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Aesthetic and Sustainability: The Aesthetic Attributes Promoting Product Sustainability
Abstract
Aesthetics are a key-factor in Product Design, and can be discussed from several points of views. This paper looks at sustainability
to summarise relevant matters concerning aesthetics in Sustainable Product Design (SPD) as: general discussions; special aesthetics;
and aesthetic criteria. To illustrate how the products aesthetics can influence their sustainability, it is necessary to take
note of the role of aesthetics in product unsustainability. After reviewing the related references to SPD and its backgrounds
– including Sustainable Development, Green Design, Life Cycle Design and Eco-design – the authors have processed and categorised
the relevant keywords to aesthetics into seven aesthetic attributes through graph theory. These aesthetic attributes, which
are: ‘aesthetic durability’; ‘aesthetic upgrade-ability and modularity’; ‘simplicity and minimalism’; ‘logicality and functionality’;
‘natural forms and materials’; ‘local aesthetic and cultural identity’; and ‘individuality and diversity’, seem effective
for promoting products sustainability.
... SPD represents a critical approach in today's design landscape, aiming to balance aesthetic appeal with environmental responsibility, product functionality, price competitiveness, and social value (Walker, 2011). By incorporating sustainable aesthetics such as natural materials and durability, products can maintain their appeal and functionality over time, aligning with sustainability goals (Zafarmand et al., 2003). However, effective SPD requires navigating the challenge of integrating sustainability concepts early in the design process while balancing functionality and aesthetics. ...
... Innovative and adaptive design solutions are continuously sought to meet environmental objectives and consumer needs. Studies highlight the importance of integrating a sustainability perspective from the early SPD stages, ensuring that products balance immediate use and a sustainable future (Saidani et al., 2023;Zafarmand et al., 2003). ...
... AM processes can be made even more sustainable by incorporating LCA and circular economy indicators, as suggested by Saidani et al. (2023). AM is not only capable of achieving the aesthetic aspects of sustainable product design by integrating natural forms and simplicity, but it is also essential for creating sustainable, functional, and visually appealing products, as emphasized by Zafarmand et al. (2003). Research has shown that AM contributes to sustainable product design in various ways, such as creating lightweight and structurally efficient designs. ...
This research examines how sustainable product design education can address the deficit in green talent. It presents a framework for a structured curriculum in product design, with hands-on activities, industry-specific case studies, and best practices in alternative design development. The impact of technologies like additive manufacturing on design is considered. Findings demonstrate that knowledge of technological capabilities, industry specific understanding, and proficiency in analytical tools such as Life Cycle Assessments contribute to sustainable designs mitigating a green talent gap.
... Some products might gain consumers' short-lived favor but ultimately fail to endure the test of time. Either due to low usage frequency or being phased out by the market in the future, such a situation also represents a form of unsustainability [30,31]. Moreover, it has to fulfill production requirements. ...
Biologically inspired product design (BIPD) inherently encompasses the concept of sustainability. It acquires inspiration from natural organisms, and the references in aspects such as form, structure, and function typically contribute to efficient resource utilization and environmentally friendly coexistence. However, past studies have mainly evaluated from the perspective of designers and researchers, which is relatively subjective. It is difficult to meet the real needs of industry and market. At the same time, the method of establishing indicators is not scientific enough, and the importance of indicators is not ranked. This research integrates the concept of sustainable design into the BIPD evaluation system, comprehensively considering the evaluation indices of different stakeholders such as sustainable designers, industrial designers, and users and decision-makers of design companies. By employing the analytic hierarchy process, a complete and systematic evaluation index model is constructed. This model can comprehensively and accurately screen and evaluate design proposals during the conceptual design stage of BIPD. Through this approach, it effectively averts resource waste caused by incorrect decisions in the production process, optimizes resource allocation, meets user requirements and vigorously promotes the sustainable development of BIPD throughout its entire life cycle.
... circular) materials have also been recently published (Du Bois et al., 2021;Sauerwein et al., 2017). In most of these studies, however, the visual aspect is shown to be preponderant (Zafarmand et al., 2003), likely due to lack of familiarity with the material itself. ...
... Jugong has always been associated with aesthetic appeal through the use of natural materials. From the selection of wood to the manufacturing process, everything embodies local wisdom and cultural values that serve as a guide to the lives of fishermen (Zafarmand, 2003: 2). ...
Jugong is a traditional fishing boat that holds great significance for the fishing community in Karangtalun Village, Cilacap. It is valued for its aesthetic qualities that are expressed through its unique characteristics. This paper explores the functional value of the jugong, the process of its creation by the fishermen, and the artistic expression involved in its design, with the ultimate goal of revealing the aesthetic value of the jugong in general. In order to approach, understand, and reveal the aesthetic values of the jugong, which comes from the village fishermen as cultural actors, this research uses the ethnoart perspective as a method. In order to reveal the functional values, we use functional aesthetic theory as an approach method. In addition, to understand how fishermen create jugong, we use mimetic style theory and the aesthetic theory of expression to reveal the fishermen's attitude and behavior during the process of jugong creation. The study results show that the aesthetic value of the jugong is reflected in the traditions that impose strict rules on the fishermen. The community also appreciates the sensitive attitude of the fishermen towards their cultural products by respecting their identity and pride, which includes their aesthetics.
