Examensarbete i Hållbar Utveckling 2
Thoughtful Sustainable Design Reinvestigating Means for Attainable Ends
Miren del Rocío Careaga Ochoa
INSTITUTIONEN FÖR GEOVETENSKAPER
Thoughtful Sustainable Design;
Reinventing Means for Attainable Ends
Master’s Thesis in the:
Master of Science Programme in Sustainable Development
By: Miren del Rocío Careaga Ochoa
Supervised by: No Picnic, Stefan Magnusson & Karin Högdahl
CEAMUS Centre for Environment and Development Studies
Uppsala, Sweden June 2010
Abstract
Submerge into the world of Sustainable design with this research
project that offers a thorough analysis of the latest techniques and examples
of environmental friendly products, learn how a decision support model is
able to assist in making important design choices and discover how simple it
can be to follow a design framework to find solutions to design problems in
the most unexpected places, while at the same time creating lean “fat free”
environmental products.
The latest examples of environmental products include the first concept zeroemission ocean transport vessel, the Wallenius Wilhelmsen E/S Orcelle, a
balanced combination of esthetics, sustainability and function in the Sony
Ericsson’s Green Heart packaging, and finally a great example of material
engineering Billerud’s FibreForm which is an innovative and environmentally
friendly material that can replace plastic.
Biomimicry which is a new discipline that studies “nature’s way” and then
imitates this designs and processes to solve design problems when integrated
in a design framework that considers; function form and lifecycle is able to
guide designers to create products that achieve environmental, social and
economical sustainability that can raise quality of life and that enable
humanity to increase innovations without sacrificing our future.
Key words:
Industrial Design, Sustainability, Biomimicry, No Picnic, Design Framework,
Sustainable transports, Sustainable packaging, environmentally friendly
materials.
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INDEX
1. Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
1.1
Purpose & Research Questions -------------------------------- 6
1.2
Objectives & Goals ------------------------------------------------ 6
1.3
Unique Contribution ----------------------------------------------- 7
2. Materials and methods --------------------------------------------------- 7
3. Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
4. Techniques to achieve Sustainability in Design ----------------- 8
4.1
Function: products that are needed ---------------------- 8
4.2
Form: organic sensations -------------------------------------- 12
4.3
Materials & Life Cycle: creation and destruction ---- 15
5. Decision support system model for sustainable design ----- 19
5.1
Action Alternatives ------------------------------------ 21
5.2
Survey Questions -------------------------------------- 23
5.3
Model ----------------------------------------------------- 24
5.4
Results ----------------------------------------------------- 29
6. Framework for Sustainable Design ---------------------------------- 30
7. Project ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31
7.1
Brainstorming ------------------------------------------------------ 31
7.2
Ethnographic observation ------------------------------------ 31
7.3
Objective ----------------------------------------------------------- 32
7.4
Place ----------------------------------------------------------------- 32
7.5
Activity --------------------------------------------------------------- 32
7.6
People --------------------------------------------------------------- 32
7.7
Bio-Inspiration ----------------------------------------------------- 32
7.8
Personas ------------------------------------------------------------ 34
7.9
Similar products -------------------------------------------------- 35
7.10 Material analysis ------------------------------------------------- 36
7.11 Ergonomic and environmental analysis ---------------- 36
7.12 Requirement analysis ------------------------------------------ 36
7.13 Sketching & technical drawings --------------------------- 37
7.14 Conclusion & discussion -------------------------------------- 38
8. Conclusion ----------------------------------------------------------------- 39
9. Acknowledgment ------------------------------------------------------- 40
10. Reference list -------------------------------------------------------------- 41
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11. Appendix ----------------------------------------------------------------- 44
a. Author’s Background -------------------------------------------- 44
b. About No Picnic --------------------------------------------------- 44
c. Work Break Down Structure ----------------------------------- 45
d. Wallenius Wilhelmsen E/S Orcelle Quick Facts ---------- 47
e. Results of Survey --------------------------------------------------- 48
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1.
Introduction
Design has been the cultural shaper of our world from the start. We have
designed systems, cities, and commodities. Design Culture is this language
that is able to build businesses, create a visual culture, human experiences,
which at the same time, construct shapes, identities, brands and add value
to any person or object that can communicate it. Did you know that every
day you use over 500 products? Look around you. What do you see? A desk,
window, pencil or chair? Everything you see and everything that you have
used today have come a long way, from an idea to a design process to a
fabrication process, marketing campaigns until it reaches your hands. Design
is the first step in the life of many of the things we use and buy, and the last
step of many of our resources; this is why Sustainable Design comes in focus,
because in a world of finite resources it is everyone’s responsibility to make
sure they are being used wisely.
Humanity, as an advantage or disadvantage, has always strived to reach
higher levels. This property has leaded us to astonishing discoveries that have
changed our lives in many ways. We must keep evolving; Sustainable Design
is the art of designing physical objects, and services to comply with the
principles of economic, social and ecological sustainability. The needed aim
of Sustainable Design is to produce places, products and services in a way
that reduces use of non-renewable resources, minimizes environmental
impact, and relates people with the natural environment. Sustainable design
is often viewed as a necessary tool for achieving sustainability. It is related to
the heavier, industry-focused fields of industrial ecology and green chemistry,
sharing tools such as life cycle assessment to judge the environmental impact
or "greenness" of various design choices.
This research thesis will put sustainable design under the microscope and
discuss several strategies and techniques to achieve optimal sustainability in
products, life cycle and materials. It will also present a number of case studies
exemplifying each technique along with a final project that will merge these
techniques. For this final project I will also propose a framework that will, not
only guide future designers in their design process but also ensure that
sustainability factors are taken into account.
These techniques have been inspired by biomimicry, which consists on an
emerging discipline that studies “nature’s way” and then imitates this designs
and processes to solve human problems. Photosynthesis, self-assembly,
natural selection, self-sustaining ecosystems are just a few examples of what
this discipline tries to replicate. “The biomimicry revolution introduces an era
based not on what we can extract from nature but what we can learn from
her.” (Benyus 2002) There are countless biomimic inspired designs throughout
history like the famous Wright brothers who copied the vulture's wing, and
Alexander Graham Bell's original idea for the telephone came from
understanding how the human tongue and ear drum work. Based on this
idea, I have created three different kind of techniques separated as
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followed, function, form and lifecycle. Follow me in this exciting and
pioneering research that will encourage multi-disciplinarily, innovation and
more importantly a holistic approach to our design processes in order to
become “alchemists with creativity and reduce the tide of contamination so
we can tell a new story to our children” (Carlson 2010)
1.1
Purpose & Research Questions
Is it possible to increase innovations that will improve people’s lives
without sacrificing their future?
How can nature’s systems and elements inspire and guide designers?
Can a design framework help designers make lean “fat free”
environmental products?



These will be the key research questions in this thesis and I pretend to
solve them by exploring new techniques and sciences related to sustainable
development particularly sustainable design and biomimicry. To better
understand this I will elaborate 3 case studies classified in 3 different chapters.
Each chapter will describe a specific element that by itself and in
combination is essential to the definition of sustainable design. These three
core elements are; function, form and lifecycle. I will also use computer
software called web-hipre which is a decision support system that will
determine the level of prioritization needed between cost, quality and
ecological factors based on a survey applied to 50 people. Finally it will
conclude with a framework and a project exemplifying how to use this
framework that aims to facilitate designers achieve a standard balance
between environmental, social and economically sustainable products that
solve problems that really matter in an innovative way without compromising
future generations.
