the related effects on the environment)
Looks at local socio-economic factors, assets and resources to create synergies
between production, agriculture and industry.
Uses the Flow Diagram Process Improvement approach considering flow of energy,
products and waste.
Uses the Value Chain Analysis approach
Deals with highly complex interconnected systems.
Considers a system as a set of knots (socio- economic stakeholders in a particular
geographical area) and the connections (flow of materials, energy and information)
between them (flow diagrams, informal networks)
Aims to develop systems like biological systems, which are characterized by self-
regulation and have a dynamic ability to respond to internal and external changes –
in other words, open systems.
It involves interlinked elements of biosphere (natural resources), sociosphere (local
knowledge and practices) and technosphere (material and energy flows).
Has been already applied in several projects (agricultural and food networks,
industrial processes, water treatment, and energy systems).

SDfS methods and tools

Requires systemic thinking and a holistic approach
Social Network Theory (graph theory) to map interactions
It has a framework of application (steps)
Step 1- Holistic diagnosis of the territory.
Step 2- Best practice analysis.
Step 3 - Problem identification.
Step 4- Solution development.
Step 5 – Implementation.