Designing for a sustainable world

locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
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locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
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locus
research

UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
1.
2.
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4.
5.
Company
Think about
y
our
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roduct
li
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cle and the service
It
p
rovides
Product

Scope Customer
U
nderstand
y
our com
p
an
y
a
n
d

ho
w
it
r
elates

to

sustai
n
abili
t
y
W
hat should the sco
p
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f

m
y

project be
?
How do
p
eo
p
le inter
f
ace and
a
ffect your product life cycle
?
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
company
It is important to understand how your
company thinks about sustainability before

starting a 'green' or sustainable design
programme. If there is no structure within
the company it may make more sense to
undertake this as your first step.
There is less complexity in reviewing your
company and operation as it is directly
under your control. This information is
important to communicate to a designer,
as they should understand the context of
sustainability within your enterprise.
Product
Only by looking at the life cycle of your
product or service can you truly
understand and evaluate its environmental
impact.
Understanding the life cycle can yield
important information. It can provide
insight into both problems and
opportunities which can improve design
briefing and product development.
Scope
Improving the environmental factors
related to a product require change.
Each new idea will have a different
profile from eco-efficiency to
eco-effectiveness.
The scope may range from just
benchmarking the product to a
product system level of innovation
that requires greater change.

customer
Consumers have a profound impact on
your product. From purchasing choices to
how they use the product over its lifespan
(and what they do at the end of life).
Sustainability is becoming a mandatory
factor in some consumer markets, whilst
in others it is just a minor consideration.
Understanding the market trends and
consumer behavior can improve the
environmental effectiveness of the
product and improve product design.
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Actions:
How is
sustainability
incorporated into your
companies actions,
does the action match
the rhetoric?
Policy:
Have you got
an Environmental
Policy or a stated
position on

sustainability that is
publicly available to
internal and external
stakeholders?
Communication
How do you
communicate
sustainability to your
consumers.
Sustainable
Design &
Innovation
H
ow do environmental
and social trends affect
your business context, do
you maximise the
opportunity to generate
H
H
co
c
sus
sus
s
con
n
c
o
n

able
bl
ab
l
e
Culture
How does
sustainability relate to
the organisations
values? are
responsibilities
defined?
o
Implementation
& Integration
How have you
embedded
environment al
considerations in your
companies processes?
Supply Chain:
Are you aware of your
suppliers
environment al
performance? Do you
track the source of
your raw materials?
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Scopecompany Products Consumer
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research

Actions:
How is
sustainability
incorporated into your
companies actions,
does the action match
the rhetoric?
Policy:
Have you got
an Environmental
Policy or a stated
position on
sustainability that is
publicly available to
internal and external
stakeholders?
Communication
How do you
communicate
sustainability to your
consumers.
Sustainable
Design &
Innovation
H
ow do environmental
and social trends affect
your business context, do
you maximise the
opportunity to generate

H
H
co
c
sus
sus
s
con
n
c
o
n
able
bl
ab
l
e
Culture
How does
sustainability relate to
the organisations
values? are
responsibilities
defined?
o
Implementation
& Integration
How have you
embedded
environment al

considerations in your
companies processes?
Supply Chain:
Are you aware of your
suppliers
environment al
performance? Do you
track the source of
your raw materials?
n
ic
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Scopecompany Products Consumer
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Scopecompany Products Consumer
Product Life
Cycle
Document the life
cycle of your
product/service
include inputs, outputs
and life cycle stages.
Problems &
Opportunities
document the
problems and

opportunities related
to your product life
cycle.
Key Environmental
Product Indicators
(KEPI) identify the
most important
product environmental
issues or indicators,
and define the targets
measures
Supply Chain
document the
supply chain of your
product from
manufacture
through to end
consumer.
Competitors
Assess your products
environmental
performance against
leading products and
brands
s
s
Benchmarking
Research existing
product/as life cycle
and an a lyse the

environmental impact
to create a
benchmark.
tputs
tp
p
t
ges.
ge
ge
s
s.
Compliance
What standards
existing in leading
markets can you use
to assist improving the
environmental impact
of your product.
p
p
in
in
n
an
n
thr
con
con
o