1.2
Objectives & Goals
The main and most inclusive goal of this document is clearly established in
the title, to Reinvent the means for attainable end, in the context of product
design. To be able to achieve such an exigent goal, a series of objectives
must be established in a subsequent and collective manner. The primary
objectives are;





To contemplate the fact that both sustainability and design are
multidisciplinary and holistic.
To question, reach awareness and think in new ways to raise quality of
life for the masses.
To create a framework that will enable designers to find solutions in the
most unexpected places and go beyond the obvious.
To enable design to communicate and unite cultures.
To change the perception and mind set, creating long time value
instead of short term profit.
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
1.3
To substantiate the fact that integrating a sustainability perspective in a
design plan will provide a win-win situation for the consumers, the
clients and the designers.
Unique Contribution
The multidisciplinary approach in this research will be approached
based on the fields of industrial design, entrepreneurship in developing
countries, interaction design and sustainable development. Armed with a 4.5
year Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from ITESM (Instituto
Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey) with
international experience in the United States and in Mexico. Also with a 2
years master program in sustainable development at Uppsala university in
Sweden participating in an 8 months internship at SVENSK FORM (the Swedish
society of crafts and design) and a key specialization in “entrepreneurship in
developing countries” and “methodologies of interaction design” from the
University of Stockholm. This study will apply meticulous knowledge in these
fields also integrating years of work experience that will enable new
approaches and better solutions to both sustainability and design problems.
Always using creative and innovative solutions, applying state of the art
technologies using the principals of physics, engineering and social sciences
in order to attend to user and market needs; defining product style function,
quality, and safety, whilst considering environmental and social impact.
2.
Materials and methods
The sustainability rate of a product might be a difficult quality to measure,
especially when the parameters broaden to all social, economical and
environmental values. This is why it was very important for this project to study
and collect as much qualitative and quantitative data as possible.
The study elaborated and examined three case studies of product designs
that are consider sustainable because of one or more specific element
(function, form and lifecycle). Followed by a web-hipre model, that will
determine the level of prioritization needed between cost, quality and
ecological factors based on a survey applied to 50 people in Mexico and in
Sweden. Finally it will propose a framework for sustainable design along with
a project that exemplifies how to follow the framework.
The secondary data was collected the following; three seminars; “The
Material Gap” (Svensk Form 10/02/2010), “The Power of Beauty of Organic
Design”(Ross Lovegrove 24/6/2009) and “Design for Life” (Design Boost
14/11/2009; Design blogs such as; “Things can always get better”, “Design
Boom”, “The Cool Hunter”, “Designaolic”, and “Ecouterre” along with other
resources from the internet, and finally as secondary data concerns, I used
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various books, papers and literature related to industrial design, interaction
design, sustainability and biomimicry as stated in the bibliography.
The primary data for this project was collected from informal interviews with
designers, Stefan Magnusson from No Picnic, Mauricio Guajardo and Naoko
Takeda Toda. A decision support model was elaborated by a 50 people
survey conducted in Sweden and in Mexico. The survey was applied
randomly to males and females from 18 to 40 years old.
3.
Limitations
The approach used in this study has some limitations, first of all the three
case studies were taken from the same design company (No Picnic) which is
composed of mainly Swedish designers. The innovations that this project will
focus on are delimited by product design in the shipping industry (Wilhelmsen
2008), electronic products (Sony Ericsson 2009) and in the packaging field
(Billerud 2009). These products are currently in a development and prototype
stage, therefore have not yet been tested on a real market, hence marketing
and profit figures are speculated. The products have been selected by the
accomplishment of several design awards. The design framework was
developed based on existing frameworks from industrial design
methodologies and interaction design methodologies. The sample of people
and the interviews were delimited by the country of Sweden specifically the
cities of Uppsala and Stockholm and the country of Mexico specifically the
city of Monterrey.
4.
Techniques to achieve Sustainability in Design
4.1
Function: products that are needed
“We shall work to attain high
environmental standards and to be
regarded as a leader at providing
environmental solutions within the
shipping industries.”
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Environmental
Strategy
Objects and products are but
tools, extensions of our human body to
facilitate or elaborate certain chores or
functions. Hence it is inferred that there
is a mutual dependency, an object
needs a purpose and a purpose needs
an object. It is however the duty of
designers to be able to evaluate these
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Figure 1. Maslow’s Pyramid of Human Needs.
Designers should try to find sustainable solutions for
“bottom of the pyramid” needs. (Maslow 2009)
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purposes and create a hierarchy of what is really needed. When trying to
balance needs and sustainability designers must generally try to focus in what
is called “Bottom of the Pyramid” ; this refers to Maslow’s pyramid of Human
needs, which goes from the bottom most basic needs, those required to
sustain life up to the need of self-actualization which refers to deeper
concepts like morality, wisdom and justice. In the present day, there is
however, something that is as essential for everything we do, it is one of the
biggest concerns (if it were to run out) and most likely where most research
and development has been happening during the last decade; cleaner
fuels.
Figure 2. The E/S Orcelle is the
worlds first E/S, Environmentally
sound Ship. (Wilhelmsen 2008)
This first case study not only refers to the basic need
of cleaner and renewable fuels but also to the need
of transportation. The Wallenius Wilhelmsen E/S
Orcelle; is the first concept zero-emission ocean
transport vessel. It was with the ingenious and multidisciplinary approach of environmental experts,
naval architects and industrial designer from No
Picnic that managed to create a highly advanced
design that combines optimum cargo capacity of
85,000m2 of cargo deck area which is 50% more
space than today’s modern car carriers, to transport
around the world more efficiently and the use of
renewable energy sources and fuel cells to
generate the energy required to power the vessel,
while not releasing any emissions into the
atmosphere or the ocean.
Figure 3. The sketches show the evolution of the E/S Orcelle. (Wilhelmsen 2008)
Using basic principles of biomimicry, the design team managed to use
alternative energy sources rather than fossil fuel oil for the vessel’s power and
propulsion, zero emissions and optimum cargo capacity, reduce the weight
of materials, re-design the hull to eliminate ballast water and finally
enhanced speed and stability. The inspiration came from the Irrawaddy
dolphin also called Orcelle in French, which is among the world’s critically
endangered species. The shape and function of the dolphin’s fins where
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mimicked to create new propulsion systems and eliminate the need for the
vessel to take and release ballast water. Ballast water is a major
environmental problem since the water is taken from one region and
discharged in another one, most of the time these water include non-native
or exotic species that can cause extensive ecological and economic
damage to the ecosystem. Ballast water is believed to be one of the leading
sources of invasive marine species, posing a public threat in health,
environment and economic systems. (Copeland 2008)
Figure 4. Energy collectors in the Vessel
Figure 4. Renewable energy collectors integrated in the design. (Wilhelmsen 2008)
”Renewable energy sources have the potential to provide abundant supply
of energy with minimal environmental impact and relatively low cost.”
