An in-depth roadmap to sustainable product development Drawing on the experiences of dozens of major corporations, Design for Environment, Second Edition, offers a business rationale for developing sustainable products and processes, as well as a comprehensive toolkit for practicing DFE in the context of product life-cycle management. Learn how environmental innovation creates business value, and helps companies to meet global energy and environmental challenges. Discover how to: Practice integrated product development and concurrent engineering Select appropriate metrics to represent product life-cycle performance Maintain and apply a portfolio of systematic Design for Environment strategies Use analysis methods to evaluate design performance and trade-offs Apply systems thinking to reduce the supply chain environmental footprint The book is enhanced by in-depth case studies of DFE applications by industry leaders.

There is a huge scarcity of good, practical resources for designers and students interested in minimizing the environmental impacts of products. Design + Environment has been specifically written to address this paucity. The book first provides background information to help the reader understand how and why design for environment (DfE) has become so critical to design, with reference to some of the most influential writers, designers and companies in the field. Next, Design + Environment provides a step-by-step approach on how to approach DfE: to design a product that meets requirements for quality, cost, manufacturability and consumer appeal, while at the same time minimising environmental impacts. The first step in the process is to undertake an assessment of environmental impacts, using life-cycle assessment (LCA) or one of the many simpler tools available to help the designer. From then on, DfE becomes an integral part of the normal design process, including the development of concepts, design of prototypes, final design and development of marketing strategies. Environmental assessment tools and strategies to reduce environmental impacts, such as the selection of appropriate materials, are then discussed. Next, some of the links between environmental problems, such as global warming, ozone depletion, water and air pollution and the everyday products we consume are considered. In order to design products with minimal environmental impact, we need to have a basic understanding of these impacts and the interactions between them. The four subsequent chapters provide more detailed strategies and case studies for particular product groups: packaging, textiles, furniture, and electrical and electronic products. Guidelines are provided for each of the critical stages of a product's life, from the selection of raw materials through to strategies for recovery and recycling. Finally, Design + Environment takes a look at some of the emerging trends in DfE that are offering us the opportunity to make a more significant reduction in environmental impacts. Both the development of more sustainable materials and technologies and the growing interest in leasing rather than selling products are examined. Design + Environment is organized as a workbook rather than an academic text. It should be read once, and then used as a key reference source. This clear and informative book will prove to be invaluable to practising designers, to course directors and their students in need of a core teaching and reference text and to all those interested in learning about the tools and trends influencing green product design. The authors have all been involved in an innovative demonstration programme called "EcoReDesign", which was developed by the Centre for Design at RMIT University with funding from the Australian government. The Centre successfully collaborated with Australian companies to improve the environmental performance of their products by following DfE principles.

An introduction to an emerging business practice called Design for Environment (DfE) which takes a life-cycle approach to new product and process development, taking into account such novel concerns as environmental consequences, human health, and safety. Provides concrete techniques and guidelines and ample case studies. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Recent developments have successfully changed our approach to practical applications of engineering by improving the methods of design and manufacturing, for example, shorter development cycles. The text focuses on directing such new methods towards a specific ecological purpose.

Environmental Design is becoming an increasingly significant agenda for many manufacturing companies and yet there is no standard to their approaches, strategies or their levels of execution. Applying Design for Environment (DfE) methodologies to develop a more sustainable supply chain has formed procedures and techniques which allow designers to integrate these methods with environmental supply chain management. Design for Environment as a Tool for the Development of a Sustainable Supply Chain aims to define relevant target specifications for a product throughout its life cycle; from conception and design to the end of its operating life. Be considering this new approach to the supply chain, environmental responsiveness can work in tandem with sounds business management. The usual focus on suppliers, manufacturers and customers is expanded in Design for Environment as a Tool for the Development of a Sustainable Supply Chain to include stakeholders such as government bodies and recycling companies. The influence of these additional groups is analyzed alongside concepts such as: Product life cycle development aimed at environmental impact minimization; Supplier selection and management based on environmental criteria; and Marketing and communication choices which increase the value of environmentally sensitive products. By including several case studies alongside theoretical topics, Design for Environment as a Tool for the Development of a Sustainable Supply Chains acts as a foundation for professionals across the supply chain, from industrial designers to marketing and sales departments, who are involved in environmental issues.

Design for Sustainability is a practical approach to design which focuses on the challenges and issues faced by those designing consumer products in the 21st Century. It is written from a design perspective and aimed at both professional and student industrial and product designers, and those involved in managing design. The book begins by summarising the historical and current issues of the environmental debate in the context of sustainable product development, highlighting the benefits gained from considering the impact on the environment and issues of sustainability when designing. The authors answer the questions: What is sustainable product development and why is it important? What are the main drivers of sustainable product development? They explain how design can help to control human impact on the environment by not only minimising pollution, waste, energy use and use of scarce resources, but also by thinking outside the box to create systems and services that can reduce the number of products manufactured. The aim is to put sustainable development within a commercial context and introduce a new focus for design. Design for Sustainability outlines and assesses the methods, tools and techniques available to designers, both for design innovation and design improvement. A wide range of case studies are presented across a number of product sectors including electrical goods, IT and furniture. Initially they demonstrate product improvement and redesign, examples include those that reduce waste, pollution and energy consumption, designing for recycling and reuse of parts. Further examples are then provided exemplifying the more radical approach of system and service design. The final section takes the reader through a whole sustainable design project from start to finish, from brief to manufacture. References and sources of information are also included.