Posts tagged Sustainable Design

Published in 1973 during the energy crisis, economist E.F. Schumacher’s collection of essays “Small is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered” helped established the idea of sustainable design. Thirty-some years later, as another energy crisis looms, the idea is once again gaining steam and being integrated by companies like Sony.Spurred by the population boom and the decrease in available resources, sustainable design is the art of creating products that reduce the use of non-renewable resources and minimize environmental impact. The idea is to find new and unique ways to sustain not only our way of life – but the world itself. By using innovative design elements, sustainable devices substitute less harmful processes for conventional ones.Launched in 2006, the idea behind Sony’s “odo” design concept is to create unique toys that are powered by kinetic energy. While not currently sold on the market, these products are an exercise in thinking creatively about better ways to develop products in the future. The Sony Web site touts that the devices “offer new experiences, a sense of social consciousness and ecological values, and inspiration in forward-looking ways, which enhances their value even… More >>