(Wilhelmsen 2008) The three sources of renewable energy; solar power, wind
power and wave power, work together to charge fuel cells powered by
hydrogen, that can be used for all the equipment on board that utilize
energy to operate the vessel. The solar energy is collected through
photovoltaic panels located in the vessel’s sails. “When not in use for wind
propulsion, the sails may be tilted, laid down or in other ways directed for
maximum solar energy collection.” (Wilhelmsen 2008) The solar energy will
then be transformed into electricity for immediate use, or for storage. The
wind energy is mainly used for
propulsion directly through three sails
made
of
lightweight
materials.”Capable
of
folding
upward and outward, the rigid sails
can rotate about the masthead to
fix the best position to extract wind
energy through the creation of drag
force or lift force, or a combination
of the two.” (Wilhelmsen 2008) The
wave energy is collected and may
be transformed into various types of
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Figure 5. The E/S Orcelle’s Hull design eliminates
ballast water, which is consider to be one of the
Page
main threats to marine environments. (Wilhelmsen
2008)
10
energy by combining the relative movements of the waves, the fins and the
vessel. “The E/S Orcelle will have a total of 12 fins in all, enabling the vessel to
harness and transform wave energy into hydrogen, electricity or mechanical
energy. The fins are also propulsion units that are driven by wave energy or by
the electricity or mechanical energy available on board.” (Wilhelmsen 2008)
By optimizing cargo capacity, lowering the energy consumption and using
the latest innovations in lightweight materials the only by-products of the
production of electricity from the fuel cells are water and heat.
“We believe that the industry as a whole must put more effort into
developing sustainable ocean transport solutions that are both viable and
cost-effective.”
-Wallenius Wilhelmsen
One of the most innovative characteristics of the design is the car carrier’s
hull which manages to eliminate ballast water, which according to the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) is one of the four major threats to
the word’s oceans. The new design, a powerful pentamaran hull also
eliminates the traditional stern propeller and rudder; hence no ballast water is
required on board and it contributes to the improved utilization of energy
and to the clean flow of water around the vessel.
Employing the most recent sustainable technologies included also, the latest
in material engineering pioneering lightweight materials such as aluminum
and thermoplastic composites offer distinct advantages over carbon steels.
Some of the main advantages include high tensile strength, less
maintenance, fatigue resistance, easy to shape and most importantly
recyclability.
Another important characteristic of the E/S Orcelle is the enhanced speed
and stability. The vessel can travel up to 20 knots in maximum speed carrying
a total amount of 10,000 cars in eight different cargo decks. This classifies as a
maximum deadweight capacity of 13,000 tons and weight 21,000 tons, which
is much like today’s car carriers, nevertheless the E/S Orcelle will be capable
of carrying approximately 3,000 more tons of cargo thanks to the use of
lightweight materials.
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Figure 6. The ship is a remarkable piece of holistic engineering and has been exhibited
as a prototype in many international fairs. (Wilhelmsen 2008)
The ship is a remarkable piece of holistic engineering, and has been
exhibited as a prototype in many important international fairs as well as
winning the ID (Industrial Design) magazine annual design award of 2005. This
sort of exposure has served well to gather large media interest and attention
from investors around the world that are eager to participate in realising the
vision. Wallenius Wilhelmsen estimates a service date of 2025 for this
remarkable car carrier.
4.2
Form: organic sensations
As discussed earlier
designers must focus
on products that are
needed but within
these parameters a
product should also
strive to raise the
quality of life for the
users
and
the
surroundings.
As
challenging as this
mission sounds, there
Figure 7. Studies have proven that the connection to the natural
is an “easier” way for
environment can improve people’s quality of life. (Sony Ericsson 2009)
designers to help
peoples’ social and psychological well-being. The answer lies in a
concept called Biophilia; this concept coined by the German social
psychologist Erich Fromm in 1965 merely means “love of life or living
systems” and explains that it is our evolutionary roots that compel us to
desire and seek places and spaces that allow us to connect with nature.
“Organisms recognize biodiversity as both a necessity for their own
perpetuation and as an indication of environmental quality which is itself
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useful for selecting and manipulating one's environment according to
survival needs”(The Vancouver Sun 2007)
The term philias (antonym of phobias) refers to the attraction and positive
feelings that people have towards certain environments, activities and
objects, and it is in fact so powerful that studies have proven that the
connection to the natural environment enhances peoples abilities in
dealing with hardship, coping with everyday stress, increases
concentration on cognitive tasks, release tension, increase relaxation,
creativity and give peace of mind.
“The idea is that people thrive best in
environments that have other forms
of life around, and flourish in spaces
that are more like habitats, instead of
our
all-too-common,
isolated,
Cartesian cubes… Patients recover
more quickly, students learn better,
retail sales are higher, and workplace
productivity increases in spaces that
offer
an
interaction
and
a
connection
with
nature.”
(The
Vancouver Sun 2007)
Figure 8. In the pursuit of sustainability
designers are getting inspiration from nature.
(Sony Ericsson 2009)
While both biomimicry and biophilia have been studied and applied in
the fields of biology and psychology, the use of them for design
purposes is a fairly new concept. In the pursuit of sustainable design it is
only logical that designers get inspiration and emulate nature’s
processes, shapes and technologies while at the same time promoting
social and psychological well being by doing so. The second case
study, illustrates a perfect example of “natural sensations”, Sony
Ericsson’s Green Heart since it
Manages to integrate positive attributes of
nature into product packaging creating a
balanced combination of aesthetics,
sustainability and function. The Sony
Ericson’s green heart packaging illustrates
a great example of a modern challenge
since it demanded to create an icon and
a story for Sony
Ericsson’s sustainability program. The
design was achieved by a group of
Figure 9. Sony Ericsson’s Green
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Sweden 2010
Heart,
manages to integrate positive attributes of
nature into product packaging. (Sony
Ericsson 2009)
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interdisciplinary industrial and graphic designers from “No Picnic”. The
main challenges with this project were, firstly to create a sustainable
packaging concept that challenges the status quo in the entire value
chain, second to inspire future eco packaging standard and set
benchmark, and finally to take Sony Ericsson to the #1 position in the
Greenpeace Greener Electronics index.
It was not easy for the design team, but they decided to approach this
challenge by creating an icon that is eye-catching and would speak for
itself and at the same time question the entire value chain, own
organization as well as
suppliers and customers.
Observation was a key
element
during
the
design process; studies of
the natural environment
were
keen
to
the
development as well as a
big inspiration for both
the packaging and the
display. The material of
the packaging also plays
an important role in the
products
“natural”
qualities, since it is made
Figure 10 Design Process and studies of the natural environment
of a new, revolutionary
during the development of the display. (Sony Ericsson 2009)
and formable paper –
Billerud
FibreForm®.
“FibreForm enabled us to create a unique design that communicates
environment” says No Picnic Designers. This material of which There will be
further discussion in chapter 4.3 Materials & Life cycle it is made of a raw
material that comes from sustainable and ecological forests where
replanting is regulated by the law.
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Figure 11. Sony Ericsson’s Leaf packaging managed to reduce its carbon footprint by 70% as well as
saving 10,000 trees each year. (Sony Ericsson 2009)
As part of a holistic
approach the team also
studied the whole chain
of
distribution
and
managed to reduce the
carbon footprint up to
72% as well as saving
10,000 trees each year.
“Our goal has always
Figure 12. Comparison between the weight with conventional
been that our products
packaging and with the new packaging. (Sony Ericsson 2009)
should have the lowest
possible environmental impact”, says Helen Keys, Senior Manager, and
Creation Communication Design, at Sony Ericsson. In line with this product
Sony Ericsson also launched a new environmental warranty which means
that now any of its products can be taken to a designated collection
point where they will be recycled in an environmentally sound way, this
warranty will be valid globally as part of its support for individual producer
responsibility (IPR).
The results of this project excelled any kind of expectations; the design
won medals in international design contests such as the Guldägget (Gold
Egg) Award 2009, Penaward’s Worldwide Design competition in 2009, and
was also nominated for the Gold Egg (Sweden’s foremost design award).
