SMT 407 / FB 507

Sustainable Product Development CAPSTONE

Course Description

This course will provide the students with a systematic approach to developing environmentally responsible products incorporating natural resources and biomaterials. Sustainable Product Development Capstone is an ever-changing review of past, present, and future issues that encompass our global environment with the premise of resolving them. This course will discuss sustainability issues and how we can change them and how to utilize natural resources and biomaterials for our product development. Students are given a topic area to create and develop a resolution to an issue with the expectation of producing a physical product by the end of the course: required additional coursework and assigned reading for FB 507 level. Credit is not allowed for both SMT/PSE 407 and FB 507.

Learning Outcomes

Upon the successful completion of this class, students will be able to,

Infer and construct concepts and principles from lessons of past and current methods to aid in the future of sustainable development.
Comprehend current natural resources and biomaterials from natural resources and methods; and distinguish processes to create a sustainable product to complete this course successfully.
Explain and determine their product development life cycle and assess if additional development or re-developing is necessary.
Create a sustainable product from conception to proof of concept. The subject area of development will be determined and approved by the professor.
Apply product development vocabulary, thinking, and processes within a sustainability context.

Additional graduate student outcomes:

Upon the successful completion of this class, students will be able to,

Differentiate developments of products and systems on how and why and the development level of effectiveness.
Identify and apply the concepts of affordances, signifiers, constraints, mapping, feedback, and conceptual models.
Isolate and modify projects to apply human-centered design (HCD) methods.

Course Structure

This course consists of lectures and Lab sessions. The discussion forums will center on the what and how of sustainability and utilize it in product development. Lab sessions will be a project-based application of past knowledge from this and prior courses. Students are given topics to research and explore for future solutions. Some areas include but are not limited to packaging, PPE equipment, disposable products, footwear, and furniture. Knowledge is delivered through discussions, demonstrations, core research, and development projects. Learning expectations are to produce high-quality work demonstrating knowledge of the topic area and create a product with evidence from conception to proof of concept. The final examination of this course will be a product development thesis and presentation of findings: required additional coursework and assigned reading for FB 507 level.

KEY ELEMENTS

EVOLUTION SUSTAINABILITY & SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Evolution Sustainability And Sustainable Design - Understand and apply concepts and principles from lessons past and current methods to aid in the future of sustainable design.

A Brief History of Sustainable Design (Chapter 1)
Sustainable Thinking (Chapter 7)
Design for Sustainable Behavior (Chapter 9)
A Consumer's Perspective on the Circular Economy (Chapter 25)
Promoting Sustainability through Mindful Design (Chapter 34)

MATERIALS FROM NATURAL RESOURCES & METHODS FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Materials from Natural Resources and Methods for Sustainable Design - comprehend current sustainable materials, methods, and processes to create their sustainable product for successful completion of this course.

Sustainable Materials -
Sustainable Process -
Sustainable Equipment -

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

Product Life Cycle - understand and reasonably determine the life cycle of their product design and then assess if additional design or redesign is necessary.

5 Steps of a Product Life Cycle (Cradle to Grave)
- Raw Material Extraction
- Manufacturing & Processing
- Transportation
- Usage & Retail
- Waste Disposal
The 4 Phases of a Life Cycle Assessment
- Definition of Goal and Scope
- Inventory Analysis
- Impact Assessment
- Interpretation
Using Solidworks Sustainability to gain real-time product assessment knowledge.

CORE PROJECT RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

Core Project Research and Development - Create a sustainable product from conception to proof of concept. Potential organizational connection/sponsorship of the project.

Examples of some areas are but not limited to: package design, PPE equipment, disposable footwear, and furniture design.
Students select an assigned area or come up with their topic area of study to be approved by the professor.
Students are to begin the design thinking process in formulating outside individuals to be a part of their design group.
The instructor provides classroom topic demonstrations, discussions, and examples.
- Empathize:
  - Conduct Interviews -
  - Uncover Emotions -
  - Seek Stories -
- Define:
  - Reframe and Create Human-Centered Problem Statement(s) -
  - Identify Meaningful Surprises and Tensions -
  - Infer Insights -
  - Ideate:
    - Brainstorm Radical Ideas -
    - Build on Other Ideas -
    - Suspend Judgment -
  - Ethical Design:
    - Long-term and short-term effects environmental, cultural, and social -
    - Population impact -
    - Users’ values, preferences, and behaviors -
  - Organizational Design:
    - Branding and introduced to the targeted market-
    - Cost of the design and development process -
    - Manufacturing needs to develop the design. Look for a minimal environmental impact -

SYLLABUS LINKS

SMT 407 FB 507 Sustainable Product Development Capstone .docx (1).pdf

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