Generate, follow, capitalise knowledge transformation occurring between product designers and environmental experts activities

The growing demand for environmentally friendly products has been one of the key issues of this decade. Industries have started to investigate possible approaches and tools in order to minimize the impacts of their products and the services they are providing.
Ecodesign tools are a promising environmental design approach, they are evolving rapidly and utilising a diverse amount of data.
Yet, there is still a lack of clarity of how environmental engineers can effectively integrate this data with current design tools and make it accessible for product designers.
This research work proposes a methodology that builds a dynamic information exchange system between environmental experts and product designers, in order to incorporate environmental aspects into the design process.
This methodology will be based on a case study that integrates and implements an information model to harmonise technological, knowledge management, and sustainability expertise with the goal of supporting a more Design to Environment (DtE) practice.

Mots clés: : Sustainable design, Integrated design; Process Modeling, Information Systems, Environmental Expertise.

Doctorant : Moussa HAMZEH
Université Grenoble-Alpes, 2016
Directeur de thèse: Andreas RIEL
Supervisor: Maud RIO

partenaires:
      

Integration of the environmental parameters in the design process;

• Which information model systems to support Design to Environment practices?
• How to integrate these systems and at what stage of the lifecycle are they going to be introduced?
• Would it be possible to integrate the environmental data directly in the designing tools?
  

1. Specify and define the problematic (Challenges facing the emergence of ecodesigned products);
2. Gather background information on existing approaches (e.g. Information Systems, eco-design tools, etc.);
3. Collect the constraints and the limitations that hinder the integration of the environmental practices in the design process of the product;
4. Prepare the state of art;
5. Establish Hypothesis/Objectives, e.g.:

• Introduce an information model on operational level that supports the DtE practices,
• Build a dynamic information system that supports the management, and the capitalisation of knowledge exchange between environmental experts and designers activities;
• Investigate the possibility of integrating the environmental aspect directly in the design tools;
• Develop an approach (Model, Method, System or a Tool) that supports the integration of environmental practices in the design process in industry.

6. The method will be constructed on at least two different industrial case studies to offer a scientific research design context of high quality;
7. The validation of the method proposed will involve the development of an industrial demonstrator combining mock-ups and prototypes.

A specific method will be proposed and established to support the DtE practices.

Mis à jour : le 27/01/2016