Framing Sustainability in Human-Centered Product Design

Abstract

Engineers today have access to a myriad of tools for developing sustainable products that have minimal environmental impact. Although consumer interest in sustainability is increasing, it is still not foremost on the minds of many consumers. Engineers are thus faced with the dilemma of developing sustainable solutions for consumers who may not yet want or be able to articulate sustainability needs. We explore this issue by examining user research conducted by students in a graduate-level product design course. We present findings on how users define and describe sustainability, how sustainability needs interact with other user needs, and what tradeoffs people make and feelings people have when faced with sustainability trade-offs. We present a case study of one design team’s findings about sustainability, and how those findings affected the formulation of the team’s mission statement and product strategy. Based on these results, we propose recommendations for how to facilitate the design of innovative and sustainable consumer products.

Eco-Feedback Designs: A Balance Between the Quantitative and the Emotional

“…MacDonald and She summarized seven cognitive concepts for successful sustainable design, including Responsibility, Complex decision making, Decision heuristics, Altruism-sacrifice link, Trust, Cognitive dissonance, and Motivation, in an effort to build the connection between the behavior and design [16]. Oehlberg et al collected user research from a graduate-level design course to identify what sustainability means to users and explored how to align user needs with product sustainability [17]. Lilley developed three categories of strategies for designing for sustainable behavior: eco-feedback, which guides behavior changes by informing users of resource use; behavior steering, which encourages users to behave in ways embedded in the design itself; and persuasive technology, which employs persuasive methods to change what people do without their knowledge or consent [18].…”

Age-appropriate design of domestic intelligent medical products: An example of smart blood glucose detector for the elderly with AHP-QFD Joint KE

“…He categorizes user experience into three levels: instinct, behaviour, and reflection. Norman emphasizes a 'human-centred' approach in product design, advocating for a focus on user needs and psychology [ 21 , 22 ]. This approach underscores the importance of fundamental product aspects such as functionality, usability, and safety while advocating for a comprehensive consideration in product design that encompasses functionality, ease of use, originality, artistic value, and engagement.…”

Work in Progress: A Framework for an Improv Intervention to Increase Psychological Safety and Sense of Belonging on Student Engineering Design Teams

“…Engineering education has incorporated teamwork as a key component of the curriculum to prepare engineers for industry and to achieve a number of professional learning outcomes, including developing interdisciplinary teamwork skills [19]- [21], cultivating communication skills [22], and improving innovation and creativity [21], [23]. Research on teams in engineering education has shown that there can be both positive and negative outcomes for students working on these teams [24], [25].…”