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The aim of reducing volume and reinforcing the environmental message
was more than achieved positioning Sony Ericsson at the top of
Greenpeace list, increasing leading industry-wide interest and
sustainability dialogue with suppliers and consumers and finally increasing
advertising value.
4.3
Materials & Life Cycle: creation and destruction
“Behind every great movement in
design, there’s a material
innovation.”
(Kuang 2010)
Figure 13. Sustainable Development caricature. (Jeff Parker
2002)
Throughout
history
humanity’s ability to dominate a
material has made significant
changes in the way people live
their lives and consequently the
impact this lifestyles have on the
environment. To fully understand
the evolution of design, one has to
focus on two main things; the
materials and the main interests of
the civilization at the time.
Industrial design as a discipline did not come to be until the mid 19 th century,
nevertheless the activity of shaping a specific material to elaborate certain
chores or functions date about five million years ago when early humans
learned to shape wood to create spears for hunting. Afterwards, the ability to
make pottery, and mould different metals facilitated activities such as
agriculture. It was until the industrial revolution in the 18 th and 19th century
when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, transport and mining had
an overwhelming effect on socioeconomic, cultural and environmental
conditions. Cliff Kuang author of “The Materials driving Product Innovation in
2010” illustrates this point very clearly when he explains that “in the 1930's,
tubular steel began the Bauhaus; in the 1950's, steam-bent plywood begat
Eames-era modernism; and today, capacitative sensors have begat iPhones
and touch screen interfaces." (Kuang 2010)
The second point in understanding the evolution of design is the analysis of
the civilization at the time; the main interests and technology surrounding
them. The environmental concern first came to our attention in 1962 with the
publishing of the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, followed by 1983’s UN
World Commission on Environment and Development’s (WCED) definition of
sustainable development (“Sustainable development is a pattern of resource
use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that
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these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future
generations.” United Nations 1983). With the growing concern of
environmental depletion and the urge of attaining resilience in the already
depleted natural resources, scientists created life-cycle assessments. A lifecycle assessment (LCA) is a vital step in determining a material’s sustainability
credentials. A life-cycle assessment also referred to a life-cycle analysis is an
investigation of the environmental impact of a specific product or service,
the evaluation characterizes itself by being holistic, considering every step of
the chain from extraction to disposal including all transportation steps caused
by the existence of the product. Subsequently LCA are used to compare
materials and determine which has less environmental impact. “They are
particularly useful: It captures the environment-related inputs and outputs of
entire value chains, from raw-materials supply through product use to returns.
This has helped companies discover, for instance, that vendors consume as
much as 80% of the energy, water, and other resources used by a supply
chain, and that they must be a priority in the drive to create sustainable
operations.” (Nidumolu et al. 2009) Taking into account both the
socioeconomic interests and the environmental concerns, there has been
remarkable advances in material engineering.
Material ConneXion is a material consultant to the design industry, it connects
designers with material manufacturers, furthermore they also published a
report of “materials trends for 2010” this report comprises 20 ground-breaking
material. The followings are some of the materials included in this report:
Plastic made from carbon captured from coal-factory smokestacks: Ordinary
plastics are made from oil and many other chemicals that are manipulated,
however some plastics can be made from 55% captured carbon although
the goal is 100%. This material will have the same characteristics as any other
but they will be made with plant-based derivatives instead of oil.
Recycled: companies are managing the entire product lifecycle like,
Recycline’s preserve line of products which can be returned at any time to
the manufacturer for 100% reuse.
Biomimicry is also being applied to material
engineering: Sharklet is a adhesive film that
can replace chemically based anti-microbial
treatments inspired by shark’s skin. Sharks
don’t have to clean their skin because its
microscopic texture prevents microbes from
growing on it. Additionally “Calera, a
California
start-up,
has
developed
technology to extract carbon dioxide from
industrial emissions and bubble it through
seawater to manufacture cement. The
process mimics that used by coral, which
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Figure 14. Sharklet adhesive film that can
Page 17
replace chemically based anti-microbial
treatments inspired by shark’s skin.
(ConneXion 2010)
builds shells and reefs from the calcium and magnesium in seawater.”
(Nidumolu et al. 2009)
Unconventional materials are also
being explored, for instance,
Enoc Armengol is a Spanish
designer, who uses bread as the
main material in his furniture
“Panapati” making the products
both recyclable, environmental
and edible.
Figure 15. Unconventional materials like bread are used in
Panapati furniture by a Spanish designer Enoc Armengol.
(Kuang 2010)
The third case study introduces another innovative and environmentally
friendly material called FibreForm®. Cleverly created by a prestigious Swedish
paper company called Billerud and paired with the ingenious creativity at
design studio No Picnic this material consists on a tactile packaging paper
that can replace plastic in a wide variety of aspects that would require
formability and purity for instance; trays, blister packs for food, and even
pharmaceuticals. FibreForm’s raw material consists of a fibre pulp.
Figure 16. FibreForm® by Billerud is an innovative and environmentally friendly material that
can replace plastic. (Billerud 2009)
“Billerud is driven by a passion to develop sustainable, modern products that
benefit both our customers and future generations. Innovative thinking
characterizes our approach and FibreForm® is yet another element of our
long-term work to create climate-smart solutions.” (Billerud 2009)
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There is no doubt that this is the paper of the
future, since it is not only environmentally
conscious but also offers the users unlimited
design potential. When it comes to
packaging, it can really take solutions to a
new level since it not only raises the products
sustainability credentials, by reducing CO2
emissions otherwise produced with normal
packaging, recyclability of the material,
biodegradability and weight, but it also
Figure
17.
FibreForm
is
not
only
enhances the product’s image and
environmentally conscious but it also offers
reinforces the brand with both design and
unlimited design potential. (Billerud 2009)
environmental qualities. The raw material
consists of 100 percent primary fibre which makes the paper pure and strong.
The raw material is also renewable and comes from well-managed Swedish
ecological forestry where replanting is regulated by the law. Additionally the
production takes place with the lowest possible impact on the climate and it
is certified in accordance by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The final
product has a smooth and natural feel that gives a distinctive character. An
example of a packaging made with FibreForm® is the Sony Ericsson’s Green
Heart described in the previous case
study.
The final material characteristics are a
smooth
and
natural
feel,
high
stretchability which is very convenient
and allows it to be embossed or coated
and formed in traditional thermoforming
lines.
There
have
been
numerous
technological advantages in the new
material fields and it is a designer’s
responsibility to stay up to date with
these innovations in order to be able to create environmentally-friendly value
chains. This way both the designer and the company will benefit from energy
efficiency, waste reduction, transportation costs, lowering CO2 emissions and
being one step ahead of governmental regulations which in return will
uncover amongst other, monetary benefits and raising the companies and
the customers brand value.
Figure 18. FibreForm’s raw material comes
from sustainable and ecological forestry
where replanting is regulated by the law.
(Billerud 2009)
5. Decision support system model for sustainable design
As a designer or design firm you may be faced with decisions between
profitability and sustainability. However, in today’s society of growing
environmental awareness, it does not necessarily have to be one or the
other. There are situations in which the more ecological route can prove to
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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be the most economical as well. Using Web-Hipre, I will attempt to address
this uncertainty, applying a Decision Support System in order to determine the
level of prioritization needed between cost, quality, and ecological factors in
sustainable design. The focus of the model is on the three important attributes
for the product design process, economical, environmental and physical
factors. The model proposes four different action alternatives named A, B, C
and D. The measurable aspects of design have been simplified to low impact
materials, energy efficiency, costs, renewability, quality and durability and
finally reusability and recyclability. The weight values applied in the model will
be determined by a survey applied to 50 people in Mexico and in Sweden.
