This document provides a summary of a guest lecture on ecodesign given to the Green Industry Summer Course. The lecture discusses the need for more sustainable design given environmental problems like pollution, waste, and resource scarcity. It highlights how design decisions have significant impacts and that ecodesign must consider environmental and social issues across a product's entire lifecycle. The lecture argues that both individual behavior and systemic changes are needed across industries, education, policies and design to transition to more sustainable practices. Examples of collaborative ecodesign work in Europe are presented to illustrate approaches. The overall message is that ecodesign thinking can help address pressing environmental and social challenges if adopted more widely.

2. guest lecture / workshop on
ecodesign at the Green Industry
Summer Course organised by
Central European University, in
partnership with UNIDO
July
2013

3. ecodesign
Dr Frank O’Connor
Director @ecodesigncentre
@frank_oconnor
!

4. to
believe
in
something,
and
not
to
live
it,
is
dishonest.
Mahatma
Gandhi

5. “… The times of thoughtless design,
which can only flourish in times of
thoughtless production for thoughtless
consumption, are over.
We cannot afford any more
thoughtlessness.”
source:
Dieter
Rams

6. “… The times of thoughtless design,
which can only flourish in times of
thoughtless production for thoughtless
consumption, are over.
We cannot afford any more
thoughtlessness.”
source:
Dieter
Rams

7. so what happened
between 1976 and 2013?

8. source: http://www.realcycle.co.uk
we continue to live in a throwaway society.
………… yet there is still no ‘away’.

9. image source: ads-ngo.com
source:
Edwin
Datschefski
&
United
NaFons
University
…
and
now
98%
of
products
are
thrown
away
within
6
months.

10.
we
conFnue
to
over
consume.

11. …
If
everyone
in
the
world
were
to
consume
natural
resources
and
generate
carbon
dioxide
(CO2)
at
the
rate
we
do
in
the
UK,
we‘d
need
three
planets
to
support
us.
source:
WWF
UK,
DEFRA
three
planet
living
factor
‘X’?

12. Image
source:
Banksy
we
see
even
more
of
a
disconnect
between
people
…..
and
between
planet
and
people.
..
and
true
costs
conFnue
not
to
be
accounted
for.

14. car
components

15. source: WHO / BBC source: Harman
speakers

16. neodymium
image sources: Harman & wiki
car
speaker
low
carbon

17. image source: hybridcars.com
polluFon
true
cost

18. image source: dailymail.co.uk
toxicity,
health
true
cost

19. source: wiki.umd.edu / getty images source: Chris Jordan
polluFon
true
cost

20. source: mywindpowersystem.com
low
carbon
/
high
on
criFcal
materials

21. good design.
how do we know its good?

22. good design is:
innovative
useful
aesthetic
understandable
unobtrusive
Dieter Rams (from the ’70s)
honest
long-lasting
thorough
environmentally friendly
as little design as possible

23. 606 Universal Shelving System
Designed by Dieter Rams in 1960 and made by
Vitsœ ever since

24. source: miscell. web sites
iPo^y
real need?
banana
guard

25. can design be good?
if it does not consider the key
environmental and social impacts
along the life cycle?

26. can design be good?
if it does not consider the key
environmental and social impacts
along the life cycle?

27. we
conFnue
to
experience
a
collecFve
unconscious
behaviour
…..
with
catastrophic
unintended
consequences.
good design is a
behaviour.

28. we
con6nue
to
experience
a
collec6ve
unconscious
behaviour
…..
with
catastrophic
unintended
consequences.
good design is a
behaviour.

29. every design choice has
a consequence
image
source:
Chris
Jordan
80% of impacts
are determined
at design stage

30. There are professions more harmful than
industrial design, but only a very few of
them. And possibly only one profession is
phonier. Advertising design, in persuading
people to buy things they don‘t need, with
money they don’t have, in order to impress
others who don‘t care, is probably the
phoniest field in existence today.
Victor Papanek,
Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social
Change, Thames and Hudson, 1984

31. designers interact
between industry, users
and other actors
industry
consumers
design

32. designers can influence
how people consume, use,
behave … live.
industry
consumers
design

33. population growth
source: engine group and UNFPA
source: engine group and UK statistics
ageing population
a move to cities
non-inclusive
resource scarcity
knowledge loss
emerging economies
natural disasters
change

34. emerging economies
1billion
of these people are
living in slums, squats &
unofficial settlements
source: UNHABITAT

35. NO
MAGIC MATERIALS

36. source: http://readwrite.com/

37. ‘things’ are hopelessly over-rated
John Thackara (Social Innovation Expert)
@johnthackara
http://doorsofperception.com

38. social
crimes
!

