How to design

solutions for
sustainability?
April 2012

Strategy Consulting
70 rue Cortambert - 75116 Paris
+33 1 56 91 20 34
[email protected]
[email protected]
Designing solutions
for sustainability

1 IS IT TIME TO RETHINK YOUR STRATEGY?

2 HOW TO DESIGN AND ORGANIZE THE CHANGE?

3 ILLUSTRATIONS: SOME ECO-DESIGN TRENDS

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 2

Is it time to rethink your strategy?

1.1 DESIGNING STRATEGIES IN A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT

1.2 WHY RETHINKING STRATEGIES?

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 3

“ Take, make, waste ”…
our current industrial system

1 2 3 4 5

CONCEPTION PRODUCTION RETAILING CONSUMPTION DISPOSAL?

Designing the Production of the Transportation, Consumer purchase What about the end
characteristics and product or service in Packaging, Consumption of the of life of a product?
the patterns of the high scales Marketing, product or services
product Communication

 Engineers  Project manager  Marketers  Purchasers Who

 Design team  Workers  Commercials  Consumers should handle the;
 Desk of study/Lab  Office clerks  Logistics product’s disposal?

ORGANIZATION IN SILO:
PRODUCTS ARE CONCEIVED WITHOUT ANY ATTENTION TO THE DEMANDS AT STAKE

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 4

…how to deal with
this complex world?
ENDANGERED
BIODIVERSITY

COMPLIANCE RAW MATERIALS DEPLETION

& REGULATIONS & PRICE VOLATILITY

STRATEGY
ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGETIC
DESIGN
IMPACTS CONSUMPTION
PROCESS

CONSUMERS’ ONG
EXPECTATIONS CAMPAIGNS

HEALTH
DAMAGES

ENVIRONMENT GROWS AT A COMPLEX LEVEL

HOW TO COPE WITH THE RAISE OF FACTORS OF CHANGE?

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 5

Focus 1:
Endangered biodiversity

THE EARTH HAS LOST

30%
OF IT NATURAL RESOURCES
IN 30 YEARS

LIVING RESOURCES DECLINED

FROM 40%
BETWEEN 1970 AND 2000

Source: Good planet

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 6

Focus 2: (1/2)
Raw material depletion

1
TEE-SHIRT IN COTTON =

10 000
LITERS OF WATER

COTTON PRODUCTION:

FROM 6 MILLIONS TONES

TO 26 MILLIONS TONES

IN 50 YEARS

Source: International Trade center

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 7

Focus 2: (2/2)
Raw material depletion

COPPER PRODUCTION:

15,6
MILLION
TONES PER YEAR

IN 2008

31 YEARS
OF COPPER STOCK REMAINING.

RECYCLED COPPER : 37%

Source: USGS & European Copper Institute

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 8

Focus 3:
Energetic consumption

95%
OF THE ENERGY CONSUMED IS NOT
RENEWABLE

53%
REFERS TO THE RAISE OF
THE ENERGETIC DEMAND IN 2030

Source: Goodplanet.com

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 9

Focus 4:
ONG Campaigns

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 10

Focus 5:
Health damages

THE INDOOR AIR IS

TWICE TO FIVE TIMES
MORE POLLUTED
THAN THE OUTDOOR

THE INDOOR POLLUTION INDUCE

30 000
PREMATURE DEATHS PER YEAR

Source: Goodplanet.com

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 11

Focus 6:
Consumers’ expectations

3/4
AMONG FRENCH PEOPLE REGARDS
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS A
NECESSITY

IN 2010,

60%
DECLARE HAVING CHANGE THEIR
BEHAVIOR IN PURCHASING IN FAVOR OF
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS

Source: Ethicity « Les Français et la consommation responsable, le retour du vivant! »

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 12

Focus 7:
Environmental Impacts

55%
OF THE GROUND WATERS ARE
POLLUTED BY MORE THAN

700
SUBSTANCES.

15 40% TO

OF PLANTATION WOULD HAVE DISAPPEARED

IN 100 YEARS.

