1.2 evolution of sustainability within design vezzoli 11-12 (44)

course System Design for Sustainability
subject 1. Sustainable development and design: the reference
framework

learning resource 1.2
Evolution of sustainability within design

carlo vezzoli
politecnico di milano . INDACO dpt. . DIS . School of Design . Italy

Learning Network on Sustainability

Carlo Vezzoli AH-DESIGN, EU PROJECT
Politecnico di Milano / INDACO dept. / DIS / School of Design / Italy

CONTENTS

. increasing role of design (for sustainability)
. evolution of sustainability within design
. low environmental impact materials/energies
. product life cycle design/ecodesign
. (Product-Service) system design for eco-efficiency
. design for social equity and cohesion
. design for sustainability: state of the art
. a “pluralism of aesthetics” for sustainability


APPROACHES TO SUSTAINABILITY

- intervening after processes’ damages
intervening on processes
TIME

intervening on products and services
+ intervening consumption patterns (SCP)

INCREASING (POTENTIAL) ROLE FOR DESIGN


INCREASING (POTENTIAL) ROLE OF DESIGN

emphasis on prevention
emphasis on socio-cultural dimension

> responsibility for:
the “technical” definition of the solutions
the “attractiveness” of solutions


DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY:
IS A DESIGN PRACTICE, EDUCATION AND
RESEARCH THAT, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER,
CONTRIBUTES TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT


WHAT DO THE DESIGN COMMUNITY (IN GENERAL)
KNOWS OF DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY?


cardboard seat

HOW MANY (IN THE DESIGN
COMMUNITY) WOULD THINK IT IS WITH A
LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT?


Savonarola seat

walnut-wood, so far
500 years life span

MADE WITHOUT ANY
CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT …

+ + + + + + +
…

+ + + + + + +
…

……………………………………………………………..
=

time/function

Chadwick , Stumpf
Aeron, Herman Miller

seat steel and plastics,
12 years warranty
even
in use commodatum

DESIGNED TODAY WITH A
RIGHT CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT


pen,
biodegradable material
(from corn starch)

HOW MANY (IN THE DESIGN COMMUNITY)
WOULD THINK IT IS WITH A LOW
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT?

Pen,
MONTBLANC

DESIGNED WITHOUT ANY
CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT …


+ + + + + + +
…

+ + + + + + +
…
…………………………………………………………….............
=

time/function

“Natural” materials
HOW MANY
(IN THE DESIGN COMMUNITY)
WOULD THINK THEY ARE
ALWAYS WITH A LOW
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT?

Asbestos (amianto) is a natural material!
(and one of the most cancerogenic!)


how many
persons within the
design community

?
would evalaute
correctly the
environmantal
sustaianbility?

“natural”
“njatural”
HOW MANY COULD
materials
materials
CORRECTLY DESIGN
FOR SUSTAINABILITY
(AND TEACH IT)?


THE TRUTH IS …
... TODAY FEW WHTIN THE DESIGN COMMUNITY
ARE “EQUIPPED” WITH A SOLID KNOWLEDGE-BASE
AND KNOW-HOW (METHODS AND TOOLS) ON
DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY

… TODAY THE DESIGN COMMUNITY (AS A WHOLE)
IS STILL MORE PART OF THE PROBLEM THEN PART
OF THE SOLUTION!


EVOLUTION OF THE (POTENTIAL) ROLE OF DESIGN
FOR SUSTAINABILITY: (in industrially mature
contexts)
d
g ne
i
d es
be
” to low impact
ct mat./energies
je
“ ob Product
t he Life Cycle Design
i ng ecodesign
n
de
wi system design for
eco-efficiency
design for social
equity and
cohesion


1. LOW ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
MATERIALS/ENERGIES
. NON-TOXIC
. “NATURAL”
. RECYCLABLE
. RENEWABLE
. BIO-DEGRADABLE


2. PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE DESIGN
(ECODESIGN)
an extended design horizon

from product design
to the design of the product LIFE CYCLE stages
the design “reference”
from product design
to product’s “FUNCTION” design


2. PRODUCT LYFE CYCLE DESIGN: DEFINITION
(ECODESIGN)
“the design of the product life cycle
stages that, while considering all
requirements, aims at minimising
the environmental impact of the
whole of the life cycle phases in
relation to the functional unit”

(Vezzoli & Manzini, Springer, London, 2008)


METHODS/TOOLS
several have been developed for product life cycle design
(according to ISO/TR 14062:2002 Environmental management -
Integrating environmental aspects into product design and development)

…
UNEP-TUD (D4S) POLIMI-DIS (MPDS)

