During the lectures there were some really interesting examples shown of smart technology used to produce more sustainable goods. The kettle and toothbrush ideas really demonstrated the problems that we face in designing these products, not to mention the wholesale change in attitude required by the consumer to these products.
I decided to look for other examples of attempts to make everyday products more sustainable and energy efficient. The first idea I came across was the Roly Poly Iron. The basic concept is that there is a counter weight mechanism, which allows the iron to roll back up,preventing the iron from being forgotten and burning clothes.
This product is still in development, but I think it would be interesting to also incorporate a switch activated by the counter weight mechanism which would turn off the power automatically when the iron rolls back up. This could possibly save energy. The possibility of using different materials for the heated plate may also be an option for reducing the reliance on stainless steel.
Another concept I came across which I found really interesting and a great example of a Eco-friendly products is the Bamboo speaker. It is a really innovative design, but also one which would appeal to the consumer because of its quirkiness and style. Basically it uses living bamboo plants as the sound box for the speaker, and is housed in a recycled ceramic container which holds the base of the bamboo and also the electrical equipment.
This idea is really quiet simple and with very little environmental impact and it is this type of product that will pave the way for more developments of this kind. It is highly marketable, and is very attractive to the consumer.
Another idea I came across is the idea of a personalised clock. This falls under the category of functionality over asthetic design. Do we need a clock to look nice, or to tell the time? In this example there is no housing to on the clock. It is minimalist in almost every way yet it serves its function, and has very low production cost and very little use of materials compared with our normal idea of a clock.
The challenge with this product however is that people want a clock that fits with the interior design of their homes and this can result in fashion over form being the main reason for the type of clock they buy. This is one of the many problems designers and companies face, it is easy with many products to make them more efficient and from less material. But often consumers will not buy them because they are not fashionable. The electric car is a good example of this attitude.
It is easy to see how many products can be designed to use less material, have lower manufacturing costs and therefore a lower energy impact. The real problem however is that consumers want what is fashionable at the time. Functionality, and lifespan are rarely taken into account, and this is where the real problem lies. The system which is currently operating to provide consumers with there goods is one which uses planned obsolescence and low quality material in goods. It is not profitable for companies to produce high quality, long lasting goods. Until this is addressed then many of these designs will never be as common place as they could be.