T2.5 Green Design
The purpose of green design is to ensure a sustainable future for all.
Essential idea:
Green design integrates environmental considerations into the design of a product without compromising its integrity
Nature of design
The starting point for many green products is to improve an existing product by redesigning aspects of it to address environmental objectives. The iterative development of these products can be incremental or radical depending on how effectively new technologies can address the environmental objectives. When newer technologies are developed, the product can re-enter the development phase for further improvement
Concepts and principles:
Strategies for green design (incremental and radical): How strategies for green design often involve a focus on one or two environmental objectives when designing or re-designing products
Green legislation: How green legislation encourages incremental rather than radical changes:
How environmental legislation has encouraged the design of products that tackle specific environmental issues
Timescale to implement green design
Drivers for green design (consumer pressure and legislation)
Design objectives for green products: How design objectives for green products address three broad environmental categories— materials, energy and pollution/waste
Strategies for designing green products
The prevention principle
The precautionary principle
Evaluating products in terms of: consumption of raw materials; packaging; incorporation of toxic chemicals; energy in production and use; end-of-life disposal; production methods; and atmospheric pollutants
Glossary
Match the keyword with the correct definition
The precautionary principle Laws and regulations that are based on conservation and sustainability principles, followed by designers and manufacturers when creating green products.
The prevention principle
Green legislation
Green design
Designing in a way that takes account of the environmental impact of the product throughout its life.
The avoidance or minimization of producing waste in relation to the production, use and disposal of a product
The anticipation of potential problems in relation to the environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of a product
Guiding Questions
1. Discuss the implication of incremental and radical solutions
2. Explain how consumer pressure and legislation can drive Green design
3. Explain three design objectives for Green design
4. Discuss the differences between the prevention and precautionary principle
5. List how products can be evaluated to measure how environmental ly friendly they are (how ‘green’)
