Why Sustainable Design?

Article by Rod Mackay updated July 5, 2010

Article

Worldwide awareness of environmental issues has never been more acute. Consumers are increasingly considering the environmental impact of products they buy. They’re not just looking at recyclability. They want to know about materials used and how the product was made. Manufacturers, in turn, are trying to respond to that growing demand.

What it means to you

As an engineer or product designer, you have the power to dramatically alter how we interact with our environment. The question is how. Many designers don’t know about the life cycle assessment (LCA) process or how it could guide them to more sustainable designs. Others may think the process is too complex and time-consuming, or is someone else’s responsibility. Learning about designing for the environment now will put you ahead of the curve.

What it means to your company

As a manufacturer, you have no choice but to address market changes. SolidWorks Sustainability is a tool that can help you stay profitable as consumers increasingly choose sustainably designed products. Using LCA information early in your design process will save your company time and money by avoiding surprising sustainability assessments and costly redesigns later. As a matter of global corporate citizenship, sustainable design means making decisions to ensure future environmental stability.

What are we doing to help you?

In addition to providing customers with SolidWorks Sustainability software, Javelin is currently working with Joseph Vera, an Environmental & Energy Specialist,  to develop Sustainable Design Training Courses, Webinars, and Online Content to help our customers become more environmentally friendly designers.

Joseph Vera is a Professional Engineer with over 10 years experience in Product Development and Design. He is currently finishing a Masters in Engineering and Public Policy. His research specializes in Ecodesign, Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Industrial Ecology, Green Engineering, and Sustainable Manufacturing Processes. Joseph’s professional goal, as an Environmental & Energy Specialist, is to help businesses adopt green practices in order to gain a competitive advantage.

Hear what Joseph has to say about sustainable design and how it will effect your business and customers. Click here to learn more about Joseph Vera.

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Rod Mackay

Rod has been using 3D CAD software for over 25 years and has trained thousands of designers to use their CAD systems more effectively. Rod is the Javelin Webmaster and is based in Ottawa, ON., Canada.