Design, sustainability and consumption: some principles and criterias for the development of products and services design. Santos, Gabriela Liberato dos; Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. gabriela.liberato0@gmail.com Faria, José Neto de; Ms.; Universidade Anhembi Morumbi. josenetodesigner@yahoo.com.br
Abstract This paper presents, briefly, the study of the definition of a set of criteria, which can be used to measure and rate the products and service design and their sustainability. It has as main goal promote the discussion and thinking about which is the sustainability level discussed and instilled in the design of products and services in the contemporary society. Finally, the article proposes the construction and establishment of an indicator, Sustainability Index of products and services, which can be used to measure the degree of sustainability proposed in the design of products and services projects.
Keywords: Design;Sustainability;Sustainability Index;Products and Services. Resumo O presente trabalho apresenta, brevemente, o estudo da definição de um conjunto de critérios, que possam ser utilizados para mensurar e classificar o design de produtos e serviços quanto a sua sustentabilidade. Tem como principal objetivo promover a discussão e a reflexão sobre qual é o nível de sustentabilidade discutido e incutido no design de produtos e serviços na sociedade contemporânea. Por fim, propõe a formação e o estabelecimento de um indicador, Índice de sustentabilidade de produtos e serviços, o qual possa ser utilizado para mensurar o grau de sustentabilidade proposto nos projetos de design em produtos e serviços. Palavras Chave: Design; Sustentabilidade; Índice de Sustentabilidade; Produtos e Serviços.
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Introduction Maybe on this century, one of the biggest challenges to be faced by contemporary society will be to discern and understand what are the assumptions and propositions that really characterize the development of sustainable services and products. Over the last decades, what have been witnessed are two very different ways to discuss the measures and goals implementation that can be able to promote the sociocultural, economic and environmental development. On the one hand, through studies, researches and experiments, was aimed a better comprehension how this interdependent system works and how integrated solutions can be promoted, which at the same time: conduct the improvement quality of life of society; adjust the economic system model in order to substitute the productions models based on discontinuous productive cycle of exploration and extraction by continuous productive cycle of maintenance, integration and reusing; and, finally, promote the preservation of planet's environmental system. On the other hand, by the rhetoric use, many times irresponsibly undertaken by green marketing, propositions intensified the damaged caused by human activities or were produced stopgap, punctual and decontextualized solutions. However, States, big corporations, mega projects, ventures and events, such as 2012 Olympics, present sustainability as one of their most concerns. But does the sustainable principles and criteria are truly use on these projects?
Methodology. This paper is resulted from a theoretical, qualitative and inductive research which was divided to be developed at the following events: referential theoretical research; research and relevant data collect; organization, classification and data analysis; explanatory models analysis and production; result analysis; explanatory model adjustment; research results analysis; and, finally, research results reflection and description.
Society and Sustainability. Since ancient times, mankind takes ownership of natural resources to meet their needs, but with the development of a predatory economic system based on principles of extraction, exploration and accumulation, nature has not gotten more "stock up" their stories materials. The expropriation of the resources of nature is so serious that there are estimates which forecast a collapse of the environmental system and the lack of basic raw materials for the survival of future generations. The environmental sustainability discussions (WCED, 1987), emerges on this scenario in order to propose changes which modify this possible future. They propose to analyze “for systemic conditions, under which, at the regional and global level, human activities should not interfere with natural cycles that underlie all the resilience of the planet and allows at the same time, should not impoverish their natural capital that will be sent to future generations” (Manzini; Vezzoli, 2002, p.27-28) and consider the environmental equity question, ensuring to each person, including the next generations, “the right to the same environmental space, to the same availability of natural resources from the planet” (Friends of the Earth, 2001).
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(...) we should be able to move from a society where the welfare and economic health, which today are measured in terms of increased production and consumption of raw materials, to a society in which it is possible to live better consuming (a lot) less and develop the economy by reducing the production of material products.. (...) It is right, however, that must be verified one discontinuity that will reach all systems dimensions: physical, economic, institutional, ethical, aesthetic and culture (Manzini; Vezzoli, 2002, p.31).