A low impact material refers to the main material the product is fabricated
from. Weather it comes from direct extraction or not, and how abundant this
material is in the natural surroundings. This category also considers how long
does it take for the same amount of this material to replace itself in nature.
This quality will be measured in a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is a very low
impact material and 5 is a high impact material.
When we talk about energy efficiency in the production process, we refer to
the energy expended in all of the stages of the product, from extraction to
the final product. Energy efficiency is a difficult aspect to measure because
the distances from where the raw materials were shipped from may vary
significantly, and therefore, will not be considered. This quality will be
measured in a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is a very energy efficient process
and 5 is a process that involves a lot of energy use.
Costs refer to the direct cost of production and raw materials of the final
product, not considering any design or packaging costs. This quality will be
measured in a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is a very low cost and 5 is a high
cost.
A product’s Renewability is the products ability to return to its initial “raw”
state of being. The product can be one with the natural environment once it
has fully served its purpose. This quality will be measured in a scale from 1 to
5, where 1 is a very renewable and 5 is not renewable at all.
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Quality and durability is defined as the products ability to endure or to last a
long time or the product’s resistance to its use. It will be measured in a time
scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is high quality and durability and 5 is low quality
and durability.
The characteristics of Reusability and recyclability on this experiment mean
that it is able to put or pass through a cycle again, as for further treatment or
to adapt to a new use or function. This quality will be measured on a scale
from 1 to 5, where 1 is a very reusable and recyclable and 5 is not reusable or
recyclable.
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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5.1
Action Alternatives
Alternative “A”
Low impact material
5
The material used in this alternative
would be a very high impact material,
something that would be directly taken
raw from nature or that it would take a
long time to replace in nature. Some
examples would be; wood from oak for
furniture, fur for clothing…
Energy Efficiency
1
This particular alternative is hand made
so it uses very low energy in its
production process.
Cost
5
In this case the production costs and the
materials costs would be really high.
Renewability
2
Since this alternative considers a
product made from a “new” material it
could almost be completely renewable.
Quality and durability
1
This product would have the highest
quality and durability.
Reusability and
recyclability
2
The materials in this alternative could
mostly be recycled and treated for
other products.
Low impact material
1
The material used in this alternative
would be a recycled very low impact
material. Some examples would be;
mdf, cardboard, pet…
Energy Efficiency
3
This alternative also uses low energy in
the production by parts but it is
assembled by hand by the consumers.
Cost
1
This alternative would be very cheap
Table 1. Action Alternative A.
Alternative “B”
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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Renewability
4
This product would not be very
renewable because since the material
has been recycled, it has already been
treated with chemical and other
substances that could be harmful for the
environment.
Quality and durability
5
This product would not last very long
since the material is fairly weak since the
beginning.
Reusability and
recyclability
3
This product could be recycled one
more time but it couldn’t make the
same product again, it would have to
go lower in the chain.
Low impact material
3
The material used in this alternative
would be a medium impact material,
something that was taken raw from the
environment but it can be “easily”
replaced by it. Examples; pine wood
Energy Efficiency
3
In this case there are several processes
involved but there are parts that are
hand made as well.
Cost
3
The cost is fairly moderate.
Renewability
3
Since this alternative considers a
product made from a “new” material it
could almost be completely renewable
but since it was easily replace it most
likely would be recycled instead.
Quality and durability
4
The quality is good.
Reusability and
recyclability
2
This product is almost
recyclable or reusable.
Table 2. Action Alternative B.
Alternative “C”
completely
Table 3. Action Alternative C.
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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Alternative “D”
Low impact material
The material used in this alternative
would be a medium impact material,
one that involves a mixture between
raw materials and other kinds of
materials.
3
Example; plastic
Energy Efficiency
3
This process uses normal energy at a
normal rate of production.
Cost
3
The cost is moderate.
Renewability
5
This product is not renewable at all.
Quality and durability
3
The quality is good.
Reusability and
recyclability
2
This product would be mostly recyclable
and reusable.
Table 4. Action Alternative C.
5.2
Survey Questions
Age:
less-17
18-25
25-35
35-45
45-more
How often do you go shopping?
Once a week
every 3 months
once every two weeks
once every 6 months
once a month
other_____
once
Would you prefer sustainable design above other design?
Yes
No
Please rank in level of importance the next characteristics when you
are buying a product.
Materials
Quality and durability
Design for reuse and recycle
Renewability
Cost
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Esthetics
Functionality
When you think about sustainability what do you consider is most
important?
Low impact materials
Energy efficiency
Quality and durability
Design for reuse and recycle
Renewability
How much extra would you be willing to pay for a 100% ecological
product?
Less than 5%
10%
20%
30%
more than 30%
What is your work related to?
Office research
other_____________
engineering
social sciences
How many years of study have you accomplished?
Less than 1
1-3
2-4
5-7
more than 8
Is sustainability something you are aware of?
Yes
no
Have you ever consider improvements on an environmental basis for
your home, office?
Yes
5.3
no
Model
The system analysis was supported with the optimization of the model shown
in figure 19. The decision of how sustainable design should be managed
depends on three aspects, environment, characterized for energy efficient
and the use of low impact materials; the economic perspective, which
involves the cost of operation and production; and the physical aspect. This
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
Page 25
last attribute is sub-categorized in renewability, esthetics, quality & durability,
and reusability & recyclability that will characterize the products.
With these three perspectives and their sub-categories, and based on the
results shown by the survey; four action alternatives have been developed
and weighted. All four alternatives embrace each one of the sub-categories,
but with different weights for each.
Figure 19. Decision Support System Model for Sustainable Design.
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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Decision characteristics considered when purchasing
%
1. Materials
Mean
SD
6.7
0.9
3.2
31.1
4
14.8
3. Design for reuse & recycle
2.2
0.3
1.1
4. Functionality
10
1.3
4.8
5. Renewability
3.3
0.4
1.6
6. Cost
27.8
3.6
13.2
7. Esthetics
18.9
2.4
9
2.2
0.3
1.1
2. Energy efficiency
11.1
1.4
5.3
3. Quality & durability
17.8
2.3
8.5
4. Design for reuse & recycle
36.7
4.7
17.5
5. Renewability
32.2
4.1
15.4
70
9
33.4
2. 10%
28.9
3.7
13.8
3. 20%
1.1
0.1
0.5
4. 30%
0
0
0
5. More than 30%
0
0
0
2. Quality and renewability
Order of importance when considering sustainable design
1. Low impacts on material
Willingness to Pay
1. Less than 10%
Table 5. Results of survey shown in percentage (%)
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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Once compiled, survey results with material’s specifications and production
properties were assigned a weight for each sub-category. Results are shown
as follows.
Figure 20. Attribute values for Eco-Design
Figure 22. Attribute values for Economic aspect.
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
Figure 21. Attribute values for Environmental Aspects
Figure 23. Attribute values for physical aspects.
Page 28
Figures 24-27. Attribute values for sub-categories “low impact materials”, “energy efficient“, “cost“, “renewability“,
“esthetics“, “quality and durability“ and “reusability and recyclability“.
