Week 4 Practical Task 1 – Sustainability in Design
Sustainability: The idea that human activity and consumption should have no impact, or a positive impact, on the environment in which we live. In Design and Manufacture, this means that the materials we use, where they came from, and where they go at the end of the product’s life all have an impact on how environmentally sustainable the product is. There are two other kinds of sustainability – Economic Sustainability and Social Sustainability
Your practical task is to design, construct, and evaluate a product that you build in class, and that suits the needs of a client. There are no exact limitations to the project, but you need to think realistically about your current level of skills, amount of time available, willingness to teach yourself new information and dedication to your project.
There are three constraints to consider:
The item must include at least one material that is recycled, repurposed, or sustainably sourced
The item must fit within a budget of less than $100. This budget is self-funded and self-sourced, so consider the costs and availability of all the materials you may need.
The item must have a function or purpose, it cannot be purely decorative.
At The Level
Your task is to undertake a design and production cycle in the development of a sustainable product. You will also need to keep records of work and present a design portfolio. You will have 12 weeks for your product production cycle, which involves 4 stages of work.
Concept Design
Design Development
Production
Evaluation and Analysis
Each section must be presented in a meeting with your teacher, prior to moving onto the next stage of work. This is to ensure the work is completed to the best quality, and that the project is possible and suitable and progressing well. During that session, your teacher will offer advice on future development, and suggest ways to clear up any confusion in your plans, as well as advice on techniques. This meeting will take no more than 5 minutes, and notes about the conversation must be taken and recorded as part of your design portfolio.