Design Dialogues: An exploratory study of design narratives, methodologies and tools towards achieving Factor 10 outcomes

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

There is now a growing debate concerning the need for a longer-term approach to the environmental impacts of production and consumption. Recent studies have highlighted the fact that industrialised levels of consumption (with 20% of the World population using 80% of the Earth's resources) are rapidly being adopted by developing nations. This trend is unsustainable with the Earth unable to support such net increases in resource consumption. To avoid this scenario it is suggested that in the next fifty years a 90% (Factor 10) reduction in resource use will be called for. This means that we (industrialised nations) will need to use just 10% of the resources we currently use today to meet the future needs of a growing population.The activity of design is central to how products, services and systems are conceived and used. This project aims to investigate how design strategies can evolve to support a 90% decrease in resource use. This will involve both an understanding of the nature and quantity of resource use and also of our social attitudes towards resources. It will shift the current focus on efficiency to one that also addresses current cultures of consumption. The research will focus on exploring the attitudes and activities of designers and decision-makers to evolve new methods and tools for integrating Factor 10 approaches in the design process. Research findings will evolve through a number of interviews, focus groups and action-based workshops. Initially these will investigate current concepts and attitudes to design for the environment The research workshop methodology will then be used to explore design in a broader context of sustainability using a range of different stimuli and tools developed as a core part of the project. The research aims to deliver an exploratory overview of new narratives, methodologies and tools for investigating factor 10 levels of improvement in both strategies and activities of design.The project is supported by the UK Design Council and the EPSRC funded Sustainable Design Network. It will involve participants from a range of industry sectors and Higher Education institutions. It is intended that the research findings will result in a web-guide to implementing Factor 10 design activity in both business and educational contexts. Other outputs will include academic and trade-based publications. The total EPSRC funding award requested for this three-year project is 118,334.The proposal links to the following EPSRC thematic priorities: 'Human-Centred Systems' in envisaging new products and systems that enhance quality of life for all; and 'Engineering and Science for Sustainability in investigating concepts of sustainable thinking towards step-change improvements in products, processes and systems.