Once the results for the sub-categories were shown, the software compiled
each assigned weight and analyzed for each of the alternatives as a whole.
This can be observed in the composite properties shown in figure 28.
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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Figure 28. Ccompiled result of the four alternatives.
5.4
Results
With all the information properly weighted on a Web-Hire model, results
show that environmental is the principal aspect to be taken into account
when thinking about sustainable design, followed by economic and physical
respectively, see Figure 28.
In the environmental aspect, energy efficient is of the highest concern,
followed by low impact material as shown in Figure 21. The only
contemplated costs are in the economical aspect; and Figure 23 presents
the weight of the attributes for the Physical aspect. On this last concept,
quality and durability are qualified as the most important attribute
considered when purchasing sustainable products, followed by esthetics,
reusability & recyclability. Renewability was the aspect with the least
importance relatively.
According to the surveyed population, and after analyzing the weights of the
categories and sub-categories, alternative A is the optimal one but the
action alternative D is the most balanced one.
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6. Framework for Sustainable Design
A design process may vary from person to person and it can be extremely
difficult and diverse to fully describe in any universal or general way,
concurrently, however designers can follow a framework to organize,
navigate and make sure that certain aspects are taken into account in the
planning of a project. The following framework has been developed through
a careful observation of existing methodologies in Industrial design,
interaction design and HCI (human computer interaction). These
methodologies where then triangulated with the 3 case studies to create a
holistic framework that takes into account the environmental, social and
economical aspects of a product, while at the same time using biomimicry,
that is getting inspiration from nature’s systems and elements.
A. Ethnographic Observation: find a problem in a real environment:
Brainstorming and body storming
a. Context…
B. Objective: What will the product do/solve
C. Place: where will this product be used
D. Activity: what do people do around the product, how do they use it.
E. People: who interacts with this product (user/users)
F. Bio-Inspiration: How has nature solved that problem (or similar one)
G. Elaborate Personas and/or Scenarios:
Personas: based on what could be your future user is a specific
individual with specific needs. It is a Fictional description of a group of
users with similar behaviors and goals.
Scenario:”A scenario is an ’informal narrative description’ [...]. It
describes human activities or tasks in a story that allows exploration
and discussion of context, needs, and requirements.”(Preece et al.
2007)
H. Similar products: what has already been done for this problem?
I. Material analysis: how can you innovate with nature? Is there any way
to orient the material in order to better target the objective.
J. Ergonomic and environmental analysis: how will the product interact
with the human body or with the environment, what dimensions you
must take into consideration so that it is easier to use, how can it affect
the natural environment around it.
K. Requirement analysis: what should the product have in order to fulfill
the objectives?
Creative Process….
L. Sketching and Storyboards
M. Technical Drawings
N. Prototyping
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O. Evaluation
P. Conclusions, discussions & Feedback
7.
Project
The following project was developed following and to exemplify the
proposed framework.
7.1










7.2




Brain Storming
Box that can become origami figure
Incorporating the “fun” factor
(The dieline 2010 Chiquita Banana Brand Refresh)
How can I incorporate paths to the design? Should they be “cut” or
extruded?
Packages that you can wear
Display packages with something sticky (magnets)
How can the package be the product?
Reusable or refillable packages
Packages in unconventional different shapes (letters, maybe
demonstrating purpose of the product)
DYI. Stickers or something to add to the product
(The dieline 2010 Mugo)
Innovation in the material (can it be made of seeds and become a
plant later on? What can we mix to make it better?)
Ethnographic Observation:
Bag-in-Box
 How to enhance Serving experience Avoid dripping
 Aesthetic
 Storing
 Excitement
 Carrying
 Separating bag from box when recycling
Display packaging
 How can products enhance the shopping experience
 Inform and guide customers to environmental products in a
grocery store.
Stackability of packaging
"Anti-slip" functions in Shelf Ready Packaging (that they don't tip over
when 3-4 are removed)
Context…
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7.3
Objective:





7.4
Place:




7.5
Restaurants
Dinner table
Parties
Picnic (park)
Activity:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
7.6
Buy it in the store
Put it in the refrigerator (white wine) or on a storage place
Open it
Serve it in wine glasses or in cups
Refill glasses or cups
People:



7.7
To create a sustainable packaging concept that challenges the status
quo in the entire value chain.
To develop an eye-catching icon that speaks for itself
To enhance the serving experience and avoid dripping
To reduce the carbon footprint of bag-in-box wine
To inspire people to buy environmentally friendly products
Young adults from 21 till 30 years old
Adults who like to drink wine with dinner
Customers that are concerned about environmental issues and buy
environmentally friendly products.
Bio-Inspiration:
The following information was collected from The Biomimicry Institute’s
project; Ask Nature Beta at www.asknature.org in May 2010
Mouthpart functions change:
butterfly
The
mouthparts
of
a
caterpillar and its butterfly
serve drastically different
functions
with
minimal
energy loss because they
Figure 29. Caterpillars eating leaves by David Edwards.
(asknature.org
2010)
Uppsala,
Sweden
2010
Page 33
arise from the same basic morphological pattern.
Biomimetic Application Ideas
Buildings, tools, furniture that serve one
function but are adaptable to other functions as needs change. Metaphor
for planning for future change within a business, with minimal disruption and
resource use.
"A caterpillar straddles the rim of a leaf and its jaws, like tiny secateurs, clip
away neat semicircular holes and erode the leaf at a prodigious speed. A
couple of months later, a butterfly pauses briefly on a flower and uncurls a
long 'tongue' or proboscis with which it probes the heart of the bloom to suck
up nectar. The butterfly was once the caterpillar, but since its metamorphosis
it has adopted a completely different diet, and consequently its mouthparts
have had to change shape dramatically. The mouthparts of both butterfly
and caterpillar, however, are formed from the same basic pattern, a pattern
shared by all insects. Just as birds' beaks are adapted to their eating habits,
so too are insect mouthparts." (Foy and Oxford Scientific Films 1982)
Structures of flowers protect their pollen from rain by various physical
structures.
Biomimetic
Application
Ideas Protect buildings or
landscapes
from
rain.
Packaging.
Yun-Yun Mao and ShuangQuan Huang of Wuhan
University in China studied
the response to rain and
Figure 30. Tulips close to protect from rain. (asknature.org 2010)
water of 80 species of
flowers. Their work revealed
that many flowers have
different shapes and structures to prevent their pollen from getting wet. Other
flowers developed waterproof pollen instead.
Of the 80 species studied, 20 produce flowers that completely protect their
pollen. Some plants shelter their pollen grains through a change in floral
orientation or closing their corolla on rainy days. For example, tulip flowers
close their petals rapidly when rains come. Some plants have flowers that
droop downward, while others have outlets in the base of the flower that let
water quickly drain away. But 44 of the 80 species expose their pollen
completely, giving it no protection. Of these species, 13 produce pollen that
is highly resistant to water, suggesting they have evolved an alternative way
to deal with the rain.
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7.8
Personas:
Erik is a 27 year old guy who lives in Stockholm and works for mid- size
company as a marketing director. His work is very stressful and he travels a lot,
yet he has a lot of friends within the company and they usually go out to
lunch or “after-works” on Fridays. Erik loves to eat at restaurants but he also
likes to cook, whenever he is eating a meal he generally accompanies it with
the appropriate wine. Every once in a while he enjoys to go to
“Systembolaget” (Swedish liquor store) to research on new wines, especially if
there is a dinner or a party. But he also has some preferred wines that he buys
whenever he doesn’t have time to look around. He has some interests on
environmental products but when it comes to wine his priority is the type of
grape and the taste. He never buys bag-in-box wine because he considers it
uncomfortable and he thinks that those are the “cheap” wines.
