Eco Design Implementation Across the British Product Design Industry

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Date
2014-11Author
Abstract
Our understanding of the effects that human production and consumption
has on our planet and its resources has challenged us to think differently when
developing new products. In response to these problems, Eco Design has been
developed over the last few decades. Eco Design is a process integrated into
product and engineering design that aims to lower the environmental impact of
products across their life cycle, whilst not hindering design brief criteria such as
function, price, performance, and quality.
Research in Eco Design has focused mainly on the development of new
tools and ways to implement Eco Design in industry. However, there is still little
empirical knowledge today regarding the state of Eco Design implementation and
practices in industry; in addition to the prerequisite needs and factors to
successfully implement Eco Design.
The aim of this research has been to review the level and type of Eco Design
in the British Product Design industry and to identify recurrent themes helping or
hindering implementation. This was achieved through the use of a pilot study
followed by a two stage case study design, involving 20 cases and 57 participants
across 65 interviews. The investigation and its analysis produced 12 confirmed
themes, each generating their own drivers and barriers to Eco Design
implementation.
This research into Eco Design implementation provides a unique
contribution and a timely insight into the Eco Design practices of the British Product
Design industry today. The research also provides the novel contribution of
identifying the drivers and barriers to implementing and sustaining Eco Design, as
well as an understanding of the strengths and shortfalls of the current Eco Design
processes and tools. These contributions to knowledge in the field of Eco Design
will help future research formulate better solutions to implement Eco Design
processes in the Product Design industry.
Description
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