An integrated design system for sustainable consumer products

Abstract

The aims of this research are to investigate new concepts, methods and an integrated system for designing sustainable electrical/electronic consumer product from a holistic point of view. Taking into consideration a set of interrelated aspects such as design for environment, design process optimisation, materials used, production, energy saving techniques and end of life analysis. A new integrated system called 'SustainDesign' that provides designers with the relevant background knowledge for designing sustainable products and guides users step by step through the design process from the conceptual phase to the detailed realisation phase has been developed. The system integrates a set of user friendly tools and techniques for evaluating the environmental impacts of the product during the design and development processes. It also highlights the areas that may require further refinement within the product and then provides users with material declaration and life cycle assessment analysis reports.