Article: Designing value through less by integrating sustainability strategies into lifestyles Journal: International Journal of Sustainable Design (IJSDES) 2013 Vol.2 No.2 pp.167 - 180 Abstract: The article argues for a need to overcome a conventional notion of product design. In this regard, the article offers an integrative and systemic approach to sustainable design. Instead of focusing on objects, a user-centred perspective is adopted. A sustainable design of products and services requires the integration of production-orientated (efficiency and consistency) and consumption-orientated (sufficiency) strategies. The article introduces the concept of an indicator that is capable of comprehending a lifecycle-wide analysis of products and that favours the integration of existing sustainability strategies. The goal is not to design sustainable products but rather to design systems that manage to foster sustainable lifestyles. The article illustrates the usability of the introduced concept by showing examples of strategic integrative thinking in sustainable design from the Sustainable Summer Schools. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Designing value through less by integrating sustainability strategies into lifestyles

Authors: Christa Liedtke; Johannes Buhl; Najine Ameli

Addresses: Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Research Group 'Sustainable Production and Consumption', Doeppersberg 19, Wuppertal 42013, Germany ' Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Research Group 'Sustainable Production and Consumption', Doeppersberg 19, Wuppertal 42013, Germany ' Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Research Group 'Sustainable Production and Consumption', Doeppersberg 19, Wuppertal 42013, Germany

Abstract: The article argues for a need to overcome a conventional notion of product design. In this regard, the article offers an integrative and systemic approach to sustainable design. Instead of focusing on objects, a user-centred perspective is adopted. A sustainable design of products and services requires the integration of production-orientated (efficiency and consistency) and consumption-orientated (sufficiency) strategies. The article introduces the concept of an indicator that is capable of comprehending a lifecycle-wide analysis of products and that favours the integration of existing sustainability strategies. The goal is not to design sustainable products but rather to design systems that manage to foster sustainable lifestyles. The article illustrates the usability of the introduced concept by showing examples of strategic integrative thinking in sustainable design from the Sustainable Summer Schools.

Keywords: sustainable design strategies; lifecycle design; user-centred design; new design methods; Factor 10; material input per service unit; MIPS; sustainable lifestyles; sustainability; systems design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSDES.2013.057124

International Journal of Sustainable Design, 2013 Vol.2 No.2, pp.167 - 180

Received: 25 Aug 2012
Accepted: 01 Mar 2013
Published online: 28 Jun 2014 *

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Title: Designing value through less by integrating sustainability strategies into lifestyles

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