Please describe a domain or an area of opportunity that you’d like to use as the focus for the design of a PRODUCT that supports or promotes sustainable behaviors and practices for INDIVIDUALS in day-to-day use.
For this first design project, focus your thinking on:
- a PRODUCT -- something physical that can be manufactured, distributed, purchased, and potentially held in your hand or carried with you.
Please share your initial thoughts in a few paragraphs below…
The domain that I’d like to focus on is….
The world of electronics - devices, cables and wires, equipment - and how to extend their lives or increase recycling/reuse
This area is important/interesting to me because….
40 million tons of electronic waste is thrown out every year; the materials used comprise rare and high impact minerals and metals and if more can be done to recover/reuse/extend their lives, there is a substantive impact on sustainability and the environment.
Colin’s Comment: Is this connected to something you observed since our class meeting? Remember the Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? I mentioned in class? In Y2E2, there are electronics recycling bins but I feel it more of an “out of sight, out of mind” process as opposed to a motivated process. What I particularly like about this domain is that is very shareable and so ready for design thinking.
It was a conversation at home with my wife and son; we were commenting on how much electronic equipment (printers, monitors, etc) we had in our storage room that wasn’t being used.
Who: any individual, family, organization that has electronic devices in their midst
What: how to better use/reuse/recycle electronic materials
Why: 40 million tons of electronic waste is thrown out every year; the materials used comprise rare and high impact minerals and metals and if more can be done to recover/reuse/extend their lives, there is a substantive impact on sustainability and the environment.
Where: opportunity is global but can start with homes/individuals - TBD
When: now :)
How: ah that’s the big question!