Managing Design for Environmental Sustainability throughout the Design Process

Abstract

Sustainability is recognised as a complex issue with it comprising of three themes, namely social, environmental, and economic impact. The role of professional designers is becoming trans-disciplinary, with employers expecting designers to be equipped with the necessary skills to implement sustainability within their design process. Environmental sustainability has been and has continued to be an important theme within design and design management literature, with a focus on how to effectively implement this throughout the design industry. It is currently unclear how designers are managing environmental sustainability throughout their design process. To investigate this gap further a detailed methodology was employed, including a review of previous academic literature, an investigation into the design processes of sustainability-design specialists, and a holistic review of the current status of environmental sustainability within the design industry. The study has enabled an evaluation of the current status of environmental sustainability implementation as well as the management methods used by those in industry to aid designers and their process. From data analysis, a framework has been developed to aid designers in the implementation of environmental sustainability during their design process. Future suggestions for research will also be outlined.