Projecting More Sustainable Product and Service Designs

Natalia Muñoz López, Jose Ignacio Valero Martín, Anna Biedermann, Jose Luis Santolaya Sáenz and Aranzazu Fernández-Vazquez
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Natalia Muñoz López: Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department, EINA, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Jose Ignacio Valero Martín: Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department, EINA, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Anna Biedermann: Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department, EINA, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Jose Luis Santolaya Sáenz: Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department, EINA, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Aranzazu Fernández-Vazquez: Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department, EINA, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 21, 1-20

Abstract: Product and service development based on sustainable criteria is one of the poles of innovation in design activity. Public policies, consumer preferences, and corporate social responsibility lead to the growing importance of applying sustainability principles in the current design process. However, to make this practice widespread, sustainability assessment must be included in the curricula of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in design, so that the graduates have the precise tools to use when they start their professional careers. Furthermore, sustainable design methods have mainly been applied to improve only the environmental behavior of products. In this work, a methodology that simultaneously evaluates environmental, economic, and social aspects was applied to project more sustainable designs of products and services. This approach was implemented in higher education to develop Bachelor’s and Master’s degree final projects by design engineering students. Collaboration with different companies and institutions allowed the study of a number of cases. The production process of a cash management machine, the service provided by a public nursery school, and the development of an itinerary exhibition were addressed. In each case, product and service requirements were analyzed, sustainability indicators were obtained, and more sustainable designs could be proposed. This experience is also part of a global strategy at the University of Zaragoza to support the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, enhancing sustainability education. The intention of this paper is to present a methodology for more sustainable design, and examples of its application that other teachers can easily follow when teaching design of products or services.

Keywords: sustainable design; product and service design; sustainability strategies; design engineering students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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