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To achieve triple bottom line sustainability, a system requires a balance of its social, economic, and environmental axioms. This multi-dimensional system has multiple stakeholders with different objectives acting within the system, leading to an increased level of complexity. Product design is an area with significant potential to achieve sustainable development, which is also influenced by policies. Product designers/managers and policymakers have been identified as critical stakeholders within this complex system, and their decisions directly affect the transition toward sustainable product design. However, these stakeholders have different perspectives on sustainability, and there is a lack of understanding of the main characteristics of a sustainable design system and its requirements. This research aims to find a detailed and unified understanding of these stakeholder's perspectives, practices, and requirements. An online survey investigated the views of engineers/managers and policymakers in the United States to find their definitions of sustainability, their assessment methods, drivers, and barriers of sustainability. Finally, the participants were asked to identify their requirements for a sustainable design tool that can assist them effectively in designing a sustainable product. Considering the exploratory nature of this study, a targeted sample of 50 participants was selected to capture in-depth, qualitative insights, enabling a nuanced understanding of this complex system. The open-ended questions were designed to obtain detailed responses, which were analyzed qualitatively to develop a comprehensive view of the current state and future requirements for sustainable design tools. This targeted approach allowed the study to probe deeply into each stakeholder's frame of reference, facilitating the identification of critical factors for a successful transition to sustainable design in both industry and policy. The results identified the critical factors that contribute to a successful transition toward sustainable product design in industry and policies while the requirements found in this study provided a road map to meet the diverse needs of these stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anadolu University Journal of Art & Design / Sanat & Tasarım is the property of Anadolu University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the context of the global climate change debate, changing consumer awareness and guiding them towards sustainable lifestyles should be key considerations. This study investigates the factors influencing consumers' upcycling behaviors by conducting research and collecting 336 valid questionnaires at the "Eco Blet" sustainable design exhibition and workshop held at Livat Beijing (Ingka Centres Beijing). The survey results revealed that consumers' upcycling behavior is significantly influenced by subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, perceived usefulness, and attitudes. In addition, individuals with higher levels of education and those with annual incomes of less than 100,000 RMB and more than 400,000 RMB are more likely to engage in upcycling. The empirical analysis of consumer upcycling behavior is conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM), and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and technology acceptance model (TAM) are integrated into a comprehensive framework. This research provides both theoretical support and practical insights for promoting sustainable consumer behaviors, contributing significantly to carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the strategies that Design can implement to reduce the environmental impact of upholstered furniture by addressing its constituent elements, material choices, and methods of assembly and disposal. The literature review highlights that, despite the significant importance of the upholstered furniture sector within the Italian economy, more attention should be given to the circularity and sustainability of processes and materials throughout the product’s life cycle. For this reason, the paper presents the research journey of the Circular Sofa Platform project, emphasising the need to define a new platform paradigm for upholstered furniture that respects its complexity while meeting the requirements of circularity and sustainability, an integral part of a sustainable development scenario for the contemporary production chain. Article info Received: 13/09/2024; Revised: 16/10/2024; Accepted: 18/10/2024

Copyright of Agathon: International Journal of Architecture, Art & Design is the property of DEMETRA CE.RI.MED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arcos: Design, Cultura e Visualidade is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To achieve triple bottom line sustainability, a system requires a balance of its social, economic, and environmental axioms. This multi-dimensional system has multiple stakeholders with different objectives acting within the system, leading to an increased level of complexity. Product design is an area with significant potential to achieve sustainable development, which is also influenced by policies. Product designers/managers and policymakers have been identified as critical stakeholders within this complex system, and their decisions directly affect the transition toward sustainable product design. However, these stakeholders have different perspectives on sustainability, and there is a lack of understanding of the main characteristics of a sustainable design system and its requirements. This research aims to find a detailed and unified understanding of these stakeholder’s perspectives, practices, and requirements. An online survey investigated the views of engineers/managers and policymakers in the United States to find their definitions of sustainability, their assessment methods, drivers, and barriers of sustainability. Finally, the participants were asked to identify their requirements for a sustainable design tool that can assist them effectively in designing a sustainable product. Considering the exploratory nature of this study, a targeted sample of 50 participants was selected to capture in-depth, qualitative insights, enabling a nuanced understanding of this complex system. The open-ended questions were designed to obtain detailed responses, which were analyzed qualitatively to develop a comprehensive view of the current state and future requirements for sustainable design tools. This targeted approach allowed the study to probe deeply into each stakeholder’s frame of reference, facilitating the identification of critical factors for a successful transition to sustainable design in both industry and policy. The results identified the critical factors that contribute to a successful transition toward sustainable product design in industry and policies while the requirements found in this study provided a road map to meet the diverse needs of these stakeholders.