Sofia is a 26 year old girl that lives in a big city; she is recently married to
Andres. They both work in big companies yet Sofia is a traditional wife and
she always gets home in time to prepare dinner. They both enjoy having a
glass of wine with their dinner, and once a week she has her friends over for a
dinner party. She really enjoys her work, since she considers it challenging but
also gives her the flexibility to practice her hobby which is cooking. She has
taken several cooking courses, and she knows about different wines and how
to compliment them with meals. She buys her groceries at the local store,
which is well stocked and for the wines and liquors she goes to a specialized
store. She does not have a lot of spare time, but she and Andres go out on
the weekends to different bars and restaurants and they try different foods
and wines. She is not as much interested in environmental products as she is
in organic products and the benefits they have their health.
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Page 35
7.9
Similar products:
Figure 31. Charles le chat Wine designed by
Victor Eide (thedieline.com 2010)
Figure 33. Winner wine designed by
Constantinos Spaliaras (thedieline.com 2010)
Figure 35. Dtour wine picture by Thomas
Schauer
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
Figure 32. Bols 1575 Vodka designed by Mash
(thedieline.com 2010)
Figure 34. Nobu sake designed by
ChappsMalina (thedieline.com 2010)
Figure 36. Box wine dispenser. (psfk.com
2010)
Page 36
7.10
Material analysis:
There are a wide variety of materials that can be used for this project for
example;
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Aluminum
Bag or Film
Carton
Plastic
Pouch
FibreFrorm by Billerud
Choosing the material is one of the biggest steps a designer has to follow
since it will determine many qualities the product will have, therefore it is vital
that the objectives are taken into account and weighted against the pros
and cons of each of the possible materials. For this project the material
selected will be FibreForm by Billerud. FibreForm was selected because it
offers the flexibility and the environmental friendliness that is needed for this
challenge. It also offers many design possibilities and allows the design to
speak for itself.
7.11
Ergonomic and environmental analysis:
The main ergonomic and environmental considerations are;





The product should be easy and comfortable to carry from the store to
the final location (home, apartment, picnic, restaurant…)
It should be easy to store.
It should look different, elegant; differentiate from the other bag-in-box.
It avoids dripping and is simple to serve.
It is effortless to separate when recycling.
Some important measurements that should be taken into account are; the
hand and the average size of wine glasses.
7.12



Requirement analysis:
Change heights; small so that it is easy to store and large so that
it is easy to serve.
Contrast of colors incorporating “paths” to the design
“Cut” part of the material so that it is both eye catching and
reduces total weight.
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
Page 37



Have a handle to make it easier to carry from place to place but
also be able to hide the handle so that it looks good in the table.
It should be really stable.
Should be multifunctional.
Creative Process….
7.13
Sketches & technical drawings
Sketch 1 & 2. Bag-in-Box wine that is easy to carry and comfortable to server it “grows” in order to
make it simple and “spill free” this first drawings show how you can use humour or maybe famous
artists as inspiration.
Sketch 3. This sketch shows some technical views of the design and how it would look when it is
ready to use.
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Page 38
1.
2.
7.14
3.
4.
Sketch 4. This sketch is more of a
mini-storyboard that illustrates how
to use the product. First you have to
take part A out then flip part B and
put part A on top, take out the
dispenser and it is ready to serve the
wine. For storage purposes the
dispenser can flip in, then simple turn
part B around and put part A inside
part B.
Conclusion & discussion
This is an example of how a designer can use the framework to create a
product design that can be sustainable, satisfy specific objectives or clients
and innovate using nature as inspiration. The sustainable packaging concept
was achieved by using a “greener” material FibreForm, by reducing the
weigh of the final product hence reducing the carbon footprint, and by
making the design easier to separate the bag from the box when recycling.
This design also manages to inspire people to buy the product because it
proposes a new and better way of serving wine without dripping, and
because of fun new designs that would create exciting eye-catching icons.
For this thesis purpose the project serves as an example of how the
framework can be used by any designer to organize his/her design process
and make sure that certain important sustainability factors are taken in
account. Nevertheless this project could still evolve (with the given time) and
at this stage it is very difficult to determine the proper evaluation and
feedback.
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8.
Conclusion
“We find that smart companies now treat sustainability as innovation’s
new frontier.” (Nidumolu 2009 Why Sustainability Is Now the Key Driver of
Innovation)
Reinventing the way products nowadays are designed means to have
the ability to look forward by looking back, the latest and most intelligent
technologies are all around us, within nature. In order to achieve
attainable ends designs’ DNA needs to be rearranged to reflect the
multidiciplinarity and holistic approach towards sustainability and social
entrepreneurship, focusing on raising quality of life by creating products
that are needed, that are able to promote physical, social and emotional
well being and finally products with materials that can go back to nature.
So in this context it is not only possible but recommendable, for designers,
to increase innovations without sacrificing the future.
The case studies discussed in the previous chapters demonstrate how
integrating a sustainability perspective in a design plan provided a winwin situation for the customers, the clients and the design studio.
According to the article “Sustainability is now the key driver of innovation”
by Ram Nidumolu, traditional approaches to business will collapse and
companies will have to develop innovative solutions; and that will only
happen when executives recognize a simple truth: sustainability =
innovation. This research also showed how today more and more people
are demanding social and environmental responsibilities from the
companies and the products they buy. Therefore the companies that are
actually taking this advice and becoming environment-friendly not only
manage to lower costs, reduce the inputs they use, increase their
sustainability profile and increase their revenues from better products and
new businesses. Stated by David Carlson, design has a collective role to
encounter and mediate change, to develop new communities and in the
sense of philanthropic to give back to society, as an act of social
entrepreneurism. This is why the design framework proposed in this
research is of vital importance to the design community. The framework is
able to direct designers through simple steps that enable them to find
solutions inspired by nature and take into account important aspects of
sustainable design, such as the function of the product to ensure it is really
needed , the form in order to promote wellbeing and the lifecycle and
materials. In conclusion this framework can aid in the design process to
create products that achieve environmental social and economical
sustainability and can raise quality of life for the masses. I would like to
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
Page 40
further on have the opportunity to test it in different kinds of environments
such as a university or a workshop to further study the results.
9. Acknowledgment
This research project would not have been possible without the
assistance of many people. I am heartily thankful to my parents; Javier
Careaga and Rocio Ochoa; whose support, encouragement and guidance
through my entire life have enabled me to reach my goals. You both thought
me valuable lessons throughout the years and I can truly say that you both
are my heroes, my pillars of strength and the greatest parents I could ever ask
for. Thank you for all those sacrifices and for pushing me to limits that not
even I knew I could reach. I am so grateful to my boyfriend; Erik Anders
Frejinger for always being there, for making me laugh, for forcing me to work
even though I don’t want to and most importantly for being my inspiration
not only in my work but in life.