THEY REPRESENT 50%

OF OUR MEDICATION.

Source: Goodplanet.com

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 13

Focus 8:
Compliance and regulation

1991 2011

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 14

From words to action… it’s time!

“WE HEARD THE STRONG

NOISE OF A DESTROYED

TREE, BUT WE DON’T LISTEN

TO THE TREES GROWING”

Mahatma GANDHI

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 15

Is it time to rethink your strategy?

1.1 DESIGNING STRATEGIES IN A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT

1.2 WHY RETHINKING STRATEGIES?

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 16

The “3 R approach”:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

We use In a As
too many finite world raw materials
materials we have to are becoming
and energy. get used scarce, we have to
We have to recover avoid waste,
to slow second-hand and recycle
down products materials

“ WE NEED TO USE LESS, TO MAKE MORE ”

JASON CLAY, WWF EXPERT

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 17

…But “ Less bad is not good ” *

RESOURCES’ SAVINGS GAINS ARE FAR BEHIND NECESSARY EXTRACTION GROWTH…

…AND DO NOT OFFSET POTENTIAL DEMAND OF A FAST GROWING GLOBAL POPULATION

200
GDP
175 Population
Ressource extraction
Ressource intensity
150

125 +50%
100

-30%
75

50

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

*M. Braungart and W. McDonough, Cradle to Cradle

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 18

Reduce is not enough…

Source: Pôle eco-conception, St Etienne

HOW REDUCING IN ONE PLACE… …WITHOUT RAISING IN ANOTHER?

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 19

Reuse is not enough…

CAMPER WABI

IS REUSE APPEALING FOR THE USERS?

LESS BAD IS NO GOOD!

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 20

Recycle is not enough…

RECYCLE
GOODS

LOST VALUE + LOST MATERIALS + CONTAMINATION

Hybrid product with Material reduce Mixture of amorphous
material of lower quality over time and cheap materials

DOWN RECYCLING
Recycled products contained more polluted materials
than a virgin one

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 21

“ We need to trash the system,
or crash the planet ”*

WE NEED TO RETHINK
THE WHOLE PROCESS

“WE CAN'T SOLVE A “The (re)design of products,

processes, services or systems to
PROBLEM BY USING THE SAME tackle imbalances between the
demands of society, the
KIND OF THINKING WE USED environment and the economy
requires the holistic consideration
WHEN WE CREATED THEM” of the impacts of products /
services in these 3 areas, now and
in the future.”
Source: Recycle, a catalyst for change
Albert Einstein

*T. Jackson, Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 22

What do we want?

EFFICIENT

AFFORDABLE AFFORD
SAFE
ABLE

PRODUCTS
DESIGNED & SOCIAL
SERVICES

ESTHETIC WORTHY

RENEWABLE

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 23

Key questions
to rethink the entire process

 HOW TO CONCEIVE A PRODUCT/SERVICE WITH ZERO IMPACT?

 HOW TO BEGIN ? BY WHICH PART?

 WHAT ARE THE TOOLS AND PATTERNS TO CREATE?

 HOW TO DESIGN AND ORGANIZE THE CHANGE?

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 24

Designing solutions
for sustainability

1 IS IT TIME TO RETHINK YOUR STRATEGY?

2 HOW TO DESIGN AND ORGANIZE THE CHANGE?

3 ILLUSTRATIONS: SOME ECO-DESIGN TRENDS

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 25

What is a Sustainable Strategy?

1. A NEW WAY OF THINKING

AND

2. A NEW WAY OF DESIGNING

AND

3. A NEW WAY OF DOING

AND

4. A NEW WAY OF MANAGING

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 26

A new way of thinking

 Life cycle thinking

1. A NEW WAY OF THINKING  Closed-loop industrial cycle
 Up-cycling

AND

2. A NEW WAY OF DESIGNING

AND

3. A NEW WAY OF DOING

AND

4. A NEW WAY OF MANAGING

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 27

Why do we need
a new way of thinking ?

