(Image above from https://www.jcdiehl.nl/d4s-sbs/d4s_sbs_part1.pdf)
Design for Sustainability (D4S) is a comprehensive method that has a broad range of approaches that can be applied to improve the efficiency, product quality, market opportunities and social benefits of products, systems, and services. D4S was created by researchers at TU Delft in the Netherlands and is one of many methods in the broader field of sustainable design. D4S encompasses development, testing, and international diffusion of techniques to design products with improved eco-efficiency and superior life cycles. The key D4S approaches are: redesign and benchmarking, and new product design and PSS (product service systems)
Usage
D4S is useful for new product development, green redesign of existing products, and designing for sustainable development in developing countries.
Benefits
- D4S goes beyond how to make a ‘green’ product and addresses how to best meet consumer needs on a social, economic, and environmental level. This does not only include the individual product, but also the system of products and related services, which are jointly capable of fulfilling consumer needs more efficiently and with a higher value for both companies and consumers (From Design for Sustainability, A step by step approach, 2009)
- D4S is a unique methodology because it not only encompasses all three pillars of sustainability (people, profit, and planet), but it also is applicable to supporting sustainable production capacity in developing countries
- The method is designed to create win-win solutions for businesses, local communities, supply chains, the environment, and consumers
Limitations/Risks
- D4S projects can take up to three months to a year to complete, which depends on the product innovation capacity of the company that applies D4S to improve the eco-efficiency of its products and also the complexity of the product
- The D4S projects team members should be a group of people from different backgrounds. The participation of the marketing department is crucial for a DS4 method to work efficiently as the marketing department is critical regarding sharing knowledge on consumer trends and in marketing the product
- Support of the product managers is needed as they are the ones who decide on budgets and product strategies
- Teams should be limited to preferably not more than six people and have decision-making capacity and efficient communication skills to complete the project.