Sustainable Product Design

This course aims to develop the candidates’ knowledge and personal engagement towards sustainability issues in product design. The courses focuses on identification of design dilemmas that may occur when economic, environmental and socio-ethical requirements need to be jointly considered, and on the development of solutions that may 'solve' such dilemmas. Topics include theory and methods of sustainable design, design for sustainable behaviour, environmental assessment of product life cycles, product improvement strategies, green marketing and communication, and stakeholder involvement. As such, this is not a typical design course. The course takes a research approach where identification, measurement and analysis of requirements are more important than detailed concept development.

Knowledge: The candidate has gained knowledge on basic theories, methodological tools and on practical examples how to apply sustainable design. The candidate is able to reflect on responsibilities concerning sustainable development related to his/her future professional role as practicing designer.

Skills: Through the assignment, the candidate has got practical exercise in sustainable design and how it can be applied in companies and organizations. The candidate has learned to use elementary research skills and apply them in a design project. The candidate obtained experience with written, research based justification of a design brief, requirements, concept development and concept choice.
General qualifications: Candidates have knowledge on concepts, methods, values and applications in sustainable design.

The course is taught in English. Students are expected to deliver one or two larger reports based on analysis of behaviour, products and services. Groups have regular supervision meetings. Possibly, students are expected to deliver one or to smaller individual assignments. Weekly lectures, including guest lectures are offered.