When Victor Papanek (1977, p.19) considers the premise that “the planning and the standardization of every act directed to a desirable and predictable goal, constitutes a design process�, develop and implant sustainable products and services implies to take under consideration, during all project conception, three distinctive life events of the product or service: the model implementation, which must consider human resources use, natural resources, the raw materials and the production processes; the useful life or use of the model, that must consider the consumption experience and use; and the discard and reuse, that must consider the conditions, that also must be predictable and implied on the model. So, on the design process, the first step to be taken is the standardization and parameterization of the possible ways that lead to conscious development of sustainable products and services, these ways must go beyond the discard and consider the sociocultural, economics and environmental conditions. (...) to be truly recognized, the design for sustainability must deepen its proposals on the constant compared evaluation of the environmental implications, on the different accepted technical, economical and social solutions and must also consider all constraints that (products and services) determine through their whole life cycle. (Manzini; Vezzoli, 2002, p.23).
On this way, it is fundamental to point out a serie of conditions, that are capable to characterize the desirable properties of sustainable products and services, and then classified them. And after, submit all products and services considered sustainable or not this screen.
Systems, Life Cycle and Design Processes. The complexity involved on the research, in how to develop a sustainability index to products and services, forces to study the integration of sociocultural, economic and environmental systems; the life cycles of products and services, conception and implantation, consumption and use, discard and reuse; and the design processes. The comprehension of how these elements can be integrated is what will make possible to understand and define how to implement sustainable design projects (Figure 01). When considering the relations that are been establish among the sociocultural system, the products life cycles and the design processes, Manzini (2008, p. 20-39) highlights that this process will occur in a slowly and progressive way, it will be a social learning, on which the societies that are now consider the most needed are the ones who have more to teach the designers, politicians and others decisions takers about the paths to sustainability (Papanek, 1977, p. 40-81) (Figures 02 and 03). Historically, the systems, the cyles and the design processes guide private non-shared principles, that in priori difficult the development of a brightened and objective view about what truly is a sustainable design project. So, each one of the systems, cycles and design 10Âş Brazilian Congress of Design Research and Development, Sao Luis (MA)
processes set must be questioned, in order to discover if the established relations with the rest of the system are been considered (Figure 04).
Figure 01: Authors interpretation of the sociocultural, economic and environmental systems integration; life cycles, conception and implantation, consumption and use, discard and reuse; e the design processes.
Figure 02: Authors interpretation of the sociocultural system sustainability.
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Figure 03: Authors interpretation of the economic system sustainability oriented.
Figure 04: Authors interpretation of the design process sustainability oriented.
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Final Considerations. Despite being featured in all media, green marketing strategies of many companies, sustainability as a concept is not defined yet much less applied clearly and objectively. During the study it was seen that the concept of sustainability encompasses many different systems and will not just recycling or replacement product enough to consider a company or sustainable service. The economic, sociocultural and environmental systems must be analyzed in order to verify what are their principles and concepts so then formulate a clear concept of sustainability and objective, for each system there will be the necessary changes to be made in accordance with the principles and concepts. Finally it is seen that work with professionals from other areas is essential to have a solid base that can be changed and how these changes would work within the optical sustainability. The design comes as coordinator understands that these systems operate in cycles that have principles, but that it will keep the interest and need for such changes. Going forward, the design with its experience on projects will show how every decision of each system can result in subsequent steps and what needs to be changed and also where those changes entail.
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MCLAREN, Duncan. Achieving sustainability through the concept of 'environmental space': a t r a n s - E u r o p e a n p r o j e c t. In: F r i e n d s o f E a r t h, 2 0 0 1 . (http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/local/sustain_europe_env_space.html) PAPANEK, Victor J. Diseño para el mundo real. Madrid: Edición Española H. BLUME EDICIONES, 1977. PAPANEK, Victor. Arquitectura e Design: Ecologia e Ética. Lisboa: Editora Edições 70, 1980. VEZZOLI, Carlos. Cenário do design para uma moda sustentável. Tradução: Kathia Carvalho In: PIRES, Dorotéia B. Design de Moda: olhares diversos. São Paulo: Estação das Letras e Cores, 2008. WCED, World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987. WEBER, Max. Ação Social e Relação Social, In: FORACCHI, Marialice M.; MARTINS, José de Souza (Org.). Sociologia e Sociedade: Leituras de introdução à Sociologia. São Paulo: Editora LTC, 2008.
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