Design methodology to support eco-friendly product design

Abstract

Environmental issues play a critical role in our society. Due to consumer’s increasing interest in the environment and international environmental regulations, products have to be designed considering environmental factors. This paper proposes a design methodology that supports environmentally consciousness product design. In the methodology, Axiomatic Design Theory is used as a core design methodology. Axiomatic Design helps eliminating couplings between environmental issues and product functions. Also, environmental issues were structured with cohesive perspective so that environmental issues can be easily included in the design process. LCA is one of the broadly using methodologies to evaluate product’s environmental effects. However, there is no methodology that reflects LCA result in the design process. In this new methodology, reflect LCA result is possible by using feedback loop from LCA style analysis. Furthermore, using extended design matrix, critical coupling for redesign to satisfy eco and customer needs can be defined. That could be helpful in practices that have resource or time limits. This new eco-design methodology might make efficient and effective environmentally consciousness product design possible. To see the effectiveness of suggested design methodology, real design activity using eAD+ is performed. In this paper, stapler example is introduced to demonstrate eAD+ design process and verify the effectiveness of the methodology.