5b. Design for Sustainability

Track chairs:

Astrid Skjerven. Department of Product Design, Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University. askjerve@oslomet.no

Klára Tóthné Szita. Institute of World and Regional Economics, University of Miskolc, Miskolc, Hungary. regszita@uni-miskolc.hu

Goals and objectives of the track:

Design is defined as the activity of shaping the human surroundings, performed by professionals or lay persons. Human surroundings is understood as everything from urban and landscape planning to objects and concepts.
The general aim of design for sustainability is to enhance practicality and/or well-being (including social welfare, health, aesthetics, and more), reducing environmental impacts.
The topic will be discussed in terms of what way it can contribute physical or cultural sustainability, and it significance for innovative approaches. The activity's possible negative effects could also be analysed.
Design for sustainability implies decisions related to low-impacts and health materials, energy and resource efficiency, durability, reuse and recycling, and so on. Methods, tools, indicators, criteria, metrics are necessary to support decision.
Approaches and methods, and evaluation or measuring of their results will be welcomed.

In summary, the aim of the track is:

  • To present the current state of the art of theories, methods, indicators and strategies to assess and to measure design for sustainability.
  • To present case and other empiric studies on the topic, at local, national and global level, both regarding policies, products and business enterprises.
  • To share knowledge between academics, research and development organisation, business enterprises and practitioners, promoting a dialogue between theory and praxis.

List of potential topics:

  • Theoretical approaches and methodologies
  • Sustainability assessing tools and indicators
  • Decision-making supporting methods and tools and design criteria/guidelines
  • Case studies: policies, products, services, built environment
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