80%
OF A PRODUCT'S
ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE
IS FIXED UNDER CONCEPT
CREATION IN PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT

. Source : Technical University of Denmark, Tim McAloone

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 28

Life-cycle thinking

BIOLOGICAL CYCLE TECHNICAL CYCLE

“ CRADLE TO CRADLE IS A LAW OF RETURN

BUT WITH MATERIALS RATHER THAN FOOD-CROPS ” Source: Cradle to cradle,
W. Mc Donough & M. Braungart

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 29

From linear to cycle process…
1
CONCEPTION

2 DESIGN

PRODUCTION

3
RETAILING

4 REUSE REALIZE

CONSUMPTION

5
DISPOSAL?
DISASSEMBLY

FROM CRADLE-TO-GRAVE… …TO CRADLE-TO-CRADLE

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 30

 Up-cycling:
The closed-loop industrial cycle
 Choice of the materials
DESIGN  Life Cycle Assessment
ELABORATION  Taking account of the
future disassembly

 New design with  New tools

the same PRODUCT  Evaluation
materials
REUSE throughout the
REALIZATION
 Product service realization
 No waste, no use
of new resources

 Salvage of the
products
 Separation of the
DISASSEMBLY
materials according
to their life cycle

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 31

Up-cycling:
The infinite process
One ecosystem where waste Products are meant to be
doesn’t exist because we work disassembled : it demands
with the entire system. another design process where
recycling is taken into account
from the conception.

To make research about

The complexity of the system
materials: which ones can be
constitutes its ability to adapt
reuse infinitely , how to reuse
to any kind of change
them, in which assembly?

An infinite process: an infinite The product process can be

possibility of reuse of the transformed into a service
materials. process

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 32

The key moment: Conception

MAPPING OF THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE FOR A SCAFFOLD.

POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES ARE INDICATED IN RED

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 33

The choice of the right materials

MATERIALS AS NUTRIENTS “MATERIALS HEALTH” MATERIALS AS REUTILIZATION

Assess existing materials & process Identify the chemical composition of the Create a plan to develop systems to
chemicals for their human & materials that make up the product. recover used products and safety
environmental health attributes They are ranked on a scale: continuously cycle materials nutrients
 Unmarketable (red)
 Gray
 Positive list

AT THE UP-CYCLING BASIS:

THE CHOICE TO RETAIN HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 34

Up-cycling:
Nike example

PERFORMANCE + INNOVATION + SUSTAINABILITY

“For Nike, the first step toward

“closed loop” manufacturing is
the Considered Index.
To create the Index, we
measured our environmental
footprint across all processes –
from product brief through final
production – and identified the
areas where changes would
most greatly impact our overall
environ-mental footprint:
Materials, Waste, Solvent Use
and Innovation.”

THE NIKE TEAM

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 35

Up-cycling:
Shaw example

Shaw developed commercial carpet tiles

that do not contain PVC and can be
separated into components materials &
fully recycled again and again

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 36

A new way of designing

1. A NEW WAY OF THINKING

AND
 Product Improvement
2. A NEW WAY OF DESIGNING  Product Redesign
 Function innovation
 System innovation
AND

3. A NEW WAY OF DOING

AND

4. A NEW WAY OF MANAGING

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 37

The 4 levels

HOW TO ECO-DESIGN A WHOLE SYSTEM?

Source: Recycle, a catalyst for change, Sustainable Design Technology

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 38

Level 1:
Product improvement

WHAT IS DONE? BENEFITS

 Evaluation of the product through each step of the process  Assessment of the product
 Improvement of one or several characteristics in order to reduce the  Consciousness of the black holes
product’s impact through its production, distribution or consumption  First improvements
 Reduce costs

SHORTFALLS
 Still with the same frame of conception
and production
 Local improvement
 Be careful with the effects of “REDUCE”
 Be careful to the greenwashing!

