Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Product Design

‘Brimming with intelligent viewpoints, critical propositions, practical examples and rich theoretical analyses, this book provides an essential point of reference for scholars and practitioners at the intersection of product design and sustainability.’ -John Thackara, founder, Doors of Perception

'To profoundly understand something, you need to study it from all possible angles. This impressive volume does exactly this. With contributions by leading scholars from a diverse range of backgrounds, it brings us the multidisciplinary perspective on sustainable product design that designers, academics, and – ultimately – the world so desperately need.' - Paul Hekkert, Professor, Department of Industrial Design, Delft University of Technology

'The case against mindless design has never been made more effectively. Chapman brings together an amazing assembly of contemporary design researchers to discuss one of our greatest challenges: making the world safe for future inhabitants. Whatever you are designing, you may want to keep this book close to remind you of all the exciting new possibilities for sustainable design.' - Dr. Conny Bakker, Associate Professor, Design for Sustainability / Circular Product Design, TU Delft

‘Product design is at a crossroads with product designers now a fractured constituency. The difference can be viewed in three ways: retaining the historically established focus on the object, be it so often bonded to the unsustainable; redeeming the object by attempting to make it ‘sustainable’; or lastly, abandoning, eliminating or dematerialising it. This collection of essays gives the discerning reader the opportunity to make an informed decision on the most appropriate path design and designing should take.’ - Professor Tony Fry, Director, Studio at the Edge of the World

‘An utmost intriguing and extensive multi-angled journey through the constructed world we live in. Design lies at the core of the errors in our system and can only be solved by rethinking it all from the start. This handbook makes clear how we can realise this necessary transformation towards intelligent products with healthy upcyclable materials. When we understand where we come from and are aware of the beneficial alternatives for today’s tomorrow, we can define our future positively.’ - Michael Braungart, CEO EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung, Co-founder Cradle to Cradle

'Chapman offers an authoritative view on sustainable product design through the collective understanding of key protagonists in the field. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don’t, but the breadth of writing and analysis of key concerns frames the social and ecological agency of design and its role in our material future. It will become essential reading for anyone working in product design and its associated practices.' - Dr Matt Malpass, University of the Arts London: Central Saint Martins

'Drawing from his experience exploring our emotional relationship with objects, Jonathan Chapman gathers and frames a vital and plural collection of texts on sustainability from the key thinkers in the field. Chapman and his co-authors ably illustrate that the problem is a political one, confounded by our conflicting notions of progress, and reliant upon the psychological frailties of consumer behavior and the appetite for organizational change.' - Tim Parsons, Chair of Designed Objects Programs, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago