1) When prioritizing sustainability requirements for product design, the most important factors are market demand and financial feasibility. Conducting accurate market analysis allows determining the appropriate production level to meet demand and avoid excess costs from overproduction. 2) The total environmental impact of a product depends on both its per-unit impact and the total quantity produced over its lifetime. Product design must consider how the product will eventually be reused or recycled. 3) Emphasizing high quality, recyclability, and energy efficiency can help minimize a product's total impact while ensuring long-term sustainability and affordability. Prioritizing sustainability does not need to compromise market needs when clear boundaries and feedback are incorporated into the design process.

1. DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY (DfS)
Key Concepts: methodologies and opportunities for development of sustainable products, in contrast with the traditional methods
Discussion Questions :
1. Sustainability requirements, like market and financial requirements of a product must be prioritized in
the design process. For example, manufacturing and lifecycle use of a product have multiple
environmental/social impacts including climate change, human health and biodiversity. What should
be the basis for prioritizing sustainability requirements?
2. The total impact of a product on the environment is equal to its unit impact times the quantity of
products in use over the market lifecycle. What is the implication of this observation on the product
design strategy?
As shown in Chapter 4 of the recommended book lecture, the basis for prioritizing sustainabilityA#1:
requirements should be Strong Sustainability, interpreted as nondiminishing life opportunities. According to
Walras Law Excess of Demand, product price is defined by the amount to be produced and the potential and
objective market that will buy it. Moreover, market analysis is useful to predict the total amount of product
(let’s call it A) that we have to produce. As a result, the first aspect that should be prioritized when talking
about sustainability requirements is market. In order to understand the reasons, think about this
counterexample: what happens if we produce more than what is going to be consumed? Storage costs raise,
production costs though firstly might seem to be lower, at the end they increase alarmingly because not all
the production has been sold, bigger warehouses, more freights costs and as a consequence more pollution,
more product to destroy, replace, reuse and recycle, more pollution generated to produce initially, more raw
material consumption A good market analyse is, at least, the first key point to contribute to a sustainable
product management.
If market requirements have been defined and objective production is known, then financial requirements
will reduce. As Chapter 4 says: “In spite of humankind’s fantastic technological ingenuity and
accomplishments, the current economic system has not been a panacea and has led us to severely
undesirable consequences. We are “trapped” within the confines of material possession [ ]”. Unfortunately,
it is true. Keynes dreamt of a magnificent free economic system, self-controlled, able to push forward global
markets under perfect moral rules. Not actually the case, quite another history. Finance and economics have
created the phony-rich syndrome: everybody could borrow bulk amounts of money from banks, increasing
consumerist desire beyond what might be “reasonable”. So, a good market analyse will led us to a more
reasonable use of financial funds and to a sustainable consumption of: goods, natural resources and Earth’s
natural mechanisms of regeneration.
Obviously, product design strategy should bear in mind that product A sooner or later will be reused/A#2:
recycled. That imperative condition must be by large considered. According to EPEATIG 2012: “CHOOSING
THE RIGHT ELECTRONICS Makes a DIFFERENCE. Over the last Six years, people who bought electronic
products designed to be less toxic, longer-lasting, more energy efficient and easier to recycle contributed to
major reductions in environmental impact.” That is the key point: PDS should follow a green path to leads to
a green future, choosing the right materials and production methods, to ensure the long-term sustainability.
Otherwise the price of this product will be prohibitively expensive. The OECD calls it Eco-innovation.
If we produce a minor quantity of product and the total impact on nature per unit has been reduced, the main
consequence can clearly be seen: minor impact on nature, minor pollution generated to create it and to
reuse/recycle it afterwards. Also, PDS should impose clear boundary conditions when designing, red lines
that can’t be crossed. PDS should also be closely linked to market feedback to interpret the needs, attitudes
of consumption and, under these boundary conditions, define sustainable products that meet our needs
without compromising our future. UNEP and Global Reporting Initiative are making an excellent evaluating
and defining these boundaries conditions, analysing the current situation and indicating the path to follow.