Sustainable design
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
by Janine M. Benyus
Innovations, whether in farming, composite science, or computing, are a product of human creativity. Science writer Benyus uses these subjects and others to demonstrate how nature's solutions to situations have been the creative jumping-off points for individuals seeking solutions, developing, or simply revitalizing processes or products. The final chapter tackles industrial ecology. Here, Benyus proposes "ten lessons" that an ecologically astute company, culture, or economy could practice to promote a healthier existence for us all.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
by William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Paper or plastic? Neither, say William McDonough and Michael Braungart. Why settle for the least harmful alternative when we could have something that is better—say, edible grocery bags! In Cradle to Cradle, the authors present a manifesto calling for a new industrial revolution, one that would render both traditional manufacturing and traditional environmentalism obsolete. The authors, an architect and a chemist, want to eliminate the concept of waste altogether, while preserving commerce and allowing for human nature.
The Design of Everyday Things
by Donald A. Norman
Anyone who designs anything to be used by humans—from physical objects to computer programs to conceptual tools—must read this book, and it is an equally tremendous read for anyone who has to use anything created by another human. It could forever change how you experience and interact with your physical surroundings, open your eyes to the perversity of bad design and the desirability of good design, and raise your expectations about how things should be designed.
Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change
by Victor Papanek
Since its first appearance twenty years ago, this book has become a classic. It is one of the world's most widely read books on design. In this revised edition, Victor Papanek examines the attempts by designers to combat the tawdry, the unsafe, the frivolous, the useless product, providing a blueprint for sensible, responsible design in this world deficient in resources and energy.
ecoDesign: The Sourcebook
by Alastari Fuad-Luke
From a solar electric bus to fashions made from recycled inner tubes, EcoDesign: The Sourcebook showcases some of the most innovative, environmentally friendly products and prototypes from around the world. The 700–some designs include furniture, appliances, vehicles and electronics.
Ecological Design
by Sim Van der Ryn and Stuart Cowan
Ecological design intelligence—effective adaptation to and integration with nature's processes—can be applied at all levels of scale, creating revolutionary forms of buildings, landscapes, cities, and technologies. The authors weave together case studies, personal anecdotes, images, and theory to provide a thorough treatment of the concept of ecological design. In the process, they present and explain a series of design principles that can help build a sustainable world with increased efficiency, fewer toxics, less pollution, and healthier natural systems.
The Green Imperative: Ecology and Ethics in Design and Architecture
by Victor Papanek
When designer Papanek lays down precepts for design in the 21st century or questions a professional code of ethics, he is clearly addressing other designers and architects. But when he explains Le Corbusier's "visual accoustics" or the Wiener Werkstatte, it seems safe to assume he envisions a broader audience of consumers who, if made aware of the possibilities, can demand better, more responsible design. As in his Design for the Real World, Papanek derides conspicuous consumption and rapid obsolescence.
The Nature of Design: Ecology, Culture, and Human Intention
by David W. Orr
The environmental movement has often been accused of being overly negative—rying to stop "progress." The Nature of Design, on the other hand, is about starting things, specifically an ecological design revolution that changes how we provide food, shelter, energy, materials, and livelihood, and how we deal with waste. Ecological design is an emerging field that aims to recalibrate what humans do in the world according to how the world works as a biophysical system. Design in this sense is a large concept having to do as much with politics and ethics as with buildings and technology.
Packaging Prototypes 3: Thinking Green (Design Fundamentals)
by Edward Denison, Guang Yu Ren, John Suett (Photographer), Guang Yu Ren
This groundbreaking resource book explains the systems by which improvements can be made in the pre-production, manufacture and distribution of a packaging product—illustrating the results of these improvements with a collection of superb packs, the quality and efficiency of which are enough to encourage any design professional or student to start ‘thinking green’.
The Total Beauty of Sustainable Products
by Edwin Datschefski
Industrial design Pollution, deforestation, species loss, and global warming are all side effects of the industries that provide consumers with the goods on the market today. Meanwhile, discerning designers and green-minded consumers are recognizing that while a product may look beautiful, it can't really become a classic if its manufacture endangers the environment or exploits the workers producing it. The Total Beauty of Sustainable Products reveals which companies are producing goods that achieve "total beauty" products that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but are environment- and worker-friendly as well. This unique guide examines everything from lipsticks to cars, and uses a simple scoring and icon system to assess their "sustainability" in today's marketplace. It also reveals the environmental implications of each stage of the design process.