The proposed article addresses pressing sustainability challenges, advocating for a profound transformation of existing development models, particularly emphasizing sustainable production and lifestyles. Utilizing a research method grounded in a comprehensive international knowledge base, the study explores the evolution of design for sustainability (DfS) approaches. Its significant contribution lies in systematically investigating connections among diverse DfS approaches, providing an initial framework for situating practices within the fashion and furniture industries. The research outcomes obtained iteratively involve mapping design-driven sustainability practices in European fashion and furniture companies. This mapping reveals a transition from a product-centric to an organization-centered design perspective, calling for a holistic ecosystemic framework to revolutionize business operations. The article analyzes contemporary design-driven practices, proposing an interpretative model that identifies ongoing practices fostering incremental changes toward sustainability guided by design. Furthermore, the article outlines a three-stage design-driven sustainability continuum, synthesizing potential future trajectories. Beyond contributing to the understanding of current practices, the research provides insights into future possibilities, highlighting the transformative role of design in reshaping consumeristic systems. Ultimately, the study offers valuable insights into the transformative power of design, paving the way for sustainable business practices in the fashion and furniture industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global discourse surrounding plastics has been marked by a profound perceptual schism, also for plastic packaging in the fresh food industry. The public opinion expresses mounting concerns in terms of such plastic packaging solutions. However, in many cases the unique material properties and the well-established methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) actually demonstrate the environmental advantage of plastics for food packaging. This paper delves into the chasm between the two perspectives, leveraging empirical evidence to resolve the divide. While performing both a consumer analysis and LCA, this paper underscores the potential for innovative, yet practical design solutions to harmonise the public opinion with counterintuitive positive environmental impacts. A transformative design solution that centres around the concept of shape and material renewal is proposed. It demonstrates how a simple, yet effective redesign can enhance both the environmental impact and consumer acceptance in the industry for mass-produced fresh food packaging. It emphasises the role of LCE in design, with a focus on the pre-consumer phase. The findings provide a practical approach, emphasising the need to reconcile theory with consumer desires, to forge a sustainable path forward in packaging design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setting quantifiable requirements for the sustainability of a product is a challenge that companies, policymakers, and the scientific community are facing. Integrating and considering sustainability in product development requires the definition and review of appropriate metrics. However, there are no standardized approaches to formulating technical requirements based on standards and guidelines for developing sustainable products. The key question is therefore how sustainability can be projected from the high-level of abstract guidelines to the granular component level to achieve data-based improvement with targeted measures. This paper presents a novel method that employs use-case specific metrics to select existing sustainable development frameworks and to translate them into technical requirements on the product level. The result is a computer-aided method to formulate sustainability requirements based on standardized guidelines. With the help of a discrete manufacturing use case, the concept is validated and discussed. This method enables the identification of potentials and the use of targeted measures to design more sustainable products in the iterations of the development process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight design is gaining in importance for design for sustainability due to its capability to reduce weight, conserve materials, and enhance energy efficiency. However, environmental sustainability encompasses a broader spectrum, including, for instance, a responsible resource management as well as material recyclability. Despite their shared objective of optimizing resource consumption, can lightweight design indeed be substantiated as sustainable, and if so, how? Therefore, this contribution emphasizes a systematic approach for the analysis of environmental effects caused by property changes resulting from the implementation of lightweight design strategies (system, form, material and manufacturing lightweight design) in products. Thereby, life cycle issues of the lightweight design strategies are evaluated on the basis of a holistic life cycle perspective. Finally, the interrelationships between lightweight design strategies and sustainability strategies (eco-efficiency, eco-effectiveness, and sufficiency) are discussed. In future, the presented approach supports both positive synergies as well as negative conflicts of lightweight design and design for sustainability to be efficiently and strategically evaluated throughout the design process, so that holistically optimized lightweight and sustainable products can thus be created. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's product development is challenged with redesigning products into more sustainable variants while maintaining economic and technical feasibility. Among the ways to address this, lightweight design offers numerous opportunities to increase the product's resource efficiency while reducing emissions and emerging life cycle costs. However, this requires advanced analysis concepts to be applied in the early phase of development to efficiently allocate engineering capacities and to subsequently exploit environmental sustainability potentials in the best possible way. Therefore, the present work contrasts two lightweight design methods: the 'extended target weighing approach' (ETWA) and the 'functional life cycle energy analysis' (FLCEA). Based on the use case of the generation development of a semi-mobile handling system, their respective strengths, and weaknesses for a sustainable life cycle engineering are highlighted. While the widely known ETWA focuses on three coupled impact categories (mass, costs, and CO2 emissions), the novel FLCEA method only addresses the mass-related energy consumptions, albeit more detailed across three life cycle stages. As a result of it, the application effort can be decreased, while on the one hand the meaningfulness for the environmental sustainability effects of design changes remains unaltered and, on the other hand, the derivation of recommendations for action is facilitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to sustainable fashion is becoming inevitable and appropriate design methods and approaches that are able to address sustainability issues effectively are needed. This paper presents the methods and results of a six-week long sustainable bag design pilot course designed for fashion students. The project sought to combine existing approaches and innovation in the design process, while simultaneously encouraging the use of multiple approaches to sustainability. Students were placed in a position to study and discuss general sustainability issues in specific local contexts, as well as in the process of design and prototyping. The results revealed that students had several opportunities for learning thanks to the special focus of the course on sustainability. By embedding sustainable design criteria into the design process, it did not only draw students' attention to environmental and social issues but also provided sources of inspiration for the design process and enhanced the creativity of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the discussion about how theoretical perspectives on change in the fashion system can be translated into practice. The discussion is raised based on experimental and practice-based research on how designers can engage with users to gain insights on material and aesthetic experiences in about use. The presented research is based on design experiments that indicate how designers advantageously can increase their awareness of different aesthetic preferences and body shapes. This perspective suggests considering the use phase as a part of the design process to encourage user empowerment as part of the sustainable transition that the fashion industry faces. It also indicates that designers and companies should be aware of the potential of user dialogue and how this knowledge can be translated into a sustainable business model while fostering a user empowering approach to the use of garments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the wake of Industry 4.0, the ubiquitous internet of things provides big data to potentially quantify the environmental footprint of green products. Further, as the concept of Industry 5.0 emphasizes, the increasing mass customization production makes the product configurations full of individuation and diversification. Driven by these fundamental changes, the design for sustainability of a high-mix low-volume product–service system faces the increasingly deep coupling of technology-driven product solutions and value-driven human-centric goals. The multi-criteria decision making of sustainability issues is prone to fall into the complex, contradictory, fragmented, and opaque flood of information. To this end, this work presents a data-driven quantitative method for the sustainability assessment of product–service systems by integrating analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods to measure the sustainability of customized products and promote the Industry 5.0-enabled sustainable product–service system practice. This method translates the sustainability assessment into a multi-criteria decision-making problem, to find the solution that meets the most important criteria while minimizing trade-offs between conflicting criteria, such as individual preferences or needs and the life cycle sustainability of bespoke products. In the future, the presented method can extend to cover more concerns of Industry 5.0, such as digital-twin-driven recyclability and disassembly of customized products, and the overall sustainability and resilience of the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design for Sustainability has evolved rapidly over the last decades as a response to unprecedented global challenges. Several models have been developed to address the need to design more sustainable products, services, and policies. These strategies are oriented towards more sustainable ways of living. The Compass, developed by the Index Project in Denmark, is a method that offers a framework to structure the design process while considering social, environmental, and economic sustainability aspects. This article presents an exploratory case study to infuse sustainability in design education using this method in interdisciplinary teams. The context is a master’s degree offered by a design school in a Chilean university. The study's outcomes reveal that The Compass method is a dynamic and flexible structure for design in interdisciplinary teams. To strengthen its applicability, it could incorporate links to sustainability methods from various areas of knowledge that specifically address economic, environmental, or social aspects. Complementing The Compass with these sustainable approaches to confront the complexity of the challenges may facilitate the move from good ideas to feasible, sustainable design solutions in design and other fields.

This paper addresses one of the challenges presented in the call for the October 2022 symposium prior to this special issue: How would we expect design literacy (knowledge) to be demonstrated by non-designers? The study focuses on Norwegian pupils aged 15–16 years who were tasked with designing shared-living spaces for an ecovillage, aiming to encourage mixed use, inclusive social interaction, and a reduction in the carbon footprint. The study explores the level of critical design literacy demonstrated in 55 digital submissions from the pupils. The results indicate that the pupils are more proficient in expressing and discussing aspects of social sustainability than they are at addressing environmental sustainability. The paper concludes by discussing how teachers might structure projects to encourage pupils to engage more deeply in transformative design practices.

