Welcome to Design for Sustainability - DfS

Description: The course aims at PhD students who expect their research to be –fully or partly- dealing with sustainable product design and PSS –product-services-system- development. Design is considered to be here all forms of creative innovation by companies, new ventures, design consultants etc. with a strong link to product (artifact) redesign, new product development, PSS development, within a context and a transition process towards sustainable development.

After the course, the PhD students:
- have basic knowledge and understanding of a variety of DfS product innovation philosophies, strategies, approaches and tools, applied in practice by industrial designers and companies practice; and
- are able to write a scientific journal paper on the subject of Design for Sustainability, based upon a the outcomes of an existing MSc study report.

Exam:The –concept- Journal Paper, presented by each group of 3-4 persons at the end of the DfS PhD intensive week, will be considered as the outcome and be assessed by a Jury (Brezet; Smink; and Prof. Remmen) for –direct- pass or pass after some necessary modifications.

Organizer: Associate Professor Carla Smink, AAU, email: Carla@plan.aau.dk; Prof. Dr.Ir. Han Brezet, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft); Professor Arne Remmen, AAU

Lecturers: Dr. Ir. Jan-Carel Diehl (ecodesign practice; 2 days, TU Delft; Dr. Ir. Joost Vogtlaender (product and PSS portfolio indicators; via Skype TU Delft

ECTS: 5

Course fee: None, but you will have to count on € 70/DKK 525 for reader and books (see description in the course outline)

Time: October 21-24, 2013, everyday from 9am until 3.30pm; however, Thursday October 24 from 9am til 12 noon.

Place:Aalborg University, Nybroggade 6, room 1.102, 9000 Aalborg

Zip code: 9000

City: Aalborg

Number of seats: 20

Deadline: September 22, 2013

Important information concerning PhD courses
We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 5,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately three months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.

DAY 1 (Brezet)

Introduction Product Design & Innovation

Exercises: ProductStrategy & Portfolio Development; Design Creativity Tools; Role andPosition of Designer in Company, Regional and Society Context

Literature: Delft Design Guide (free, TU Delft)

UNEP D4S Manual(free, TU Delft)

Course Reader

Power of Design (book Diehl & Brezet, € 70)

Formation of groups (3-4 people) that will write a concept journal paper together.

DAY 2 (Brezet, Smink,Diehl, Vogtlaender, Remmen)

Design for Sustainability – Introduction and Practice

- DfS Philosophies
- DfS Drivers
- DfS Approaches (from Eco(re-)design to System Innovation)

- Tools (including Product Eco-benchmarking and Eco-costs Value Ratio Toolfor company decision making on product portfolio sustainable priorities andstrategy)

- Examples
- Eco-design – strengths and limitation in EU Product Policy

Exercises: Drivers;DfS Approach Selection; Eco-benchmarking (with “real” products and Delft tool kit);EVR portfolio exercise

Literature: Course Reader

UNEP D4S Manual

DfS EcodesignExample Booklet (free, TU Delft)

EVR Website andBooklet (free, TU Delft)

DAY 3 (Brezet, Diehl)

Sustainable PSS Design & Design for Emerging Markets (BoP)

Exercises: PSS & BoP design

Studentpresentations

Literature: Course Reader

PSS DesignExamples (free, TU Delft)

Power of Design

Base-of-the-Pyramidexample booklet (free, TU Delft)

DAY 4 (Brezet, Smink)

Morning (9-12)

FinalAssignment :

Writing a Journal Paper in a small group of PhDstudents on a DfS related subject.

Input: 1 or 2 reports out of ca. 20 DfS MSc reportsfrom the DfS/TU Delft

MSc repository.

Brezet and Smink are available for inputs/brainstorm for the paper to be written.