Eco-Efficiency Evaluation of Design Features Based on Value Engineering Methodology

摘要

Eco efficiency is an important concept in order to decouple environmental consciousness from product development. It often happens that large environmental impact occurs in producing design features that is not really important for customers. Product design should be reviewed based on the value of each design feature versus environmental impact, so-called eco-efficiency. This study focuses on smartphone design as a case study and evaluates eco-efficiency of each design feature. The paper first evaluated the weights of seven different design features regarding functions and outlook of the products. The 7 design features are "memory size," "display size," "battery capacity," "resolutions of camera," "texture." "color" and "customizability" which means varieties of optional parts. The evaluation was carried out by conjoint analysis. Effect by enhancing each design feature on the customers' preference was evaluated. Then, the paper calculated CO_2 emissions in order to increase the design features from the lower level to the upper level. Based on the value weights and CO_2 emission, eco-efficiencies of the design features were calculated. The result showed that basically functionality is more important than visual features. However, it also clarified a certain design feature such as "color" is more eco-efficient than a certain design feature such as "memory size."