CCDN331 P3 Sustainable/Eco design

CCDN331: Live Theory

Project 3: Critical Writing

Topic: Sustainable/eco design

 

Name: Xiaofeng Huang

Student ID: 300263105

Stream A, Group 2

 

End of last century, industrial design shows an unprecedented diversification of the state, that all kinds of innovations started emerging. Diversity of industrial design reflects the fact that, with the development of technology, resources and environmental changes have been influential on people's social activities and choice for what kind of lifestyle in the future. Industrial design at all stages in the history plays an important role. In the twenty-first century, the prosperity brought by industrial design due to mass production, on the other hand has carried burdens to the ecological environment. There are some data showing that in a hundred years after the development of industrial civilization, the resources and energy on earth were consumed about seventy per cent (Xu, 2001). In this scenario, environmental protection, ecological balance and sustainable development were paid attentions by the whole world. Then eco-design emerged. Under the circumstances, the designers who has advanced insights have begun to pursue eco design concepts of innovative and green design, for creating higher social values. Eco design has become a buzzword in the design world, and it seems to be the star of hope. However, there is a significant phenomenon that a large number of products in this case did not meet the design specifications of eco-labeled, and still used "green" in the name for commercial speculation. This essay will analyze in today's society of commodity economy eco design has impacts on industrial design and the future directional preferences of industrial design.

Since the industrial revolution, the industrial design in every era in response to the people's needs constantly updated. In the early industrial society, the penetration of industrial products in society was very minimal, and people are looking for products dependent on the needs for functions, so the design task at this stage is to use technical meanings to meet the needs of industrialized mass production, which formed the design of productization. It is essential that the product of physical and chemical design. It caters to the needs of the era, and promotes the industrialization proceedings of human society, to meet the human desires for products. Furthermore, with the development of modern industry, a mature industrial society springs up. Also mass consumption greatly urges the level of industrial society, where people pursue the higher standard of livings. Also the demands for the product are developing from sole to various aspects, thus industrial design steps into the design phase of commercialization. Commercialization of design is to meet the marketing demands for the purpose of design. Therefore, it is obvious to see that the commercialization design is beyond and improves the design of productization, not only to retain the utility function for the pursuit of material goods, but also to satisfy people with the products of other features, especially the needs of mental function. The design of commercialization focus on personalized design, innovation and emotion, and the diversity of commercialization design has strong humanistic culture. However, humanistic exaggerates the dynamic role of dominant position, ignoring the interdependence of people and the environment, it appears to meet people's immediate needs without considering the sustainable development of resources and ecology (Xu, 1999).

On the other hand, industrial civilization brings great material wealth while ignoring the relationship between human and nature. Traditional product design theory and methods are human centered, for meeting people's needs and solving problems as a starting point, but ignoring the subsequent course of the production and use of resource consumption and environmental impact. Further, the majority of people still want to improve the standard of livings, which will cause the phenomenon that people who want to develop their living standard quality will consume more resources and produce more waste. Thus, under this situation, industrial designers need to find a way to meet human pursuit of product and ensure no further deterioration of the ecological environment. People, especially the design theorists deny the opposing positions of man and nature in modern philosophy emphasized, from the "anti-nature" to the philosophy of harmonious development between human and nature, namely ecological philosophy (Xu, 1999). "The ecocentric attitude is based on bioethics and a deep reverence for nature (Madge, 1997, pp.46)." So the industrial design of this theory needs to be pushed further forward.

Eco design theory was first influenced by the theory of “Design for the real world”, a book by the American theorist Victor Papanek (1984, Image 1). The term of Industrial design to eco design is not a simple design change, which is affecting the global thinking on the current and future human cultural reflection (Xu, 2001). When humans invented machines instead of handcrafting, humans immersed in technology and mass production to make the dreams. Few people concerned about the future of the environment and sustainability. At the time the new concept has not been widely recognized, but after the energy crisis in the 1970s, the importance of sustainable development versus the scarce awareness towards resources.

 

The human being finally shift their focus from themselves to this world as results of altering the condition of living environment. Hence, eco design just gets more and more people's attention. Eco design is conducive not only to protecting the environment, but also can prevent the waste of resources. The basic idea of ​​eco design is the design that without pollution and even is able to improve the environmental stress resulted by the early stages of product design. Eco design is a new design concept, it no longer sees environment as a constraint during the design process, but as a design starting point to promote the improvement of production patterns and the changes in consumption patterns. The environmental attributes of the product can be brought up as a brand new view to see the values of product.

