This document summarizes Victor Papanek's views on the impact of design and production on the environment. Papanek argues that design must bridge human needs, culture and ecology in a positive way. He examines the product life cycle from sourcing materials through manufacturing, packaging, transport, use and disposal. Papanek advocates for product life cycle assessment to evaluate the ecological impact of each phase and suggests more environmentally friendly alternatives for materials, production processes, and packaging.

2. "Design is concerned with the development of
products, tools, machines, artefacts and other devices, and this
activity has a profound and direct influence on ecology. The
design response must be positive and unifying. Design must be
the bridge between human needs, culture and ecology."
Introduction

3. The creation and production of products can be examined in at
least 6 cycles:
1. The choice of materials
2. The manufacturing process
3. Packaging the product
4. The finished product
5. Transporting the materials
6. Waste
Production and Pollution

4. Product life cycle assessment can be employed to evaluate
‘ecologically dangeorous phases’ of products.
1. Acquisition of raw materials
2. Manufacturing process and assembly
3. Purchase of the complete product
4. The use
5. Collection of the product after use
6. Re-use or recycling
Product Assessment

5. When the goods are nearly identical to each other, ‘the package
is the product’.
Luxury goods and less luxury goods packages can be destructive
to the environment.
However, there are organic ways to package the products.
Packaging and Shrouding

6. Source: Papanek, 1995
Packaging and Shrouding

7. Using paper in packaging can cause adverse effects on the
environment.
PVC is also a very dangerous material for the environment.
Packaging and Shrouding

8. Plastics that are produced mostly consist of fossil fuels.
There is the problematic issue of ‘how we use them’ and ‘how
we throw them away’.
Biodegradable plastics is an alternative way.
Problems with Plastics

9. Problems with Plastics
Source: Papanek, 1995

10. He suggests alternative ways for benignly producing and
operating our products.Green Design

11. He emphasizes the beneficial connection between economics
and ecology.
He suggests that designers should be more familiar to ‘social
responsibility term’.
Profit and Politics

12. Papanek suggests product oriented solutions to his throughly
analyzed problems, but may we think about service oriented
more nonphysical solutions too?
He suggests that ‘use less’ should be a new motto. Could we,
therefore, suggest that ‘produce less’ relevant too?
If we can lend the means of production to domestic
environment, how should we create awareness of the results of
the actions of users to prevent even more waste? What is the
role of designer in this context?
Discussion

13. References
Papanek, V. (1995) Designing for a Safer Future. The Green Imperative: Ecology and Ethics in Design and Architecture.
(p. 29 - 48). Thames and Hudson: New York

14. Thank you for your time.