Eco-design considers the design of a product throughout its life cycle (from cradle to grave) using lifecycle analysis.

Consideration of the environmental impact of any product, service or system during its life cycle should be instigated at the earliest stage of design and continue through to disposal. Designers should have a firm understanding of their responsibility to reduce the ecological impact on the planet. Eco-design concepts currently have a great influence on many aspects of design.

• Timescale for implementing eco-design

• The “cradle to grave” and “cradle to cradle” philosophy

• Life cycle analysis (LCA)

• LCA stages: pre-production; production; distribution including packaging; utilization and disposal

• Environmental considerations

• Environmental impact assessment matrix

• Product life cycle stages: the role of the designer, manufacturer and user

• The major considerations of the United Nations Environmental Programme Manual on Ecodesign

• “Design for the environment” software

• Converging technologies

• How designers use LCA to assess and balance environmental impact over a product’s life cycle

• Benefits of organizing the life cycle stages and the environmental considerations into an environmental impact assessment matrix in which elements differ in importance according to the particular design context

• How LCA enables data to be compared and acts as a useful tool for communicating with clients/outside agencies

• How LCA can be used to identify potential conflicts between clients/outside agencies, which need to be resolved through prioritization

• Consider complexity, time and expense of LCA

• The use of checklists to guide the design team during a product’s design development stages

• How “design for the environment” software is used to assist designers in the assessment of environmental implications and particular facets of a design

• Advantages and disadvantages of converging technology

The smart phone is an innovative example of converging technologies that combines multiple technologies into onespace-saving device. The resultant reduction of materials, and energy used in production and distribution has environmental benefits.