... Timeless design contributes positively and substantially to product longevity. It has been shown that product longevity is obtained not only by increasing the product physical durability, but also by increasing the emotional and psychological "durability", ensuring a deep and enduring satisfaction during use (Haug, 2018;Van Nes, & Cramer, 2006;Zafarmand, Sugiyama, & Watanabe, 2003). Timeless design is also active in counteracting the tendency of consumers to replace products without thought or guilt only because there is a wide selection of newer (and in many cases cheaper) products (Lobos, 2014). ...
Timeless design emerged recently as an approach to reduce resource consumption and pollution. The objectives of this research were: to verify the interest in timeless design and refurbished products; identification of the term closest to the meaning of timeless; identification of the types of products that can be associated with timeless design; and the correlation between timeless design and human values and goals. The types of products considered were retro, simplistic, exceptional, and trendy. These products were materialized through images of cars, chairs, citrus juicers and radios. The human values studied were nostalgia, materialistic, conspicuous, traditionalist values and Kahle's List of Values (LOV). The considered human goals were those proposed by the Young and Rubicam company. The research results confirmed some findings of other researchers.
... Esta situación se presenta en parte por la aceleración de la dinámica de oferta-demanda de productos de moda dentro de los que se encuentran las prendas de vestir, asociada a modelos comerciales como el Fast Fashion o Moda Rápida. Este busca motivar el consumo a través de la oferta frecuente de las tendencias actuales, con precios bajos, lo que implica producir prendas de menor calidad en términos de materiales y confección, lo que lleva a una esperanza de vida útil más corta (Zafarmand et al., 2003;Cooper, 2010;López, 2012;Goworek et al., 2020;Niinimäki et al., 2020). Esto ha contribuido a que estos artículos sean concebidos como desechables, al ser rápidamente considerados pasados de moda o no atractivos, lo que puede limitar su tiempo de vida y de uso (Lang et al., 2013;Niinimäki & Armstrong, 2013;Armstrong et al., 2016). ...
La extensión de la vida útil o del tiempo de uso de las prendas de vestir es una forma de enfrentar el incremento del impacto ambiental en la industria de la moda, derivado de la aceleración en la demanda y el descarte de los productos. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar las variables involucradas en el desuso prematuro de las prendas de vestir casuales con el fin de ser intervenidas por el diseño a lo largo de sus etapas. Esto, a través de un enfoque cualitativo en el que se aplicaron entrevistas a representantes de empresas y consumidoras de la ciudad de Bucaramanga y su área metropolitana, además de observaciones en los entornos de venta digitales de marcas nacionales. Lo anterior, con el fin de identificar las acciones y declaraciones de las marcas en torno a la durabilidad y su relación con los criterios de compra de las consumidoras, así como las motivaciones para la retención y el descarte de prendas de vestir. Los hallazgos muestran que el foco de los esfuerzos de las marcas se encuentra en la robustez de los materiales y la oferta de prendas atemporales basadas en el minimalismo, el uso de técnicas de producción manuales y artesanales, así como la construcción de una identidad estética de marca reconocible. Por su parte, la comodidad representó el principal criterio de compra, y de decisión de retener o descartar una prenda para las consumidoras, mientras que la calidad o robustez no presentó mayor influencia en estos escenarios. Estos resultados permiten visualizar oportunidades para la innovación mediante la aplicación del diseño, a partir de la empatía con el usuario.
... Para tornar um produto mais atraente, Zafarmand et al. (2003) propõem uma categorização dos atributos estéticos de um produto de design, que é composta por critérios e qualidades estéticas que auxiliam os designers no desenvolvimento de um produto mais sustentável. Os três níveis da estética para a sustentabilidade referem-se à "filosofia e conceitos", ao "contexto e estratégias" e, por fim, aos "elementos estéticos do produto". ...
The objective of this article is to present a qualitative research with documentary analysis of textile material trends for the winter fashion of 2022, in order to elucidate the relationships between sustainable, aesthetic, functional, and symbolic attributes and to draw a parallel between the positive emotions that influence consumers' choice of sustainable fashion artifacts. Furthermore, this study seeks to evaluate consumers' perception of the aesthetic, symbolic, and ecological attributes used in selecting textiles for the creation of sustainable artifacts for contemporary society, even without prior knowledge of fashion. Based on the analyses conducted, this study aims to provide insights for designers to choose materials with lower environmental impact for their collections and thus promote more effective communication with the target audience.
Introduction. 1: The Aesthetic Qualification. 2: Exploring the Economists' Concern with the Arts. 3: Changing the Axioms: between Theory and Meta-Theory. 4: The Demand Side: Aesthetic Information Asymmetry and the Theory of Rational Consumption. 5. The Supply Side: on productivity, Technology and Distribution. 6. Aesthetic 'Certification' and its Strategies. 7: The Aesthetic Stock and its Preservation: Why, What, and for Whom? 8: The Entitlement of Rights: Genuine and Fake. 9: Aesthetic Trade-Off and Information Theory: Some Concluding Remarks.