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 39

Level 2:
Product redesign

WHAT IS DONE? BENEFITS

 Rethinking all parts of the products  Local production
 Materials assessment  Renewable & safe materials
 Re-evaluation of the product characteristics  Transparency of the fabrication
 Conception of a product according safe and sustainable indicators  Facility of transportation

The new W+W is the sum of

indispensable elements for
saving both water and space
because its renovation system
filters the wastewater from the
basin and reuses it in the
discharge of the cistern.

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 40

Level 3:
Function Innovation

WHAT IS DONE? A PRODUCT AS AN ECOSYSTEM

 Rethink the use and purpose of the product  To take into account the interaction with
the user
 Integrate user centered approach
 To develop a set of relations between the
 Think about new uses to develop new functionalities
functions of the products
 Consider the product as an ecosystem
 To link the product with the services
matching

Eco-system prototype
featuring an impressive
level of interconnectivity
between different
appliances, the beautiful
& futuristic kitchen
creates an efficient
workspace that saves
energy, resources &
time.

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 41

Level 4:
System Innovation

WHAT IS DONE? WHAT KIND OF SYSTEM?

 Rethink the business models  Sharing
 Substituting the supply of material goods with a service offer  Community
 “With Product Service System, industry sells more than added value.  Loan
Turnover is directly related to the intensity of use by the client rather  Exchange
than actual possession.”D. Brissaud, INP Grenoble
 Network relationship

Michelin fleet rents

tires to trucks in the
USA.

“For the customer, the

notion of definitive,
absolute ownership
lost, its meaning in
favor of the more
responsive notion of
usage.”

D.How
Brissaud, INP
to design Grenoble
solutions for sustainability ? 42
A new way of designing

1. A NEW WAY OF THINKING

AND

2. A NEW WAY OF DESIGNING

AND
 Engineer thinking vs Design Thinking
 Cross Pollination
3. A NEW WAY OF DOING  Concurrent Engineering
 Deep Collaboration
AND

4. A NEW WAY OF MANAGING

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 43

Two ways of doing:
Engineer vs designer?

LANGUAGE GAP
BETWEEN
TOOLS AND
DESIGNERS

ECO-CONCEPTION ECO-DESIGN
ENGINEER LANGUAGE, CONCEPTUAL & STRATEGIC
SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND CREATIVITY &INNOVATION
LIFE ANALYSIS TOOL DESIGN THINKING TOOL

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 44

Engineer tool:
Life cycle analysis
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS (LCA):
An analytical tool designed to quantify the ecological impacts or sustainability
performance of a system, to account for all the inputs (energy, chemicals, raw
materials…) and outputs of a system (air, water, land polluting…) presented in
its raw form, substantial amount of detailed information that is not easily
interpreted or comparable.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
 Useful for  LCA takes 6 months to be
benchmarking, rapid made and is pretty
testing assumptions expensive
 Useful for comparing  Collecting environmental
different products, information throughout the
processes, industries. product life cycle can be
difficult & interpreting
results is an art.

Source: Pôle eco-conception, St Etienne

LCA IS A USEFUL TOOLS FOR ASSESSING AND MEASURE

BUT DOESN’T FIT FOR THE CREATION OR THE CONCEPTION OF A PRODUCT

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 45

 Life cycle analysis
By Nike
The Considered index is a Nike defines Environmentally
system-integrated, online tool preferred materials (EPMs) as
for evaluating the predicted materials that have significant lower
environmental footprint of a impact on the environment in one or
product prior to commer- more categories of chemistry,
cialization. energy, water or waste.

To define Nike EPMs and

The Index metrics are based quantitatively evaluate and
on more than a decade of rank our material choices, Nike
collecting solid waste and Develops a Material Analysis
solvent use data in footwear. Tool (MAT).Each material is
assigned a numeric value that
translates into a sustainability
score for their products.

Nike develops and releases Nike

Products are assigned a Considered Suppliers 'Guide to
“Considered” score based environmentally preferred materials”
on Nike’s assessed that guides suppliers’ research and
footprint. development effort for Nike EPMs.

