Design in context: sustainability, ergonomics and society
What this domain tests
This domain examines whether you can design for real people and real environmental limits, and justify decisions ethically, not just aesthetically.
Sustainability and ergonomics
- Sustainable design: the 6 Rs - rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle; life-cycle assessment from extraction to disposal; embodied energy; design for disassembly; avoid mixed materials that cannot be separated.
- Circular economy: products designed for repair, remanufacture and material recovery rather than landfill.
- Ergonomics: anthropometrics uses percentile data, usually 5th percentile female to 95th percentile male; design for reach, grip, posture, force and repetitive strain.
- Inclusive design: consider left-handed users, colour vision deficiency, arthritis, children and older people; adjustability often beats a single “average” size.
- Legislation and labelling: CE marking, WEEE for electronic waste, RoHS limits hazardous substances, energy labels.
Worked example
A vegetable peeler handle. Grip diameter is set at 30–35 mm because anthropometric data show this suits the 5th percentile female to 95th percentile male hand; length is 110 mm so the hand does not slip onto the blade. The handle is ambidextrous, so left-handed users are not excluded. Material is recycled PP with a soft TPE grip; the blade is replaceable, so the product can be repaired rather than discarded. The two materials are separable by hand for recycling. The reasoning links each decision to a user or life-cycle criterion.
Traps
- Designing for the “average” person, who matches nobody exactly.
- Claiming a product is sustainable because it contains some recycled material, without life-cycle evidence.
- Ignoring left-handed users or users with limited grip strength.
- Confusing ergonomics (fit to the body) with aesthetics (looks).