Establishing Design Strategies and an Assessment Tool of Home Appliances to Promote Sustainable Behavior for the New Poor

Jui-Che Tu, Yukari Nagai and Min-Chieh Shih
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Jui-Che Tu: Graduate School of Design, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin 64002, Taiwan
Yukari Nagai: School of Knowledge Science, Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan
Min-Chieh Shih: Graduate School of Design, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Yunlin 64002, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: Environmental benefits related to home appliance life cycles depend on how these products are used. Designing home appliances that promote sustainable behavior is an effective way to reduce environmental impacts. This study aimed to increase relevant opportunities for promoting sustainable behavior practices on the new poor through home appliances, which is rarely discussed in the fields of design for sustainable behavior (DfSB) and product design. In particular, relevant assessment tools or indicators are lacking in DfSB, and people’s use of home appliances is generally unsustainable. Therefore, repertory grid technology was used to understand the perceptions of the new poor, develop an assessment tool, and construct design strategies for home appliances that promote sustainable behavior. Data were collected from the new poor and from designers. Through cluster and principal component analyses, three strategy types were proposed that corresponded to different product features, suggestions, and guidance. In addition, the effectiveness and potential of an assessment tool were demonstrated using the Wilcoxon rank test. The findings could be used by designers, retailers, and green marketers to propose effective product design programs that promote sustainable behavior of the new poor during product use.

Keywords: design for sustainable behavior (DfSB); design strategy; new poor; repertory grid technology (RGT) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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