Living Design: The effective use of design for sustainability in maker enterprises

可持续性涉及环境和地点的特殊性;它始于地方一级。然而，小型地方企业一般没有必要的资金在可持续性和环境管理方面发挥专门作用和提供专门知识。这一问题可以由具有这些领域专门知识的大学研究人员与小企业密切合作加以解决，以创造在地方和区域一级可行的互利、实际和经济上可行的解决办法。与微型企业合作（10名以下员工）为在当地“制造”企业中实施可持续性设计制定实用指南和在线资源（小规模制造业-家具、灯饰、陶瓷等）。该指南及其互动资源将成为设计师和当地企业的实用资源，并将为这些企业提供基础，以便上传示例，分享见解，添加相关信息和提供反馈-从而提供一个持续改进的模式，这将是企业和学术界建立有效的，实用指南和资源，是现实世界的价值。这项研究将汇集相当多的专业知识，PI（可持续性设计）和Co-I（设计的未来）的第一手资料和见解，从当地/区域企业和相关利益攸关方（商会，商业团体，供应商等）。通过这种方式，该项目将受益于学术界和企业之间的知识交流，为实际影响奠定基础，从而有利于研究区域（坎布里亚郡）的竞争力和经济未来。研究方法将开始，将可持续性设计和未来设计的理论信息和原则与研究区域实地研究收集的信息相结合。这为设计实践提供了依据。根据调查结果，特定环境的设计标准的发展将导致初步的设计概念。利用主要参与者、共同参与者和驻地协调员的实际经验、专门知识和设计技能，初步设计概念将成为与当地企业和相关利益攸关方举行研讨会或探索性对话的基础。设计标准将得到完善，概念将得到修改，新的方向将得到确定。另一套设计概念将产生一系列设计原型，这些原型将构成与企业进一步对话的基础，对话的结果将构成《指南》（例如《小型制造企业可持续性设计：十步指南》）和相关互动资源的基础。[This将与目前可用的其他指南大不相同，例如可持续发展研究所的欧盟中小企业成功参与最佳实践指南，该指南“主要针对大型组织内从事采购/供应链或合同管理工作的个人”。该指南和互动网站将成为小型制造企业的实用资源，也是大学研究人员的宝贵研究工具，以不断提高可持续性设计方面针对具体情况的研究的实际影响和可行性，并将广泛传播研究结果。主要调查结果和材料将刊登在专门网站上。将有一系列期刊论文，一本书，会议论文和实践研讨会，原型展览和专业期刊，杂志和电子杂志的短文。

Sustainability is concerned with the particularities of context and place; it begins at the local level. However, small-scale local enterprises generally do not have the wherewithal to provide dedicated roles and expertise in sustainability and environmental stewardship. This problem can be overcome by university researchers, with expertise in these areas, working closely with small enterprises to create mutually beneficial, practical and economically viable solutions that are feasible at the local and regional levels.This research project will carry out practice-based research at the local/regional level, working with micro-enterprises (<10 employees) to develop a practical Guide and online line resources for the implementation of design for sustainability in local 'making' businesses (small-scale manufacturing - furniture, lighting, ceramics, etc.). The Guide and its interactive resources will be a practical resource for designers and local enterprises and will provide a basis for these enterprises to upload examples, share their insights, add relevant information and offer feedback - thus offering a continuous improvement model that will be a valuable resource for businesses and for academics to build an effective, practical Guide and resources that are of real-world value.This research will bring together the considerable expert knowledge of the PI (design for sustainability) and the Co-I (design futures) with first-hand information and insights from local/regional enterprises and associated stakeholders (chambers of commerce, business groups, suppliers etc.). In this way, the project will benefit from knowledge exchange between academia and business, will lay the groundwork for practical impact and thus will be beneficial to the competitiveness and economy future of the study region (Cumbria). The research findings, insights, lessons learned and approach can then be adapted to suit the needs of enterprises in other regions.The research approach will begin by combining theoretical information and principles in design for sustainability and design futures with information gathered from field research in the study region. This provides a basis for design practice. Based on findings, the development of context-specific design criteria will lead to initial design concepts. Drawing on the practical experience, expertise and design skills of the PI, Co-I and RAs, initial design concepts will form a basis for workshops or exploratory dialogues with local enterprises and associated stakeholders. Design criteria will be refined, concepts will be modified and new directions identified. A further set of design concepts will lead to a series of design prototypes, which will form the basis of further dialogues with enterprises, the results of which will form the basis of the Guide (e.g. Design for Sustainability in Small Maker Enterprises: A 10 Step Guide) and associated, interactive resources. [This will be quite different from other guides currently available, such as the EUs Best Practice Guidance for Successful SME Engagement from the Institute of Sustainability which is "aimed primarily at individuals working in procurement/supply chain or contract management roles within large organisations".]The Guide and interactive website will be a practical resource for small maker enterprises and a valuable research tool for university researchers to continuously improve the practical impact and viability of context-specific research in design for sustainability.The research findings will be widely disseminated. Key findings and materials will be included on the dedicated website. There will be a series of journal papers, a book, conference papers and practical workshops, exhibitions of prototypes and shorter articles in professional journals, magazines and e-zines.