… BUT SUSTAINABILITY ASK FOR A RADICAL
CHANGE

RADICAL INNOVATIONS (DISCONTINUITY)
PROMOTE (EVEN) SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM
INNOVATION


3. (PRDUCT-SERVICE) SYSTEM DESIGN FOR
ECO-EFFICENCY


DEFINITIONS OF PRODUCTS-SERVICES SYSTEMS
autors year definition
(country)
Goedkoop, van 1999 a Product Service System (or combination of products and services) is a set of marketable products and
Halen, te Riele, services jointly capable of fulfilling a need for a client. [...] The PSS may lead to a benefit for
environmment in connection with the creation of a (new) business
Rommens (The
Netherland)
Mont (Sweeden) 2001 PSS is a system of products, services, networks of actors and supporting infrastructure that
continuously seeks to be competitive, satisfy customer needs and have a lower impact of traditional
business models

UNEP- Manzini, 2002 result of an innovative strategy that shifts the center of the business design and sale of products only
Vezzoli (world- (physical) systems offer products and services that are jointly capable of satisfying a given application
wide)
Brandsotter 2003 PSS is a product of material and intangible services designed and combined so that both jointly are able
(Austria) to satisfy a specific need of a user. In addition a PSS may reach sustainability targets

UE, MEPPS (AA. 2005 result of an innovation strategy focused on the design and sale of a system of products and services
VV.) that are jointly capable of fulfilling a specific customer demand

(Cranfield) Evans 2007 PSS is an integrated offering of a product and a service that provides a value. When using a PSS offers
et al. (UK) the opportunity to decouple economic success from material consumption and thus reduce the
environmental impact of economic activity

UNEP-Tischner, 2009 system of products and services (and infrastructure), jointly cope with the needs and demands of
Vezzoli (world- customers in a more efficient and better value for both businesses and customers, compared to only
offer products [...].
wide) PSS can decouple the creation of value from the consumption of materials and energy and thus
significantly reduce the environmental impact in the life cycle of traditional systems of product

EU-asia link, 2010 an offer model providing the integrated mix of products and services that are together able to fulfil a
LeNS (AA. VV.) particular demand of (customer) “satisfaction”, based on innovative interactions between the
stakeholders of the value production system (satisfaction system), where the economic and competitive
interest of the providers continuously seek after environmentally beneficial new solutions


PRODUCT-SERVICE SYSTEM: A DEFINITION
“designing and providing a system of
products and services (and related
infrastructure) which are jointly
capable of fulfilling client needs or
demands more efficiently and with
higher value for both companies and
customers than purely product based
solutions. […]
PSS could decouple the creation of
value from consumption of materials
and energy and thus significantly
reduce the life-cycle environmental
load of current product systems.”

[UNEP, Tischner, Vezzoli, 2009]
free pdf: http://www.d4s-sbs.org/


AN EXAMPLE OF
ECO-EFFICENT SYSTEM INNOVATION


SYSTEM INNOVATION MAIN CHARACTERISTIC

ROOTED IN A SATISFACTION-BASED ECONOMIC MODEL
each offer is developed/designed and delivered in relation to a
particular customer “satisfaction” (unit of satisfaction)

STAKEHOLDER INTERACTIONS-BASED INNOVATION
radical innovations, not so much as technological ones, as
new interactions/partnerships between the stakeholders of a
particular satisfaction production chain (life cycle/s)

INTRINSIC ECO-EFFICIENCY POTENTIAL
innovations that could lead up to new economic interest
convergences between the stakeholders, characterized by an
intrinsic eco-efficiency


SYSTEM DESIGN FOR ECO-EFFICIENCY:
A DEFINITION
“the design of an eco-efficient
system of products and services
that are together able to fulfil a
particular customer demand
(deliver a “unit of satisfaction”),
based on the design of the
interactions of the stakeholders
directly and indirectly linked to
that “satisfaction” system.
[Vezzoli, 2010]


SYSTEM DESIGN FOR ECO-EFFICIENCY: NEW
APPROACHES/SKILLS
A. “SATISFACTION-SYSTEM” APPROACH
design the satisfaction of a particular demand
(satisfaction unit) and the mix of product and
services
B. “STAKEHOLDER CONFIGURATION” APPROACH
design the interactions of the stakeholder of a
particular satisfaction-system
C. “SYSTEM ECO-EFFICIENCY” APPROACH
design the interactions of the stakeholder (offer
model) leading them for economic-competitive
reasons towards the innovation reducing the
environmental impact

[for such new skills] NEW METHODS/TOOLS
some methods/tools developed to orientate system
design towards eco-efficent solutions:

HiCS, Highly MEPSS, MEthodology SusProNet, Network Design4Sustainability Product-Service
Customerised for Product Service on sustainable PSS Step by step System Design for
Solutions System development development approach Sustainability
[see Manzini et [see van Halen et al. [see Tukker [see Tischner & [see Vezzoli et al.,
al. 2004] 2005] &Tischner, 2006] Vezzoli, 2009] tbp 2012]
METHODS
DESIGN
TOOLS

St o r y I nt e r a c
b o aSDO
rd B po r t f o l i t io n
So l ut io n t o o l k it
Offering diagram l o d ia g r a m tSDOl e
ab
u St o ro o l k it
Sy e l e me nt s
st e m I nt e r a c t y
t io n boar d
a sse ssme n Offering diagram
t t abl e


4. DESIGN FOR SOCIAL EQUITY

where various forms of social inequality are
directly addressed in the design process


MAIN APPROACHES OF DESIGN FOR SOCIAL
EQUITY AND COHESION

. product design for low-income contexts and basics
needs (design for BOP, etc.)