“THE INDEX IS A PRODUCT CREATION TOOL,

ALLOWING NIKE TEAM TO FOCUS ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY” *
* Nike Corporate responsibility report
How to design solutions for sustainability ? 46
Designer tool:
Design thinking

TO INSERT THE PRODUCT INTO ITS ENVIRONMENT

TO CONNECT THE PRODUCT TO THE GLOBAL NETWORK

TO INSERT THE PLACE OF THE USER INTO THE PRODUCT, INTERACTIVITY

DESIGN
IS… TO THINK ABOUT AN SCALABLE AND UPGRADABLE PRODUCT

TO SOLVE COMPLEXITY INTO SIMPLE INTERFACES

TO DETERMINE THE FITTEST TECHNOLOGY WITH THE RIGHT MATERIALS

DESIGN THINKING IS NECESSARY TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF THE 3 R

AND BRING DISRUPTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 47

Design thinking
by Frog design

BLINK, A ELECTRIC-VEHICLE CHARGING STATION

BY FROG DESIGN

SMART FRIENDLY
& CONNECTED & FAMILIAR

At the heart of the project,

 A collaboration with ECOtality,
CONVENIENT  A deep understanding of the users
 And the technical knowledge of
INTERACTIVE
& ADAPTABLE
the Electric vehicles

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 48

Breaking dualism:
Iterative Thinking

SOCIAL, TECHNICAL,
MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALISTS
ISSUES
INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS
STRATEGISTS

FACTORY MANAGERS
NOT A SEQUENTIAL PROCESS
…
BUT AN ITERATIVE ONE

LCA + DESIGN THINKING

DESIGN THE BEST SOLUTION

FOR EACH CASE

& CONCEIVE THE FITTEST

TOOLS TO DEAL WITH IT

SOLUTIONS AND APPROACHES ARE CUSTOM-MADE

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 49

Breaking dualism:
Designing the cognitive process

VARIOUS METHODS… …ONE FOCUS

CROSS POLLINATION INNOVATION

Teams with different backgrounds and specialties
work around a same issue. A design leader
operates some iterations to cross their different
works.

CONCURRENT ENGINEERING
The leader launch a set of similar teams to settle a same
issue. The result is a syncretism of the best ideas found
in the different teams.

DEEP COLLABORATION
A team made from different specialists goes deep in
the problem with the more iterations they can, to co-
create a final product.

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 50

What tools for what solution?

Design thinking
Life cycle
Materials analysis
….

? ? ? ?
1 2 3 4
PRODUCT PRODUCT FUNCTION SYSTEM
IMPROVEMENT REDESIGN INNOVATION INNOVATION

WHAT TOOLS FOR EACH ECO-DESIGN STEPS ?

DIFFERENT APPROACHES AND SCENARIOS ARE IMAGINABLE…

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 51

What tools for what solution?
Step 1

STEPS APPROACH EXAMPLE

1 LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS :

 Foot print assess
PRODUCT
 Reduction of energy waste
IMPROVEMENT  Materials analysis

2
PRODUCT DESIGN PRODUCT
REDESIGN

3
FUNCTION HOLISTIC PRODUCT DESIGN
INNOVATION

4
SYSTEM ECOSYSTEM STRATEGY
INNOVATION

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 52

What tools for what solution?
Step 2

STEPS APPROACH EXAMPLE

1
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS :
IMPROVEMENT

DESIGN PRODUCT
2  Design the product’s end at the conception
PRODUCT  Choice of natural or law-impact materials
REDESIGN  Life cycle of each materials and reuse
process
 Esthetics and uses consideration

3
FUNCTION HOLISTIC PRODUCT DESIGN
INNOVATION

4
SYSTEM ECOSYSTEM STRATEGY
INNOVATION

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 53

What tools for what solution?
Step 3

STEPS APPROACH EXAMPLE

1
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS :
IMPROVEMENT

2
PRODUCT DESIGN PRODUCT
REDESIGN

HOLISTIC PRODUCT DESIGN

3  Design thinking for conceiving and
FUNCTION upgradable product
 Iteration to connect uses and
INNOVATION
functionalities
 Technologies innovation

