DEVELOP3D - Technology for the product lifecycle

Over the last few months I’ve been considering the world of sustainability, predominantly as part of our plans for later this year to cover the subject more, but it’s something that sits in the back of my head, comfortably nestled in the box marked “Things you need to learn more about, monkey nuts”.

The more I think about the subject, the more I read (and read I have, a great deal), the less I feel I know. There are myriad subjects to discover, new avenues of exploration, new terminology and of course, new acronyms to decode. It’s an emergent field (and arguably has been for two decades) and one that’s not fixed or defined in any way, shape or form.

One thing I’m super-curious about and a huge advocate of, could sit comfortably under the banner Design for Product Life. Can we reduce the amount of waste involved in the development and manufacture of a product by increasing the length of time it’s useful for? Can it be re-manufactured, can it be recycled effectively and without barriers? Can designers derive a competitive advantage by building a product that lasts longer? All this alongside the age old questions of craft and design, such as whether products are appealing enough for us to want to have around for longer than the average.

Here’s the thing. I’ve become more than a little strict of late about the crap I have around me. I’m a hoarder by nature and, I suspect, genetic disposition. A peep into my parent’s house, full of “collections” of things (including stuffed owls) shows the lineage I’m at odds with. But I’m trying to buy and consume less as a conscious decision.

But here’s the thing.

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