Topic: Help Students In Industrial Design Choose More Sustainable Materials In the Prototyping Process of Physical Products To Promote Less Waste.
User Goals
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Education on the choice of materials for projects
Education could contribute to a more efficient process and help designers better understand the sensorial characteristics that are linked to technical properties. Additionally, it could promote minimal miscommunication between engineers, designers, and non-technical professions in the product development process, often characterized by multi-disciplinary work.
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Identifying Sustainable Materials/Substitutions
When we looked at various software and technologies industrial design students used, we also found that there was no smooth and straightforward process for them to pick sustainable and environmental materials efficiently. In addition to that, the knowledge of potential sustainable replacements for environmentally harmful products was also missing in these systems. Consequently, the next goal for our users would be to learn about the existence of environmentally friendly materials, as well as potential sustainable substitutions, for their projects.
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Seamless Organization of All Factors Involved in Design
Students and professionals in industrial design need to consider so many different aspects and nuances when designing products. These include aesthetics, ergonomics, materials, manufacturing, costs, modularity, sustainability, safety, and so on. During our research and interviews with various personnel practicing in the field, we also found a need for a consolidated platform that acts as a stats sheet/checklist/portal, which not only focuses on aesthetics and potential materials to use in the process of designing but also takes into account other factors like costs, sustainability, carbon footprint, safety, etc. All the factors can be listed and available for designers to see in one place and easily accessible for use when going through the design process.
User Group Characteristics
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Industrial Design Students
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High Technology Affinity
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Motivation (Appealing to Environmental-Conscious Individuals and Used as a Marketing Trend)
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Budget Conscious
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Active Online
Analysis of Legacy/Existing Systems
CAD Sustainability Plugin Tools
Within an existing SOLIDWORKS project, a designer can utilize the SOLIDWORKS sustainability module to specify the types of materials they may use in the manufacturing process to generate a lifecycle report for the potential product, seen on the right side of the image above. While a useful tool for many scenarios, the problem with this module lies in the fact that one can only compare two different materials. Designers have to utilize trial and error to compare the sustainability results of many different materials to find the best materials to use.
Furthermore, relatively similar in theme but different in function, the ArchiCAD EcoDesigner STAR is add-on software for ArchiCAD that enables architectural designers the ability to assess the energy efficiency and sustainability metrics of their designs to develop more economical buildings. However, this is a tool specifically for architects, as it integrates with ArchiCAD, an architectural software. Therefore, while this tool may not directly pertain to our target users, it is important to note the general strengths and weaknesses of the product, as they will inform our future solutions.
Product Life Cycle Assessment Tool
OpenLCA can be utilized by designers to assess the life cycle impacts of a product or a service. The downside of the tool is that it does not come preloaded with the databases, and many of the available databases are not free to the public, reducing the availability of the product to many consumers. Perhaps more importantly, though, is that the databases are difficult to install and require semi-advanced technical knowledge to manage.
Online Material Databases
These availability issues are a major topic that online material databases seek to mitigate, as they provide users with extensive information on materials within one’s browser. Perhaps the most popular online database, the Material Connexion online material database, is one of the most user-friendly resources for designers to identify proper materials to incorporate into their products. However, Material Connexion relies on unorganized charts to display information. Additionally, one substantial shortcoming of the database is the inability to compare different materials. Users are forced to open separate tabs, rely on their memory, take a picture of the characteristics list, or incorporate an alternatively inconvenient method to compare two types of materials they may want to incorporate into their designs.
The MatWeb Online Materials Database compensates for the previous database’s shortcomings by allowing users to compare the physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of up to six different materials. However, despite the comprehensiveness of the resource, the MatWeb Online Materials Database is incredibly difficult to navigate for the average user, as the interface is outdated and cluttered. Likewise, the advanced search option for the database is limited in comparison to the Material Connexion database, as it does not allow for pertinent filters, such as durability, cost, appearance, and many other factors.