39. air
pollu6on
kills
3
million
people
each
year,
mostly
in
poor
countries
source: WHO / BBC
responsibility
polluFon

40. responsibility
polluFon

41. between
100
and
1000
species
become
ex6nct
each
year,
because
their
habitats
are
changing
or
being
destroyed.
source: UK Government
responsibility
degradaFon

42. Image www.castlereagh.gov.uk
responsibility
so
much
waste

43. over
1
billion
people
do
not
have
access
to
clean
drinking
water
source: UNDP
responsibility
access
to
water

44. 80%
of
all
disease
in
developing
countries
is
caused
by
consump6on
of
contaminated
water
source: WHO
responsibility
access
to
water

45. 3800children die each day
from diseases associated
with lack of access to safe
drinking water, inadequate
sanitation and poor hygiene
water access
source: UN / flickr
responsibility
access
to
water

46. responsibility
health

47.
illustraFon:
Nathan
Halle^

48. what would the design brief for the
industrial revolution look like?
design a system of production that:
1. puts billions of pounds of toxic material into the air, water and soil
2. measures prosperity by activity, not legacy
3. requires thousands of complex regulations to keep people and
natural systems from being poisoned too quickly
4. produces materials so dangerous that they will require constant
vigilance from future generations
5. results in gigantic amounts of waste
6. puts valuable materials in holes all over the planet, where they can
never be retrieved
7. erodes the diversity of biological species and cultural practices
source: William McDonough and Michael Braungart in Penny Allen (ed) (2001) Metaphors for Change: partnership, tools and civic
action for sustainability, Sheffield: Greenleaf: 68 – from a presentation by Dr. Emma Dewberry to the Ecodesign Centre & partners in
2008

49. wisdom
knowledge through
practice over time
foolishness
source: from a presentation by Dr. Emma
Dewberry to the Ecodesign Centre & partners
in 2008

50. ‘commandments
of
industrialised
society’
1) create
more
desire
(perceived
needs)
2) thou
shalt
consume
(=
good
life)
culture
of
consumpFon
-­‐
devaluing
of
culture
source:
Henry
1949
cited
in
Jones
1987

51. we
ALL
have
to
change

52. us businesseducation
policy
design

53. us businesseducation
policy
design

54. the
single
biggest
problem
in
communicaFon
is
the
illusion
that
it
has
taken
place.
George
Bernard
Shaw
image source: flickr.com

55. source:
Nathan
HalleP

56. images:
Apple
products,
Harman,
miscell.
sites
1988
1993
2013
2009
2006 !
reflecFons
on
my
journey

57. our mission is to make ecodesign happen
through collaboration along the life cycle

58. eco-strategies:
ecodesign is an approach to designing
products and services that aims to reduce
environmental impacts over the full life cycle.
eco-innovation is an approach to innovation
that leads to a reduction in environmental
impacts through targeted technological,
organisational or institutional mechanisms.
source:
EU
Eco-­‐innova6on
Ac6on
Plan
website:
hPp://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoap/index_en.htm

59. ecodesign
thinking
considers
the
materials,
processes
&
pracFces
of
a
organisaFon.
It
can
idenFfy
layers
of
waste
but
also
layers
of
value

60. effecFve
ecodesign
thinking
is
open,
process-­‐oriented,
mulFdisciplinary
and
cross-­‐funcFonal,
involving
people
as
well
as
stuff

61. it’s
a
way
of
thinking
and
doing
to
saFsfy
real
societal
needs
in
a
responsible
way

62. recent Ecodesign Centre
briefings & outputs
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Critical Materials (CRM)
• survey of European Design Centres
• Eco-innovation
• baseline study on resource hungry products
Visit: http://www.edcw.org/en/resources