It was an honor for me to have had two amazing supervisors; Stefan
Magnusson & Karin Högdahl who were abundantly helpful and offered
invaluable assistance, support and guidance, you both enable me to
develop an understanding of the subject. I would also like to thank my aunt
Hortencia Ochoa, for being one of my most inspiring role models. Special
thanks also to all my best friends, that always kept my spirit up and that were
always so close (despite being “so far”); Ale Dibildox, Elsa Garza, Katy Perez,
Mariana Garza, Gaby Leal, Ana Reyes, Paty Katy Garza and Adriana
Rodriguez. My two sisters Sofia Careaga and Marce Ochoa, thank you guys so
much for being in my life, you are the most intelligent people I know. And
finally to all my teachers and classmates, I feel so privileged to have shared
and learned with all of you.
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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10.
Reference list
Benyus, Janine M.; 2002; Biomimicry; Innovation inspired by nature; Harper Perennial
Billerud; 2009; FibreForm: Forming the Dream Packaging
Capra, Fritjof; 1997; The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living
Systems; Anchor; New York
Carlson, David; March 2010; Time to Rethink Design; David Report #12;
www.davidreport.com; Falsterbo, Sweden
Copeland, Claudia; February 2008; CRS Report for Congress: Cruise Ship Pollution:
Background, Laws and Regulations, and Key Issues; Congressional Research Service
Designers Accord; 2007; http://www.designersaccord.org/ ; Last visited 23 May 2010
Design Boom; 2010; http://www.designboom.com/eng/; Last visited 23 May 2010
Dollens, Dennis; 2005; Digital Botanics D-B-A; Lumen Books
Ecouterre; 2010; Eco-Fashion is More than a Passing Trend;
http://www.ecouterre.com/; Last visited 23 May 2010
Etienne, Jorge Diego; 2010; Designaholic; http://jdeo.blogspot.com/ ; Last visited 23
May 2010
Jordan, Chris; 2008; Pictures Some Shocking Stats; TED talks;
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/chris_jordan_pictures_some_shocking_stats.htm
l ; Date visited 5 May 2010
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Press; 1st edition; Washington DC
Kuang, Cliff; 2010; Design on a Roll: Bread Chairs Perfect for Loafing;
http://www.fastcompany.com/1566559/design-gets-fully-baked ; Date visited 14
March 2010
Kuang, Cliff; 2010; The Materials Driving Product Innovations in 2010;
http://www.fastcompany.com/1566153/the-materials-driving-product-innovation-in2010 ; Date visited 14 March 2010
Kvint, Annica; 2009; Things Can Always Get Better;
http://thingscanalwaysgetbetter.blogspot.com/; Date visited 20 December 2009
Lavers, Chris; 2001; Why Elephants Have Big Ears: Understanding Patterns of Life on
Earth; 1st edition; St. Martin's Press
Lehanneur, Mathieu; 2009; Demos Science Inspired Design; TED talks;
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/mathieu_lehanneur_demos_science_inspired_d
esign.html ; Date visited 5 May 2010
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Lidwell, William and Holden, Kritina; 2010; Universal Principles of Design, Revised and
Updated: 125 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal,
Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach through Design; Rockport Publishers;
Second Edition; Singapore
Lovegrove, Ross; 2005; Organic Designs; TED talks;
http://www.ted.com/talks/ross_lovegrove_shares_organic_designs.html ; Date visited
5 May 2010
Lowgren, Jonas and Stolterman, Erik; 2004; Thoughtful Interaction Design: A Design
Perspective on Information Technology; The MIT press
Maslow, Abraham; 2009; Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Father of Modern
Management & Leadership by Employee Motivation; http://www.abrahammaslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp ; Date visited 3 February 2010
McDonough, William and Braungart, Michael; 2002; Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the
Way We Make Things; 1st edition; North Point Press; New York
Nidumolu, Ram, Prahalad, C.K. and Rangaswami, M.R.; 2009; Why Sustainability Is
Now the Key Driver of Innovation; Harvard University
Preece, Jenny, Sharp, Helen and Rogers, Yvonne; 2007; Interaction Design: Beyond
Human Computer Interaction; 2nd Edition; Wiley
Roudavski, Stanislav; Towards Morphogenesis in Architecture; International Journal of
Architectural Computing; Issue 03 volume 07; University of Melbourne
Steadman, Philip; 2008; The Evolution of Designs; Biological Analogy in Architecture
and the Applied Arts; Revised Edition; Routledge; London & New York
Starck, Philippe; 2007; Thinks Deep on Design; TED talks;
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/philippe_starck_thinks_deep_on_design.html ;
Date visited 5 May 2010
Steffen,Alex and Gore, Al; 2008; Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century;
Abrams
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6332-50e8-42d7-bb11-9f92a2dc3045 ; Date visited 7 March 2010
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Turban, Efraim and Aronson, Jay E.; 2000; Decision Support Systems and Intelligent
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2010
Uppsala, Sweden 2010
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11.
Appendix
a. Author’s Background
My Name is Miren Careaga, and I am an Industrial Designer with a Sustainable
development focus. I was born in a city called Monterrey in the north-eastern part of
Mexico, there I grew up with my parents and sister and went to school to become
an industrial designer. During my 4.5 years in college, I had the opportunity to
participate in an exchange program with Virginia polytechnic institute and State
University in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. After completing my studies I worked as a
furniture designer but I was not satisfied with the way things were made, I felt the
need to learn more about, materials, processes, energy, and where all this comes
from ; the environment. My studies in Uppsala University as a Sustainable Developer
have been surprisingly complimented by the Swedish way of life. I believe that
Swedish culture has thought me valuable lessons when it comes to love and respect
for nature. Swedish design is another area that managed to shake me to the core;
its principles, colors and forms inspire me and impress me. It is now in the break of an
environmental crisis that we are called upon to rethink everything we have done so
far and re-invent the means to ensure the ends.
b. About No Picnic
No Picnic is a design and innovation agency, founded in 1993 by a group of
industrial designers. The studio is strategically located in Hammarby Sjöstad which is
a very modern, sustainable community in Stockholm. The aim is to create bold and
competitive product design that will both, build a long term relation with clients and
receive the recognition of society and the users of the products. The most significant
competitive advantage is that No Picnic delivers total brand experience by adding
services in packaging design, art direction, architecture and consumer insights. In
order to formulate this holistic approach, the agency comprises a multidisciplinary
team of industrial designers, architects, graphic designers, design engineers,
strategists, consumer behaviour experts and project managers.
No Picnic has created innovative solutions for hundreds of projects, hence
positioning itself as one of the finest design agencies in Scandinavia and in the
world. The continued success proved by the numerous commemorations such as;
the red dot, best of the best, iF- Gold Designpreis Deutschland, I.D. Design Award,
Pentawards, Swedish Design Award etc. In addition to projects raging from
cosmetics to high tech space projects and prototypes, having completed over 750
projects for national and international clients such as; Sony, The Absolut Company,
Friggs, Tetra Pak, Weekday, Ericsson, SAS, etc.
The Studio is in process of continual renewal, focusing on opportunities
that lie ahead, the research and development area always strives on new
ideas, concepts and above all environmentally friendly solutions.
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c. Work Break Down Structure
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d. Wallenius Wilhelmsen E/S Orcelle Quick Facts
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e. Results of Survey
Age
Education
18 - 25
25 - 35
35 - 45
high
school
university
master
45 - more
phD
Shopping Frecuence
once a
week
Environmental
Consideration in home
and office
2 weeks
Yes
1 month
No
3 months
Sustainability Preference
Characteristics in Design
materials
Yes
No
quality &
renewability
design for reuse
& recycle
functionality
renewability
Characteristics in Design
Characteristics in Design
low impacts on
material
energy
efficiency
quality &
durability
less than 10%
10%
20%
design for
reuse &
recycle
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