This paper presents the conceptual underpinnings organized by a group of designers and design researchers for the creation of the Ecotopias Socioenvironmental Design Laboratory at PUC-Rio University. It begins by discussing the anthropogenic crisis, which the planet is currently facing, and the consequent design crisis. It also presents the field of design for sustainability, its transversality and eco-logic possibilities. It situates the process of constructing scenarios in this field as a methodological option for opening the imaginative and anticipatory potential of art and design to confront the planetary environmental crises and regenerate ecologies of the mind, social relations, and the environment. It describes the methodological steps of the scenario-building process derived from the project Sustainable Everyday, and, finally, it distinguishes the concepts of utopia and ecotopia.

Plastic recycling is a critical aspect of achieving a circular economy, aiming to reduce fossil fuel dependency, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity impacts from uncontrolled disposal routes. The study outlines the evolving landscape of plastic recycling in the European Union (EU), addresses challenges, and emphasizes the need for innovative approaches to achieve circular economy goals. This paper delves into the innovative approaches and strategies employed by the PHOENIX project, a multidisciplinary project funded by the Cariplo Foundation, which focuses on plasmix – a complex mixture of plastics often excluded from recycling due to its heterogeneous composition. The authors utilize a systemic design approach, integrating survey results, interviews, literature reviews, and case studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of plasmix and propose novel solutions. Key findings include the application of design from recycling, systemic design strategies, and the utilization of plasmix in new product developments. It presents survey insights and stakeholder perspectives, and introduces systemic strategies applied in the project. The study concludes with valuable considerations for future research and underscores the significance of such initiatives in reshaping the plastic recycling paradigm.

This article is inspired by the work of Ivan Illich, especially Tools for Conviviality, which critiques industrialization and elaborates Illich's proposal for conviviality and is a major influence on post-development theory. In the early 1970s, Illich anticipated issues that design begins to explore only at the end of the twentieth century. This article discusses what he anticipated and develops this into practical suggestions for the evolution of design. Above all, the article provides suggestions for two intertwined design fields: design for sustainability and codesign. An analysis of Illich's work allows for the identification of three methodological movements acting toward a convivial design: (1) conduct a critique of the status quo, (2) imagine alternative proposals, and (3) carefully qualify the ethos of alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Society's most well-intended efforts to solve sustainability challenges have not yet achieved the expected gains due to rebound effects (i.e., negative consequences of interventions arising from induced changes in system behaviour). Rebound effects offset about 40% of potential sustainability gains, but the understanding of design as a key leverage point for preventing rebound effects is still untapped. In this position paper, three fundamental scientific gaps hampering the prevention of rebound effects are discussed: (1) limited knowledge about the rebound effects triggered by efficiency-effectiveness-sufficiency strategies; (2) the influence of the counterintuitive behaviour of complex socio-technical systems in giving rise to rebound effects is not yet understood and (3) the bounded rationality within design limits the understanding of rebound effects at a broader systemic level. To address the aforementioned gaps, novel methodologies, simulation models and strategies to enable the design of reboundless interventions (i.e., products, product/service-systems and sociotechnical systems that are resilient to rebound effects) are required. Building on the strong foundation of systems and design theory, this position paper argues for the need to bridge the interdisciplinary gap in the interplay of design and rebound effects, qualitative and quantitative models, engineering and social sciences, and theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the umbrella concepts of upscaling and emerging technology, a wide variety of phenomena related to technology development and deployment in society are examined to meet societal imperatives (e.g., environment, safety, social justice). The design literature does not provide an explicit common theoretical and practical framework to clarify the assessment method to handle "an" upscaling. In this nebulous context, designers are struggling to identify the characteristics to anticipate the consequences of emerging technology upscaling. This article therefore first proposes a structuring framework to analyze the literature in a wide range of industrial sectors (energy, chemistry, building, etc.). This characterization brought to light five prevalent archetypes clarifying the concepts of upscaling and emerging technology. Then, a synthesis of invariants and methodological requirements for designers is proposed to deal with upscaling assessment according to each archetype, based on a literature review of existing design methods. This literature review process showed a disparity in treatment for some archetypes, regarding the industrial sector. A discussion is consequently proposed in the conclusion to guide design practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the biggest challenges in recent history that affected all aspects of socio-economic life, as well as the ecological environment of our planet. Before the pandemic, the packaging industry captured the interest of governments because of their commitments regarding designs for sustainability. These commitments intended to reduce single-use plastic packaging, increase the use of recyclable materials, and use eco-friendly materials. The crisis, however, has negatively impacted, and changed these priorities. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the changes in packaging design and production during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on a case study in the food packaging industry. A secondary data analysis method was conducted to collect information for the process of comparing and evaluating the factors affecting the change of this industry, and a case study was conducted for the food packaging sector. The obtained research results showed that these companies had the ability to improvise in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and suggesst a potential model in order to solve urgent problems in the new context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]