Design education for sustainability: a design studio project on the re-contextualisation of the wind-up radio

Abstract

The drive towards globalisation has not only environmental and social implications, as there is a marked effect also on designers and the design process. Today, the mass production of electronic and electrical products is typically outsourced, and it is apparent that most end up being discarded while still functioning properly. With the intention of raising a critical discussion and promoting a reflection on the issues of electronic waste, product longevity and sustainability, the third year industrial design students in the Department of Industrial Design at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Turkey undertook an undergraduate project that aimed at re-contextualising the wind-up radio. This paper presents the conclusions and insights gained from that design education project, in which particular emphasis was on incorporating sustainable design considerations (i.e., localisation, integrated scales of design and production, post-use and engaging design) into the idea generation phase of the product design process.