Page 169 - A fundamnetal of Engineering Design

The role of design in sustainability

◦ As designers, it is crucial and important to understand our critical role

in the sustainable world. One of the designer’s roles is to solve

problems and provide innovative solutions through products or
services. Considering the critical problems that face our planet due to

the irresponsible consumption of natural resources, designers play an

important role in providing solutions to this problem and replacing

obsolete products with innovative and sustainable ones that can
ensure lower consumption of resources and less waste.

◦ Looking at design through a holistic approach within the organization

or company can unlock untapped capabilities to consider
sustainable solutions that can replace old ones in existing products or

envision new ones in the new product development (NPD) process.

For example, the designers at LEGO contribute with the company

team to create more planet-friendly materials for their toy bricks with
the same properties and durability of the old bricks in order to

maintain consumer satisfaction while upholding its planet promise.