. system (stakeholder interaction) design joining eco-
efficiency with social equity and cohesion
. … of lacally-based and network-structured
enterprises/initiatives
. … of path for local autonomy


WORKING HYPOTHESIS: SYSTEM INNOVATION IS AN
OPPORTUNITY EVEN FOR EMERGING AND LOW-
INCOME CONTEXTS
“a Product-Service System innovation
may act as an eco-efficient business
opportunity to facilitate the process of
social-economical development in
emerging and low-income contexts - by
jumping over the stage characterised by
individual consumption/ownership of
mass produced goods - towards a
“satisfaction-based”, low resource-
intensity, distributed service-economy”
[UNEP, 2009 free http://www.d4s-sbs.org
LeNS book: “PSS design for Sustainability”,
Greenleaf, 2011 (to be published)]

AN EXAMPLE OF
SOCIO-ETHICAL + ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILE
SYSTEM INNOVATIONS


SOLAR HOME KITS, Brasil
TSSFA company offers to Brasilian rural
people a solar home kits that include the
hardware to generate solar energy, the
installation service and products that use
the electricity, e.g. lighting and electrical
outlets. Customers sign a three-year
service contract (all of the tangible inputs
are owned by the provider).

environmentally sustainable because it
uses the solar energy + socioethically
sustainable because give to poor people
access to useful services + it is
economically sustainable because in a
business for TSSFA company.


SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY:
NEW APPROACH AND SKILLS
A. “SATISFACTION-SYSTEM” APPROACH
design the satisfaction of a particular demand
(satisfaction unit) and all its related products and
services
B. “STAKEHOLDER CONFIGURATION” APPROACH
design the interactions of the stakeholder of a
particular satisfaction-system
C. “SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY” APPROACH
design such a stakeholder interactions (offer model)
that continuously seek after both eco-efficient and
socio-ethical new beneficial solutions


[for such new skills] NEW METHODS/TOOLS
few methods/tools developed to orientate design
towards sustainable solutions:

MEPSS, MEthodology Design4Sustainability Design for Sustainability: Product-Service
for Product Service Step by step approach A Practical Approach for System Design for
System development [UNEP funded project] Developing Economies Sustainability
[EU funded project] [UNEP funded project] [see Vezzoli et al.,
tbp 2012]
METHOD
DESIGN
TOOLS

wo r k s
St o r he e t s I nt e r a c
y b o a r SDO po r t f o l i B t io n
d IOffering diagram l k it
nt e r a c
t oo o d ia g r a m l tSDOl e
ab
t io n u St o r yo l k it
t abl e t o
boar d
Offering diagram


SUSTAINABILITY IN DESIGN ROLE: STATE OF THE
ART (in industrially mature contexts) … aim at
100%

be
(education and practice)

to
DISSEMINATION

je ct ” low impact

ob mat./energies
e“
g th Product

n in d
Life Cycle Design
de n e ecodesign
wi sig
de
system design for
eco-efficiency
design for social
equity and
cohesion

new
research 0 CONSOLIDATION 100%
frontier … (research achievements on knowledge-base and know-how)


IN SYSTEM DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY WE WILL SEE:
… aim at
100%

e d
ig n
(education and practice)

s
de
be
DISSEMINATION

o
t ”t low impact

b jec mat./energies

e “o
th Product

n i ng Life Cycle Design
ide
ecodesign
w
system design for
eco-efficiency
design for social
equity and
cohesion

new
research 0 CONSOLIDATION 100%
frontier … (research achievements on knowledge-base and know-how)


.
A NEW AESTHETICS FOR SUSTAINABILITY?


… BUT SUSTAINABILITY REQUIRE A
DIFFUSED (RADICAL) CHANGE

DIFFUSED INNOVATION
PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE (SYSTEM) INNOVATION
FEASABLE AND “ATTRACTIVE”


AN AESTHETIC FOR SUSTAINABILITY?
the aesthetic has a fundamental role!

A “ICONIC-ENVIRONMENTALIST AESTHETIC”?
a mass of “green-recycled-panda” products?

A “PLURALISM OF AESTHETICS FOR
SUSTAINABILITY”
arise from the sustainability’s (new) values that
take the expressions in a multiplicity of forms


AN NEW AESTHETIC FOR
PRODUCTS
as well as
SERVICES AND INTERACTIONS BETWEEN
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STAKAHOLDERS


DESIGNER: A SOCIO-CULTURAL “INNOVATOR”?

A DESIGNER MAY …
… observe emerging/new types of demands
(coherent with sustainability) and transforming
them into products, services and systems

… A DESIGNER MAY …
… induce new quality criteria (coherent with
sustainability) throughout the offer of (more)
attractive products, services and systems


1.2 evolution of sustainability within design vezzoli 11-12 (44)

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