DESIGN FOR ENVIRONMENT

Design for environment



Design for environment

Introduction

Environmental design is about ensuring that all factors of the environment in which the human beings develops in a perfect blend. The environment design is the process of dealing with environmental parameters around the time of drawing up the plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products. Hence design environments can be defined as the world of design. Creating the standard environment in which we live involves complex systems of cultural meaning, visual communication and the use of tools, technologies and materials. This paper focuses on the design for environment hierarchy and the limitations and advantages of each approach for achieving Factor 10 improvements in eco-efficiency. Sustainable design and Sustainable innovation two different approaches with respect to the design environment are also discussed here.

Design for Environment hierarchy has a streamlined structure as it emerges as a design technique through a systematic process and considers factors in environmental quality from early stages of the design process. The hierarchy starts from the early stages of the design process. Within the hierarchy comes the life cycle phase. Since the production, of the materials that make up the disposal, a product passes through many stages. All these steps need to be considered during the design phase within the hierarchy, they are located far upstream as the extraction of raw materials, or far downstream, such as incineration or land filling. Represented as a loop, the life cycle shows the sequence of these steps, although in practice the loop is rarely closed. (Dunner, 2010, page 12-34)

Discussion

The hierarchy is developed for the main purpose to design products and efficient processes from an environmental point of view, the while also maintaining a price / quality ratio right. This is one significant advantage of this approach. Design for Environment is integrated into a system design methodology or larger which is called Design for Excellence or Design for X, whose goal is to consider in the design process the interests of different individuals who will interact with the product throughout its life cycle. Thus, the Design for Excellence hierarchy includes techniques such as Design for Assembly (DFA), Design for Manufacturing (DFM), and Design for Test (DFT). Design for environment helps in allowing the resulting product or process in meetings the requirements necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the industrial ecosystem in which it occurs. 

This is one substantial advantage with respect to design environment whereby factor 10 improvements in eco efficiency is achieved. Other advantages of the application of this technique includes the fact that it facilitates obtaining significant benefits for the company, which will increasing in the coming years as it becomes increasing consumer concern about the environmental problems and will increase the demand for green or organic products. Sustainable design can be defined as the act of designing products taking into account socioeconomic, planning all phases of product life cycle from conception to recycling. (Williams, Daniel, Wiley, 2007, page 6-8)

Sustainable design is a design approach mindful of environmental impacts generated by the man and his lifestyle as well as the design related to the social and cultural-specific product. Working to improve the quality of life today and tomorrow by the change in behavior and the rediscovery of a link between man and his environment is also what sustainable design is all about. On the other hand, sustainable innovation is a process in which innovation occurs due to creativity in order to increase profits. Innovation is a key means to gain competitive advantage by responding to market ...