63. snapshot of current collaborative work in Europe

64. @LCAtogo

66. Bio-based plastics
PhotoVoltaics
Electronics PCBs Semi-conductors
Smart Textiles
Industrial Machines Sensors

67. @cycLEDeer

68. designing an eco-innovation
framework for SMEs and larger
businesses (project focuses on LEDs)
@cycLEDeer

69. shifting the innovation spectrum:
incremental/technological - radical/systems
source:
OECD
eco-­‐innova6on
framework
hPp://www.oecd.org/s6/ind/greengrowthandeco-­‐
innova6on.htm

70. collaborative eco-innovation
design
manufacture
materials
use reuse assembly
refining
recycling
collection

71. ww.braun-­‐ligh6ng.com
www.ona.es
www.riva.sc
www.etapligh6ng.com
Service model
Servicability
service-life
production /
consumption
demonstrating
eco-innovation

72. a way forward

73. image: Jesse Stewart /
www.areaofdesign.com

74. managing resources requires a
deeper system understanding

75. managing resources requires
a whole new way of doing
business & governance

76. responsible business require
shifting our mindset from ‘supply
chains’ to ‘supply circles’

77. source: Nathan Hallett
every
product
tells
a
story
J

78. "Sonicare Elite 7000
produced at 11 locations and in five time zones, comprised of 38 components,
parts supplied by Japan, France, China and Malaysia, materials and production
in Austria, Sweden, assembly in Philippines and United States, when fully
assembled and packaged in Seattle the components have travelled a full
27,880 kilometres, two thirds of the Earth's circumference.
source: SPIEGEL Magazine

79. source: Warwick Business School published in The Guardian, 26th June 2013

81. image
source:
Fuse
/
GePy
life cycle / systems thinking
circular economy

82. extract from a paper on
materialism by
Alwyn Jones, 1987
this type of
thinking is
not new!

83. source: adapted from Danish Design Council
ecodesign

84. common
ecodesign
strategies
/
approaches
/
tools

85. design for…. full life cycles
life cycles, nutrient cycles, material selection, cradle to cradle
image source: mc donagh / braungart

86. design for…. fair &
just production
health and safety, employees
rights, unions, forced labour, child
labour, discrimination,
source: martin charter / CFSD

87.
…...individuals
act
primarily
on
issues
that
impact
their
personal
well-­‐being,
their
family,
and
their
immediate
community.
Unless
those
needs
are
tended
to,
most
individuals
won't
commit
to
causes
that
promise
to
benefit
the
world
at
large.
Catherine
Greener
source: WHO / BBC

88. invesFgate
the
internal
and
external
drivers
for
packaging,
product
or
service
(re)
design.
these
drivers
could
include
legislaFon,
customers,
new
technology,
compeFFon.
assess
the
environmental
impacts
of
the
packaging
and
product.
map
the
life
cycle
so
you
understand
where
these
impacts
occur.
idenFfy
where
materials
and
energy
is
used
and
where
waste
is
produced.
select
ecodesign
strategies
that
will
allow
designers
to
tackle
the
main
environmental
impacts.
explore
the
compromises
and
trade-­‐offs.
involve
others
from
markeFng,
sales,
producFon,
purchasing.
develop
a
clear
brand
and
markeFng
strategy
to
reflect
and
communicate
the
environmental
improvements.
consider
how
the
packaging
will
impact
upon
the
brand.
rethink
assess
communicate
design
1.
2.
3.
4.

89. ecodesign tools
qualitative quantitative
analysis/strategydetaileddesign/launch
stakeholder
assessment
rules of thumb
market
analysis
ECO-Indicator
applied
ethnography
material
selection
benchmarking
carbon
footprint
Life Cycle
Assessment
checklists /
LiDS Wheel
MET Matrix
guidelines /
standards
Life Cycle
Costing
strategy
tools
driver
analysis

90. design for…. low impact materials
recycled, recyclable, bio materials, compatibility, compostable,
renewable, sustainable
image source: inhabitat, Worn Again, Moscardino, Remarkable, Sony

91. design for…. eco-packaging
natural, returnable, reusable, multifunction, biodegradable

92. design for…. renewable power
human powered, solar, wind, bio, re-chargeable
image source: Philips, Freeplay, Solio

