Article: How to identify the most promising areas of environmental improvement at the early stages of the design process? Journal: International Journal of Design Engineering (IJDE) 2009 Vol.2 No.3 pp.299 - 319 Abstract: This article corresponds to a lack of methodological supports in the literature which would enable design teams to organise various areas of improvement/innovation hierarchically as early as possible in the design stage. Such methodological supports would enable the team to identify the improvements or innovations which potentially present the highest rate of environmental improvement. The proposed solution consists of setting up a product model comprising the main design parameters relating to environmental performance. A design of experiments sheds light on the contribution of each parameter to the global environmental performance (evaluated in this instance by the end-score of the EI99 method). Each experimental level also contains a level of technico-economic feasibility (and a level of attractiveness for the user. The deliverable of this tool constitutes the evaluation of the rate of environmental improvement for each area of improvement. This is supplemented by its level of technico-economic feasibility and level of user attractiveness. With this information, the design team is better able to make choices corresponding to what seems most feasible for the company, most acceptable for the user and best for the environment. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: How to identify the most promising areas of environmental improvement at the early stages of the design process?

Authors: Dominique Millet, Nicolas Tchertchian, Daniel Brissaud

Addresses: Design and Ecodesign Methodology Lab, SUPMECA – Toulon, Quartier Mayol, Maison des Technologies, Toulon, 83000, France. ' Design and Ecodesign Methodology Lab, SUPMECA – Toulon, Quartier Mayol, Maison des Technologies, Toulon, 83000, France. ' INPG, GSCOP Laboratory, 68, rue F. Viallet, Grenoble, 38401, France

Abstract: This article corresponds to a lack of methodological supports in the literature which would enable design teams to organise various areas of improvement/innovation hierarchically as early as possible in the design stage. Such methodological supports would enable the team to identify the improvements or innovations which potentially present the highest rate of environmental improvement. The proposed solution consists of setting up a product model comprising the main design parameters relating to environmental performance. A design of experiments sheds light on the contribution of each parameter to the global environmental performance (evaluated in this instance by the end-score of the EI99 method). Each experimental level also contains a level of technico-economic feasibility (and a level of attractiveness for the user. The deliverable of this tool constitutes the evaluation of the rate of environmental improvement for each area of improvement. This is supplemented by its level of technico-economic feasibility and level of user attractiveness. With this information, the design team is better able to make choices corresponding to what seems most feasible for the company, most acceptable for the user and best for the environment.

Keywords: ecodesign; eco-innovation; improvement tool; product design guidelines; design engineering; sustainable design; design of experiments; DOE; environmental performance; environmental improvement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDE.2009.030177

International Journal of Design Engineering, 2009 Vol.2 No.3, pp.299 - 319

Published online: 11 Dec 2009 *

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Title: How to identify the most promising areas of environmental improvement at the early stages of the design process?

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