Sustainable product design through fire themes: a case study of concepts of the Japan Design Foundation

Abstract

Responding to the lack of academic literature about natural resources and design that encourages it, this research focuses on the concept based on the fire theme by Japan Design Foundation. The designers' perceptions of the fire theme are studied from social, cultural, and environmental perspectives. According to the results, the concepts based on the fire theme were interpreted by designers from different viewpoints as either positive or negative in our lives, as shown in the design fields related to lighting, cooking, safety-emergency, and energy production. These designs had different level approaches as individual and public, local and global. From an environmental perspective, the concepts of energy production fields characterise the use of renewable energy through sunlight. Important topics found led us to propose a mapping of the concept of the fire theme, and its effectiveness was illustrated through a case study entitled Mobile eco-robot.