93. image source: Panasonic
design for….
disassembly
recycling, servicing, end-of-
life, upgrade, lean
manufacturing, cleaner
production, down-cycling,
material segregation,

94. design for…. durability
longevity, durability, desire
image source: dualit, kitchenaid

95. design for….
product systems
returnable, remanufacture,
re-use, closed-loop, end-of-life,
product-service-system
image source: RSA

96. a
marketable
set
of
products
and
services
capable
of
fulfilling
a
user’s
need
(Goedkoop
et
al.)
product
service
systems

97. …
also
known
as
a
funcFon
oriented
business
model
(e.g.
Xerox)
product
service
systems

98. hire
lease
/
service
consumer
goods
cooperaFve
full
ownership
shared
(adapted from Cooper et al.)
individual
no
ownership
responsible
business
models
product
service
systems

100. product
service
systems

101. source: ser_is_snarkish
product
service
systems

104. source: London Bus Museum

108. source: design21, Lifestraw
lifestraw

110. source: Droog, Tejo Remy

111. @Orangebox_Ltd

112. Cradle to Cradle
“remake the way we
make things” thinking about the materials we use, how
our products are designed and assembled, and their cycles
of use with our customers.
No matter how good your products are, there comes a time
when their first useful life comes to an end. In considering
product life cycles Cradle to Cradle asks us to re-think the
commonplace approach of “take, make & waste” and this
prompted us to act.
During the early stages of the design of Ara we established a
relationship with one of Cradle to Cradle’s authors, renowned
industrial chemist Micheal Braungart. Throughout the
development we have been working with EPEA, Micheal’s C2C
organisation based in Hamburg.
We’ve always very carefully considered the materials that we use
in our products but our aim in working with EPEA is to ensure
that what we’re using is truly safe, for humans and the
environment alike, and successful in technical cycles of reuse.
This means looking in much more detail at every chemical
ingredient in the materials we use; to determine which inhibit
this aim and need to be substituted or remove as a result.
Cradle to Cradle is an approach to design which looks to make
us truly environmentally effective, by developing products for
closed loop systems in which all the materials used are safe and
beneficial - either to biodegrade naturally or to be fully recycled
into high quality materials for subsequent product generations,
again and again. In order for us to maximise the value of the
materials used in your chair we’d like to get them back once
you’ve finished with them. It’s pretty simple, all you need to do
is visit our website at www.orangebox.com/endoflife.htm
Returning your ARA at ‘End of Life’
Armsupportthat’sthereonlywhenyouneedit.
Ourgoalwastodesignanewarmpadthatwasmorecomforta
thanever,usingmaterialsthatcouldbesegregatedeasilyandrecyc
moreeffectively.ThetraditionalPUisreplacedbyaflexiblepolym
withaseparateinsertmadefromrecycledfoam.Theresultis
armrestthat’srobust,easytouseandprobablythemostcomforta
we’veevermade.
Dosomethingreallysimple;makethechairbase100%
recyclable.
Notthemostcomplicatedpartonataskchair,granted,butweas
ourselvesthequestion-somelookmuchbetterthanothersbut
plasticchairbasesareprettymuchthesame,aren’tthey?Wellin
sensetheyare,andwithveryfewexceptionstheyallhaveam
collarmouldedintotheplastictostopthegasliftcreepingthroug
thebase.Greatfornotdraggingyourchairacrossthecarpetbut
notsogreatwhenyoucometorecycleit,asthecollarcanbever
difficulttoremove.
Smartdesignandcarefulmaterialselectionhasenabledustocre
abasewithoutacollarinsert.Asimplepointbutunlikealmost
otherplasticbasesoursis100%recyclable.Andrestassuredwe
testeditlikemad.
Weknowthatpeoplecomeinallshapesandsizes.That’swhy
smartengineeringinsidethemechanismmeanstheridecanbe
tunedandbalancedtoyourpreciseneeds,usingadjustment
controlsthatareeasytooperateandlabelledclearly.
disassembly
takeback, reuse
cradle to cradle,
collaboration
Ara: ecodesign = good design
@Orangebox_Ltd

