Designing for the needs of present and future generations: The development of a sustainability integrated design process for consumer products

Abstract: Due to the increased popularity of greener products (green implies being more sustainable) and more businesses involved in greener markets, the phenomenon of greenwashing has expanded. This is problematic because actors trying to design, manufacture and sell products with a high sustainability content are then forced to compete with actors that deal with artificial sustainability. When trying to market products with a high sustainability index, customers require strong arguments regarding how sustainability has been dealt with within the design process. These need to be grounded in reality and be transparent. One identified research gap is the limited knowledge on how to design and manufacture consumer products in an environmentally and climate friendly way and at the same time attract consumers. The purpose of the study is to problematize sustainable design and consumption and develop a model for a sustainability integrated design process.  First, a literature review was conducted to gain a theoretical overview of the concepts mentioned earlier but also to build a theoretical point of reference. To further explore the concepts, an empirical case study was conducted using Verk, a Swedish furniture company as a case company in order to deepen and complement the gathered theory. The results of the literature study and the case study were then compiled into four identified sustainability factors that affect the creation of novel artefacts which were then sorted through Cross’s (2008) four stage design process model consisting of exploration, generation, evaluation and communication. These four stages were then integrated into a two layered sustainable design process in order to draw conclusions on how a sustainability integrated design process can be modelled.  The developed model was named “2-4 sustainable design process model” because of the two decision processes in each of the four stages of the design process. The model was validated by using the model in a design process where a table was designed. The table corresponds well with the four sustainability factors which shows that the sustainability factors successfully can be integrated within a design process and deliver a product with a high sustainability value. The implications of conducting this type of research is to show how a scientifically derived sustainable design process can be modelled and executed. The method contribution of this study is of scientific interest within design science, due to the scarcity of sustainable design process models with a rigid sustainability dimension. There is also a practical contribution when the developed model gives guidance for industrial designers on how to design in a way that seamlessly deals with sustainability in all the stages of the design process. Further there is a probability that the developed model also can be used in design teaching on how to design in a sustainable way, due to its prescriptive logic.