Eco design is a new design starting point in nowadays society, the question is that how designers will put this new view into product design as well? “The necessity for honest design (design-in-use versus design-in-sales) imposed a healthier discipline than that of the market place (Papanek, 1984, pp. 47).” Victor Papanek (1984) also put forward ​​the most pressing issues that designers facing about the needs and requirements of human beings, as well as emphasizing the social and ethical values ​​of the designer. In his concept, he believes that the most important function of designers is not designed to create business value which is kind of associated with economy system, nor is packing competition and style that concerned about the aesthetic and the shape about the design objects, but an appropriate element of the process of social change. Moreover, He also emphasizes that the design should put more serious attention about limiting the use of the earth's resources and to protect the Earth's environment services. Victor Papanek (1984) said, "In an age of mass production when everything must be planned and designed, design has become the most powerful tool with which man shapes his tools and environments (and, by extension, society and himself). This demands high social and moral responsibility from the designer.” Therefore, it is more likely considering that industrial designer should have to think about they designed for what, or should put the design for another way, thus, it is clearly to see that the value of the designer is reflected in what way is becoming the essential idea that the current designers require in-depth thought. (Image 2)

Image 2: Papanek, 1984, pp.68 - 72
Three diagrams will explain the lack of social engagement in design.

Eco design is also called green design, rapid development under the influence of ecological culture. “Industrial ecology is meant as a conceptual tool emulating models derived from natural ecosystems, aimed at developing fundamentally new approaches to the industrial system reorganization (Pizzacaro, 1994).” When the craft and technology of eco design have processed through to the new green products, people should believe these commodities in the production, which use and disposal is not only beneficial to the ecological, but also in the most economical resource consumption. It cannot be seen a successful eco design if there is issue addressed at any point. For instances, the disposable lunchbox that is manufactured with a plastic foam, in order to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases and cost. But plastic is difficult to degrade and form a serious white pollution. Designers try to use the paper for lunch the lunchbox as it’s believed easily degraded. But the new problem is that, a lot of paper will cause serious water pollution and vegetation reduction. In this case, these two designs cannot be seen as eco design. Therefore, the production, application and waste are to be taken into account so as to obtain solutions. Also in the design process, principles of maintaining sustainability are supposed to be kept in mind.

Even though eco design has been recognized and accepted by the public, but eco industrial design has not yet come to maturity, but walking on the way of exploratory stage. Obviously, the emerging new way of thinking in the immature stage will always result in a variety of problems. When the "pseudo-ecology" issues are raised, designers and producers need to seriously address this problem. Today, "eco design" packaged products are in everywhere. "Ecological", "green" and "carbon" these themes in today's society can be described as fashionable terms, which are penetrating in various fields. Moreover, it seems that as long as any products have been attached to these terms, the product becomes the most popular topic to discuss about. Followed by the overpriced fame of "high tech", a synonym for "high consumption", but in that way the products with labeled “eco design” seems far from the ordinary people’s notions. However, whether these designs can actually influence on the environment and society in an optimistic way, it was rarely explored. Eco design’s intention is to make the world better place to live in, where harmony is brought to people even in the future. When the eco design replaces DIY, emotional design, individuality and innovation, it has soon become a new popular and selling point for merchandise, people need to rethink profoundly. Expensive "eco design", conceptual "eco design", anti-humanistic "eco design", and anti-aesthetics "eco design" are contrary to the eco design of the original meaning. Therefore, human needs are more rationally to face up industrial civilization, avoid blindly pursuing for the development.

In conclusion, the eco design has a profound impact on industrial design or will see a more clearly show in the future. Industrial design maintains an important role in modern society, and its development is regarded as a double-edged sword. It is enriching people's lives at the same time bringing a lot of damages to the ecological environment. Industrial design in contemporary society has been far from meeting the needs of people and the standard for environment. Industrial design requires a lot of forward-looking designers to guide and develop. On the other hand, designers should be capable of taking higher social responsibility, in order to be able to create sustainable design. The power sometimes can be found in the words of designer, which will guide and lead the public value conception system. Design is to convey low-carbon, simple, shared and elegant values, which would trigger the virtuous cycle of society, as a whole have positive effects. Although Industrial design has been proceeding to the design of ecology, it still needs to avoid unscrupulous producers taking advantages of the opportunity to advertise hypocritical ecological circle. In sum, eco design concept is the future of industrial design that also leads to innovative sustainable development solutions.

Reference:

Madge, P. (1997). Ecological Design: A New Critique. Design Issues, Vol. 13, No. 2, A Critical Condition: Design and Its Criticism. pp. 44-54. The MIT Press.

Papanek, V. J. (1984). Design for the real world: Human ecology and social change. New York: Pantheon Books.

Pizzacaro, S. (1994). Theoretic Approaches to Industrial Ecology: Status and Perspectives. Milan: international seminar "The Scenario of Sustainability: The Systemic Context".

Xu, P. Pan, L. (2001). Green Design [M]. Nanjing: Jiangsu Fine Arts Publish House.

Xu, X. (1999). Ecological Design: The Inevitable Choice of the Development of the Industrial Design. Zhe Jiang: China Academic journal Electronic Publishing House.