T2: LCA lifecycle analysis (Video Reflection)

LCA lifecycle analysis 

Greenfly: Design greener products

• ·         It helps designers to consider deeply what will be potential environment factors within their design process. Greenfly makes it easier to collect lifecycle data and eco-design strategy for a particular project.
• ·         The interrelation between the environment impacts and product distribution. The distribution of the product from the manufacturer -> packaging -> on shelves in retail stores where transportation energy will play a major role according to its travel distance.    
• ·         With these data and analysed results allows more production waste being successfully recycled and reuse for other products.

It changes my mind set about design is that it is not only about the product and selling it on the market, but the ecological consideration of its potential harm towards the environment. The software reminds me of the exercise we did on week 1, that we need to consider each step of a product’s life cycle (afterlife) to identify selective problems.   

I put brief information of my packaging project into the Greenfly analysis to get the first hand experience which the results are interesting. I'm surprised that water will only be use in the product's afterlife. Also recycle will actually cause more solid waste than production and product use. 

Autodesk: Whole system and lifecycle thinking

• ·         I like it how it teaches designers how to solve the sustainability issue not by jumping into designing solutions without knowing the problem
• ·         According to research within the marketing and manufacturing sectors, designers are then able to set their priorities and metrics. With this way it considers all factors and being able to design with an efficient product with a selling point.
• ·         This cycle allow designers to think outside of the box and line everything together to come up with the most sustainable solution to the problem. 

My conclusion with this video clearly addresses the problem many designers have when given a brief. By addressing a problem in the early stage will make concepts and considerations for other factors smoother. I love the illustration explanation presented in this video that it shows but marking relation between problems makes the whole project clearer.  I believe I am more of a visual person the way how the video teaches us how to map thing will take my problem solving skills further. Finally the mention of the interrelation of the important consideration between marketing -> engineering -> sustainability wraps up all possibilities for all design solutions, and that are the mindset that I think a lot of us as students are missing. 

Autodesk: Improving Product Lifetime

• ·         The understanding of the life span a product will affect the waste efficiency of the product. Where the understanding of Material flow will be important to extend the lifespan of the product.
• ·         Simple durability strategies such as repair, upgrade, re-manufacture (reuse certain parts) and recycle will extend life cycle of a product. Where the re-manufacture requires easy openings for manufacture’s to collect the part where the cost of the case can be deducted.   
• ·         In between Short life -> Long life recycle/compost, repair, upgrade, durable are potential factors that will help extending lifespan.

Conclusion

It’s interesting that these obvious considerations make a difference to make a product life longer. The way that little things like repair and upgrade can push a product further and the point where some parts are reused can a lot lower production cost. I agree with the theory are the beginning that why not make the product last longer to make the production waste more worth its value.  I believe in recent years electronic companies are working really hard in this area to make their products last longer e.g. Apple. 

Autodesk: Lightweighting

• ·         “Products made with less material has less negative impact and cheaper production cost”
• ·         Methods such as Hollowing parts, reinforcement, decrease wall thickness and trusts can decrease the weight and material use in a product
• ·         Comparison to of ways to lighten the design but also sustainable factors that will come in play over time.

It is a nice alternative that designer to improve on old products but improving its efficiency in comparison to its manufacturing wastes that weight more than the actual product. The choice of material is also a big factor of how much energy is needed to manufacture a product. Sometimes there are a need balance between saving material and sustainability, because if the product doesn’t last long no matter how much material you save it will not be efficient. 

Autodesk: Green Materials Selection

• ·         “Green material is are abundant, non-toxic, have low embodied energy, and meet or exceed regulations”
• ·         Considerations of its physical properties if it’s suitable for its use, meet regulations, good recycling options and the material cost can’t be too expensive.
• ·         The disposable cup example brings out the point of sustainability also depending on scenario and how would the product be used on the market. 

I believe there are a lot to consider choosing the perfect material and putting into consideration of what material will be greener is even harder. Long term sustainable product will be the aim for a green material, not a one used product.

 

 

Autodesk: Energy Efficient Design

• ·         Efficiency of the use of energy, it plays a big part in the manufacturing process and it’s important to low the loss of energy throughout the process.  
• ·         Form of energy – conversation of converting energy -> energy we would not need (waste energy)
• ·         Minimizing energy loss – “Don’t always need to be energy efficient to be energy effective” so what option does the job more effective is what matters.

My idea of minimizing of energy loss will be decreasing friction or lowering the energy loss but the video points out if we select an effective energy alternative will create more gain to the situation. Where this video covers the energy physics behind electronic products and it’s good to have a brain of an engineer and a designer in one mindset.