• 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.