Is it difficult to design sustainable products? (And by the way - what qualifies as a sustainable product anyway?) Does it require special tools? Does it involve special training? Will it change the way I design, or require additional steps in the design process? Can I still work with my existing suppliers or will I have to find new ones? And what about the materials or processes that I’m using to manufacture my products – are these sustainable? If not, what are my alternatives? And what’s all this talk about managing our environmental impact by measuring our carbon and water footprint? Or using an LCA (life cycle assessment) to help guide my product design efforts? How does all this impact my work?
If these questions sound familiar, you’re not alone… Today, product designers from across all industry sectors – from footwear and apparel to high tech/electronics and transportation – wrestle with these and other questions in their quest to support sustainability initiatives within their companies. And, right alongside these individuals are corporate sustainability officers, quality, environmental health & safety, compliance, and procurement professionals – who are also being held accountable for certain sustainability goals and objectives. It’s a challenging environment, to say the least.
But what we’d really like to know is - what’s happening in your organization? Is sustainability important? In particular, is it important at the product-level? If so – how is sustainable product design currently being tackled by your product development teams?
Tell us. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.
It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”
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NOTE: This research study is being conducted by Four Winds Research, an independent market research and analysis firm dedicated to sustainable product design and manufacturing. Our research is focused on identifying the key issues and challenges facing designers and engineers today as they attempt to create sustainable products; understanding how organizations can effectively apply sustainability principles in product design and development both internally and across the supply chain; and the critical role that sustainability metrics, tools, and technologies promise to play in product design and manufacturing in the coming decade. To learn more, visit our website.
