Every aspect of a products life, from manufacturing to disposal, must now be taking into account whilst in the design stage. With pollution and the decline of natural resources, designers must now take a sustainable approach to tackle the problem.
This project was about taking a sustainable material and utilising it to its full potential. EPS (Expanded polystyrene) is commonly used for packaging electrical Goods. The advantages of EPS are its 100% recyclable has good impact and insulation properties. With these advantages it could be used in many areas within the market such as furniture and lighting. My aim was to utilise the advantages of this material and use it in the design of an interactive lighting product. The project was to prove that designers can use un-conventional sustainable materials to produce an attractive, innovative product that will sell and can have a positive effect on the environment.
Right through the design stage the aim was to produce a sustainable product. It wasn’t just about using EPS. Care and thought was put into what light sources would be used, How simple but effective could we design the parts to reduce manufacturing processes, and how easy could we assemble the product in manufacturing and disassemble at the end of its life. Through thorough design development the out come of the project was an interactive, fun, lighting module that boast’s sustainability.