Core Function
Describe the service
your product delivers
and think about all the
things that contribute
to this over its life.
oduct life
o
d
t
i
ce
ce
s

s
n
g
g
n
u
u
g
g
a
c
a
c
oduct life
od

uct
li
fe
d
u
t
i
e
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e
e
s
g
g
g
us
e
e
e

us
s
e
g
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h
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e

e
e
g
th
h
h
e
e
e
e
e
t
h
e
ct

t
c
c
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Scopecompany Products Consumer
Product Life
Cycle
Document the life
cycle of your

product/service
include inputs, outputs
and life cycle stages.
Problems &
Opportunities
document the
problems and
opportunities related
to your product life
cycle.
Key Environmental
Product Indicators
(KEPI) identify the
most important
product environmental
issues or indicators,
and define the targets
measures
Supply Chain
document the
supply chain of your
product from
manufacture
through to end
consumer.
Competitors
Assess your products
environmental
performance against
leading products and

brands
s
s

Benchmarking
Research existing
product/s life cycle
and analyse the
environmental impact
to create a
benchmark.
tputs
tp
p
t
ges.
ge
ge
s
s.
Compliance
What standards
existing in leading
markets can you use
to assist improving the
environmental impact
of your product.
p
p
in

in
n
an
n
thr
con
con
o
Core Function
Describe the service
your product delivers
and think about all the
things that contribute
to this over its life.
oduct life
o
d
t
i
ce
ce
s

s
n
g
g
n
u
u

g
g
a
c
ac
oduct life
oduct life
d
u
t
i
e
e
e
e
s
g
g
g
use

us
s
e
gth
e
e
g
th
e

e
t
h
e
ct
t
c
c
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Scopecompany Products Consumer
Interaction
Define the
customers and
users against your
product life cycle.
Define their role.
Key customer
groups
From your
interactions
define who the
most important
customers are.
are
e

a
e
Do your
customers
understand
Are you
communicating the
impact Of your
products in a way your
customers
Communication
How do you
communicate your
companies
sustainability
issues/solutions to
your consumers?
I
I
D
D
D
cu
u
c
c
use
e
us
u

pro
pro
p
r
Defi
Defi
D
e
ur
r
r
to
to
o
?
?
Market Position
What environmental
issues are important
to your market and
consumers?
Forecast
Look at the medium
term trends (2-3) in
your market and
changes in your
consumers.
Supply chain
Where do your
products come

from? and how can
you communicate
this to your
consumers?
d
d
d
y
y
y
y
c
c
c
e
e
e
n
n
a
a
a
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e
e
d
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ur

r
y
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ur
r
yo
o
u
cle.
cle
e
e.
e
an
a
n
n
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Scopecompany Products Consumer
Interaction
Define the
customers and
users against your
product life cycle.
Define their role.

Key customer
groups
From your
interactions
define who the
most important
customers are.
are
e
a
e
Do your
customers
understand
Are you
communicating the
impact Of your
products in a way your
consumers
Communication
How do you
communicate your
companies
sustainability
issues/solutions to
your consumers?
I
I
D
D

D
cu
u
c
c
use
e
us
u
pro
pro
p
r
Defi
Defi
D
e
ur
r
r
to
to
o
?
?
Market Position
What environmental
issues are important
to your market and
consumers?

Forecast
Look at the medium
term trends (2-3) in
your market and
changes in your
consumers.
Supply chain
Where do your
products come
from? and how can
you communicate
this to your
consumers?
d
d
d
y
y
y
y
c
c
c
e
e
e
n
n
a
a

a
e
e
e
d
d
yo
u
ur
r
y
u
ur
r
yo
o
u
cle.
c
le
e
e.
e
an
an
n
Compan Products
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day

Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
ScopeConsumer
Product System
Innovation
Creating a new
product service
system or life
cycle concept that
is eco-effective.
New Product
Development
Developing new
products to
resolve persistent
environmental
problems
Existing Product
Improvement
Making changes
to the product
materials to
improve
eco-efficiency
I
I
Compliance
Using legislation
such as WEE, RoHS

and REACH to
improve
eco-efficiency and
achieve compliance
Po
P
o
ve
v
Benchmarking
Documenting and
understanding your
existing product
performance
through research.
ha
ha
h
.
.
eco-efficie
e
c
o-
e
fi
c
e
at
t

at
t
t
eco e
eco e
e
c
o
e
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Scopecompany Products Consumer
Product System
Innovation
Creating a new
product service
system or life
cycle concept that
is eco-effective.
New Product
Development
Developing new
products to
resolve persistent
environmental

problems
Existing Product
Improvement
Making changes
to the product
materials to
improve
eco-efficiency
I
I
Compliance
Using legislation
such as WEE, RoHS
and REACH to
improve
eco-efficiency and
achieve compliance
Po
P
o
ve
v
Benchmarking
Documenting and
understanding your
existing product
performance
through research.
ha
ha

h
.
.
eco-effic
eco e
e
c
o-
e
fi
c
at
t

at
t
t
eco
e
c
o
locus
research
UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Scopecompany Products Consumer
locus
research

UPA - World Usability Day
Title: Designing for a Sustainable World
Author: Timothy Allan
Keywords: Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Design, Locus Research
Scopecompany Products
Consumers
Acknowledgements
This project was supported by MFE through the Sustainable Design Group of New Zealand, convened by the
Sustainable Business Network. It was designed to provide designers and their clients a guide to undertaking
sustainable design projects.
www.locusresearch.com
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