4
SYSTEM ECOSYSTEM STRATEGY
INNOVATION

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 54

What tools for what solution?
Step 4

STEPS APPROACH EXAMPLE

1
PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS :
IMPROVEMENT

2
PRODUCT DESIGN PRODUCT
REDESIGN

3
FUNCTION HOLISTIC PRODUCT DESIGN
INNOVATION

ECOSYSTEM STRATEGY MICHELLE KAUFMANN

4
 From one house to an area
SYSTEM  Enlargement of the “conceiving team” with
INNOVATION urbanites and politic people
 New technologic to connect the house,

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 55

A new way of designing

1. A NEW WAY OF THINKING

AND

2. A NEW WAY OF DESIGNING

AND

3. A NEW WAY OF DOING

AND
 Engineer thinking vs Design Thinking
 Cross Pollination
4. A NEW WAY OF MANAGING  Concurrent Engineering
 Deep Collaboration

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 56

Why changing?

REACTIVE POSITION PROACTIVE POSITION

 For complying the laws, regulations  Because you have a vision

norms
 Because you want to seduce actual
 For cutting costs non-consumers

 For differentiate from the sector  Because you long for innovations
competitors
 Because you are looking for
 For adapting the consumers sustainable growth
demands and wills
 Because you want to increase the
firm’s and brand’s immaterial values

GET THE WAVE OF CHANGE BEFORE IT BECOMES A CONSTRAINT

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 57

The eco-conception benefits

SHORT TERM LONG TERM

BENEFITS BENEFITS

 Reduces environmental impact of  Increases innovation

products
 Develops a greater ability to compete,
 Optimizes raw material
consumption and energy use  Improves cost-effectiveness

 Improves waste management  Reduces environmental impacts and

liability
 Encourages good design and drives
innovation  Gains a system perspective

 Cuts costs  Improves supply chain

 Increases product marketability  Increases the immaterial assets

ECO-CONCEPTION INSURES FIRM’S DURABILITY

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 58

Change resistance(s)

STRUCTURAL INDIVIDUAL
BARRIERS BARRIERS

 How to change the culture and  Risk avoidance

organization of an established firm?
How to manage change?  Lack of vision

 How to assess risks & impacts?  Change apprehension

 How to insure short-term results in a  Reality distortion

long-term strategy?
 Lack of incentive
 Lack of available information

 Strategy perceived as extra costs in

time & money

ORGANIZATION FREEZES AT VARIOUS LEVELS

HOW TO RAISE THESE LOCKS AND OBSTACLES?

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 59

Strategic stages

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION &

STEPS APPROACH
STAGES EXAMPLES

1 MEASURES &
PRODUCT
LIFE CYCLE “BE SILENT!” Most
1 COSTS REDUCTION, Greenwashing risk Companies
ANALYSIS
IMPROVEMENT COMPLIANCE

“BE MODEST!”
2 Risk of Greenwashing
CONSUMER TARGET
PRODUCT DESIGN PRODUCT 2 for the brand
SEGMENTATION Product and
REDESIGN
communication focus

3 “SHARE!”
HOLISTIC PRODUCT
FUNCTION Corporate brand
DESIGN communication
INNOVATION
LONG-TERM STRATEGY
3
OR “PURE PLAYER”
4 “COMMUNITIES”
ECOSYSTEM
SYSTEM Corporate and brand
STRATEGY communication
INNOVATION

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 60

Designing solutions
for sustainability

1 IS IT TIME TO RETHINK YOUR STRATEGY?

2 HOW TO DESIGN AND ORGANIZE THE CHANGE?

3 ILLUSTRATIONS: SOME ECO-DESIGN TRENDS

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 61

Biomimicry

“Orgatonics” combine traducers and microcontrollers

with organic materials to make digital/natural hybrids
By Baptiste Labrune for Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 62

Modular

“Spring lamp design” was inspired by fresh growth of plants and

allows for multiple configurations using the modular components
By Victor Vatterlein

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 63

Multifunctional

“Ori.Tami” wais an example of how design becomes “eco” when it creates

versatile and multifunctional objects, even with non-sustainable materials.
By Giulio Manzoni for Campeggi

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 64

Upgradable

Alt Meta It is a new eco-designed computer easy to disassemble and

then easy to repair.
By Alt Meta It.

