Preliminary Thinking on Sustainable Design in Industrial Design (I)

Abstract: This paper introduces the meaning of sustainable design in industrial design, briefly discusses its main features and its embodiment in modern industrial design, and proposes some preliminary suggestions for deepening the concept of sustainable design, with a view to enhancing people's sustainable design. Consciousness gives new meaning to the design.

1 Sustainability design ideas and implications

Since the 1970s, people have begun to realize that the traditional mode of production and excessive consumption of high-strength natural resources by humans has caused humans to pay a heavy price. The design activities were designed to create a better life. However, the "high-consumption stage" triggered by the industrial revolution violated the fundamental purpose of design. For the sake of the future of mankind and the happiness of future generations, people begin to advocate the protection of natural resources, protection and greening of the environment. In the design community, the design of coordinators and nature is even more advocated. Protecting the environment and saving material and energy are important factors that need to be considered in design. Some call it "recycling" design, which means that its design is not only designed for human industrial products, but also designed for natural, human and natural harmonious lifestyles. Therefore, sustainable design ideas came into being.

The so-called sustainable design is to incorporate design behavior into the “human-machine-environment” system under the guidance of ecological philosophy. It not only realizes social value but also protects natural value, and promotes the common prosperity of man and nature.

2 Features of sustainable design and perspective in industrial design

(1) Sustainable design is another evolution and development of design concepts. Under the premise that the product achieves a specific function, the less materials and energy are consumed in the process of manufacture and use, the better, and the less environmental pollution the product uses during or after use, the better. Taking the fast food box as an example, the design usually takes into account volume, man-machine dimension, stacking, insulation, and opening convenience, plus considering the factors such as shape and color, a good design can be made, but measured by the concept of environmental protection, if After the box is used, white pollution is formed and it cannot be considered a good design. Sustainable design is a comprehensive design concept that jumps out of the product, the company's small circle, and stands on the basis of the fundamental interests of mankind.

(2) Sustainable design requires functional effects, people-oriented, and active use of ergonomic theories. The design must not only pay attention to the physiological conditions of the human body under static conditions, but also pay attention to the physiological conditions of the human body under dynamic conditions. The design should be people-oriented, and the first consideration is the user's needs and health. For example, the “green mobile phone” is a low-emission green mobile phone using the “built-in bowl antenna” technology. The front (on the side of the brain) has minimal radiation, which is about one third of the radiation on the back of the mobile phone. “Healthy air conditioning” is In order to solve people's increasing demands on the air quality of the room, the washing machines designed for ultra-thin, ultra-narrow, mini, and ultra-large capacity are also designed for consumers.

(3) Sustainable design should consider the rational use of materials to meet the needs of product functions with the most natural, harmless, and energy-saving materials, and achieve the best results with the least amount of materials. Take the car, it brings to humanity in addition to convenience and comfort, but also caused great damage to the human environment. Actively researching, developing and promoting the use of “green” transportation is one of the inevitable trends in the transformation of transportation under the framework of sustainable development. Green cars first require that the energy they use (such as natural gas, liquid hydrogen, electricity, and solar energy, etc.) conform to the principle of low pollution and low emissions, and also require flexible use of sustainable design awareness, that is, every aspect of the development and design process must be Take full account of environmental benefits and minimize damage to the environment. This includes minimizing energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, using new materials and structures to reduce material consumption, facilitating the recycling of components, reducing urban space use, and improving traffic. Passage rate and so on. Sustainable design not only has higher requirements for the production technology of automobiles, but also puts forward many new topics for design. In the sustainable design of automobiles, European countries are at the forefront of the world. Mercedes-Benz of Germany has proposed the concept of recycling the entire life cycle of automobiles, that is, starting from the design of automobiles and focusing on the recyclability, production and use of automobiles. The waste, waste energy, and waste fluids generated in the process are all recovered and can be disassembled and recycled when the car is scrapped. The immediate goal of Mercedes-Benz is to achieve a vehicle recycling rate of more than 95%, including plastics and waste oil. Sweden’s Volvo has developed an EPS system with the Swedish Institute for Environmental Studies. The system includes various materials used in automobiles, and data on the impact of fuels from the refining, manufacturing, use, and disposal processes on the natural environment (Environmental Index). In this way, according to the car's manufacturing materials, the environmental load of each car can be easily calculated to design the optimal ecological car. In order to reduce the quality of automobiles, the development of plastic or fiberglass body to replace the steel plate body can increase fuel mileage and reduce assembly costs. Reducing tire width to reduce friction is another way to save fuel. Therefore, in the current product design evaluation criteria, environmental protection issues have been regarded as one of the conditions for good product design.

(4) Emphasis on the importance of design management in sustainable design. The premise of this concept is the correct understanding of the product life cycle. The product life cycle includes the product's business life cycle and physical life cycle. Therefore, sustainable product design can be seen as an environment-oriented design and management. Under the principle of advocating appropriate consumption, products should be reasonably allocated in various stages of the life cycle. It is also a system design process to optimize the design process, make rational use of materials or resources, and minimize the negative impact on the environment. In addition, the rapid advancements in science and technology also provide strong technical support for design management: computer fans that simulate natural wind, solar television, telecommunications, and air conditioners that use nature to serve humans have already been developed; The vacuum cleaner uses the static electricity generated when sliding to vacuum; the remote control, miniaturization, and combination of household appliances make the operation more convenient and more flexible. The results of these scientific and technological advancements will inevitably reach the goal of extending the product life cycle, saving energy, and saving materials. The concept of sustainable development determines that the goals and directions of science and technology are consistent.