113. do: more for less
part reduction (25% less
weight), disassembly,
dematerialisation
& material streamlining@Orangebox_Ltd

114. do: supply chain
a local supply chain has reduced
manufacturing costs, allowed for closer
working relationships with suppliers and has
reduced environmental impacts through
energy reduction at the transport stage (a
direct saving on average of 20% on the cost of
components = £280,000 saving)
@Orangebox_Ltd

115. do: responsible design
estimated that £750,000 will be saved annually
on the do range alone as a direct result of the
ecodesign led approach employed as part of
core business strategy.
@Orangebox_Ltd

116. @Orangebox_Ltd

117. product
design
the ‘environment’:
• true cost
• consumption
• business model
• infrastructure
• education
• procurement
• people
• LCA, etc. image source:
http://www.cpnd.org/

118. good
design
consideraFons
considera6on
of
full
life
cycle
/
system
/
true
cost
no
shi[
between
stages
of
life
cycle
/
LCA
design
for
transformaFve
use
cycles
design
for
new
models
of
business
&
un-­‐ownership
1

119. ecodesign
criteria
long-­‐life
non-­‐toxic
localise
renewable
energy
2

120. good
business
consideraFons
adaptable
supply
circles
instead
of
chains
transparency,
honesty
&
openness
(traceability)
true
collabora6on
through
empathy
&
extending
trust
framework
to
build
capacity
&
competencies
3

121. innovaFon
through
mindset
changes
–
think
…
‘resource’
instead
of
‘waste’
‘need’,
‘use’
instead
of
‘consume’
how
to
transform
‘stuff’
&
not
destroy
wider
life
cycle
/
‘circular
economy’
team
4

122. do
not
accept
‘that’s
the
way
it
is’

123. generic first steps
decide not to stay where you are
find something you love, believe in, are
passionate about
take responsibility, lead
don’t be afraid to fail
learn from your mistakes
understand your own role
ensure you are contributing, relevant

124. generic first steps
clearly define your values
set a clear vision, mission
seek to understand, empathise, trust
focus on building capacity
‘walk the talk’
keep it simple, do it now

125. do
not
accept
‘that’s
the
way
it
is’

126. a
world
where
responsible
design
&
business
is
the
norm

127. designed,
made,
remade
….
passport source: Habufa

128. our
responsibility
is
no
longer
to
acquire,
but
to
be
Rabindranath
Tagore

129. to
be…
We
cannot
just
be
by
ourselves
alone.
We
have
to
inter-­‐be
with
every
other
thing.
Thich
Nhat
Hanh

130. a
journey
of
a
thousand
miles
must
begin
with
a
single
step.
Lao
Tzu
!

131. today
is
one
step
………..
good
luck!
!

132. support reading - personal viewpoint
Can design be good?
http://www.thepeoplesdesignlab.org.uk/can-design-
be-good/
Why we cannot accept bad design
http://www.edcw.org/en/why-we-cannot-accept-bad-
design
Being design
http://hiatusbookblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/
frank-oconnor-eng/

133. thanks:
@WelshGovernment
@UNIDO
@ceuHungary
@ecodesigncentre colleagues
& you.
ecodesigncentre.org
@LCAtogo
@cycLEDeer
@frank_oconnor

134. sample activities to
undertake
!

135. consider
why
disposal
is
such
a
large
part
of
many
product
stories.
and
why
we
choose
to
purchase
these
products.
!

136.
consider
what
products
lend
themselves
to
product
service
systems?
!

137. choose
a
product
to
ecodesign?
explain
your
choice
(of
product)
and
approach
(i.e.
key
strategies).
!

138. choose
an
item
of
clothing
and
map
out
its
story
/
life
cycle?
how
would
you
re-­‐ecodesign?
explain
your
decision
making.
!

139. what
is
the
one
thing
you
would
do
to
make
ecodesign
happen?
!

140. what
is
the
one
thing
you
would
do
to
make
responsible
business
happen?
!

141. consider
the
role
of:
§ government?
§ industry?
§ educaFon?
in
an
world
where
responsible
design
&
business
is
the
norm.
!

142. choose a product
sketch circle(s) of use
include key stages
identify key actors
select a life cycle strategy
consider role of:
government, business, education and design
!