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 65

Reusable

Pi-Pan is a new eco-designed box for pizza which is reusable a

thousand times…
By Pi-Pan

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 66

Materials innovative

Made with the foam extracted from potato starch, not only is the chair completely biodegradable
but also, in theory, edible. As it solidifies, the strings of starch create a rigid sculpture.
By Max Lamb - Starch Chair

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 67

Convergence

“Iphone” gathers multiple functionalities in a simple interface.

It limits the use of other products or apparel
By Apple.

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 68

Lighten design

“Modular cross unit” is a bookshelves made of white lacquered steel

whose slimless and transparency lighten the space.
By Philippe Nigro for Sintesi.

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 69

Mono-Materialistic

“Gio chair ” is made from a singular material,

leather or fabric
By Claudio Bellini

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 70

Nudge

“Poor little fish” is quite a simple concept making us visualize our

immediate water consumption when we wash our hands
By Yan lu

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 71

Transparent

“Second life mobile ” uses very little energy

and degree of transparency shows how much battery is remaining
By …

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 72

Techno/ecologically

Czeers is a speedboat for racing powered by solar energy. Its

surface is entirely covered by photovoltaic panels.
By David Czap and Nils Beers

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 73

Zero emissions

GreenKitchen - Everything that is expelled from one unit gets filtered and sanitized so
it can be used by another unit, which translates into energy savings of up to 70%.
By Whirlpool

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 74

Do It Yourself

“Sac à faire” is a veritable craft kit for making bags that consists of
just one diagram and ten patterns
By Marlne Liska

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 75

So…

… HOW TO DESIGN
THE NEXT SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS ?

How to design solutions for sustainability ? 76

Who are we?

Helixa is a strategy consulting boutique working in the field of disruptive strategies and their
implementation. Set up in 2007 by two partners who were convinced that strategies needed to be
designed differently, Helixa works alongside company managers to invent new solutions, enabling firms to
decide upon and reach the right targets.

Isabelle Thomas
GEORGE VILLENEUVE

Before setting up Helixa, Isabelle worked for more than Thomas worked for close on ten years in the retail and
twenty years in the strategic planning departments of a internet sectors of big French and international groups like
variety of big French and international groups, such as BP, PPR, Fnac, Amazon. He has held a succession of positions,
Henkel, FNAC and PPR. She was notably the manager of namely category manager, business development manager
the strategic planning and development departments of PPR and strategic planning project manager. He notably took part
and Fnac. in the setting up and implementation of the internet strategy
Since1999, she has been an advisor to the leaders of major of the luxury goods firms within the PPR group. As a category
companies, holding groups and trusts – as well as to small manager, he was in charge of e-commerce business units
start-ups – in matters of strategic planning, new technologies with a turnover of more than €50 M and was involved in
and sustainable development. piloting annual growth rates of + 50%. Thomas is an alumni
Isabelle has an engineering diploma in material physics from of ESSEC, where he gained a MBA in Strategic planning and
the National Institute for Applied Sciences of Lyon and has Innovation, and of the IESE Business School (Internet & New
also mastered in strategic planning. Technologies).
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www.helixa.com

www.helixa.com/blog

www.slideshare.net/isabellegeorge

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FOR MORE INFORMATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT US:

ISABELLE GEORGE THOMAS VILLENEUVE
[email protected] [email protected]
(+33)6 62 92 05 59 (+33)6 20 54 36 86

Strategy Consulting
70 rue Cortambert - 75116 Paris
+33 1 56 91 20 34
[email protected]
[email protected]