In a new Tracks course, students redesign everyday products to last longer and be easier to recycle.
What if products didn’t have to become waste? The Tracks course Sustainable design in theory for master’s students zooms in on how to make existing products more sustainable.
Instead of just tweaking the original Ikea speaker they worked with, one team decided to rethink the entire design process. Their solution combines a repairable inner structure with a wooden outer case. The goal was also to create something people want to keep for a longer time.
“In our research we found out that people didn’t feel attached to the speaker. We wanted to change that by making the wooden case completely customizable. It can also be reused in other ways, for example as a bird house,” says Paula Garcia Navarrete who was part of the team.
Study visit to Stena had impact
A visit to Stena recycling showed them how products are handled at the end of their life cycle.
“You have this perfect image of recycling, but in reality it’s more complex and driven by economics.”, says team mate Kaat Sprangers, an Industrial design student.
During that visit, they found out that the original speaker is difficult to disassemble and has little value for the recycling facilities, which shaped the redesign.
“Wood is more valuable than plastic for companies to recycle and it’s also a local material so we wouldn't be relying so much on foreign materials.”, says Kaat.
"A huge learning experience"
For Paula who studies Entreprenurship and business design, the course also helped her find her place in a more engineering-focused environment.
“It was a huge learning experience for me to work with hands-on design. I didn’t have an engineering background and my master’s is more focused on the business side of things. The course helped me understand what goes on behind the scenes''
Working in a team with people from different backgrounds was key to the outcome.
“It brought so many different perspectives working on this project together. That’s what makes the course so valuable. No matter what you study, you feel like you can contribute” says Kaat.
Find out more about the course
Sustainable design in theory and practice: From products to systems
Moving towards a sustainable society is an immensely complex challenge that can often feel overwhelming and difficult to act upon. In this course, students will learn what drives sustainable product development on a societal and systemic level but will also engage personally in a design project to address the sustainability challenges related to consumer products in a local and real-world context.