Sustainable by Design
Explorations in Theory and Practice
By Stuart Walker
'Definitely to be on the booklist of any product design course'
Professor Jack Ingram, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design
Paperback
September 2006 •
256 pages •
234 x 156mm •
ISBN 9781844073535
To advance the subject of design one has to engage in the activity of designing. Sustainable by Design offers a compelling and innovative, design-centred approach that explores both the meaning and practice of sustainable design. Walker explores the design process in the context of sustainability, and challenges conventional ways of defining, designing and producing functional objects. He discusses the personal design process, tacit knowledge, ephemeral design, experimental design, and the relationship between intellectual design criteria, physical expression and aesthetic experience.
This book will introduce vital concepts to students and will inspire designers by providing a well-articulated basis for understanding the complexity and potential of sustainable design, and extolling the contribution of design to the creation of a more meaningful material culture.
'A fascinating book that takes the reader on a journey that is both diverse and full of surprise'
Jonathan Chapman, Senior Lecturer, University of Brighton
'A sensitive, thought-provoking book that explores fresh possibilities.'
Alastair Fuad-Luke, sustainable design facilitator, lecturer, writer and maker
'Sustainable by Design is a key addition to the ... bookshelf'
Martin Charter, Director, The Centre for Sustainable Design, UCCA
'At once inspiring and informative ... It offers designers, students, and practitioners alike a journey into the heart of design through philosophical questioning of place, time, materiality, self, society, and meaning, without sacrificing the practical concerns regarding the transition from models of consumption to sustainability. The sophistication of the exploration cannot be overstated and should be required reading for students of design. Summing Up: Highly recommended.'
Choice
CONTENTS
Introduction
Rethinking Material Culture
Sustainable Development in Context
Design Process and Sustainable Development
Enduring Artefacts and Sustainable Solutions
Reassessing 'Good' Design
Design, Sustainability and the Human Spirit
Fashion and Sustainability
The Application of Theory
Tacit Knowledge in Design
Reframing Design for Sustainability
Time and Design
Creating Objects in a Saturated Culture
Ephemeral Objects for Sustainability
Intellectual and Aesthetic Understandings of Design
Bibliography
Index
Stuart Walker PhD is Professor of Environmental Design and Associate Dean (Research and International) at the post-graduate Faculty of Environmental Design, University of Calgary, Canada. He is also Visiting Professor of Sustainable Design at Kingston University, UK.