Supra-functional factors in sustainable products

Creating successful sustainable products is as much about making products that fulfil consumer expectation as well as ensuring that they also fit the criteria of sustainability. Outside the hardcore group of eco-warriors, very few consumers will be persuaded to buy products solely because they are sustainable. There is currently no product label equivalent to organic for food products, which might establish this effect. In mainstream industrial/product design it is now recognised that the most successful products are those that combine good functionality with the effective satisfaction of supra-functional needs, including establishing positive emotional relationships between users and the products that they user and buy. This paper identifies some strategic approaches product design, which can have a significant impact on sustainable product development. These include products which fit a wide variety of user needs more effectively through inclusive design; products designed for repair and refreshment, products customised to fit specific needs; products with long life cycles; retail strategies which maximise the effectiveness of these approaches. Examples will be used to illustrate good practice in these areas with recommendations for design development in the future.