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Business model design

Product Backstories

NYU ITP: If Products Could Speak Class 1

Intro to the course, introducing three frameworks: Stakeholder vs. Shareholder management Life Cycle Analysis Spimes And many examples of green interaction design. If Products Could Speak Jan 26 2009 from Jen van der Meer  

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Syllabus: If Products Could Tell Their Stories

Phase 1: If Products Could Tell Their Stories, To Whom Would They Speak? 1. Intro: Towards a Sustainable Model of Product Design Discussion: Intro to Life Cycle Awareness and Life Cycle Assessment Tools, and intro to sustainable product/service development Readings: The Okala Guide, Modules 9, 10, 11, pp. 28-37. Shaping Things, Chapters 1-6, pp. 1-54. Assignment due next class: Choose one product and evaluate a published, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessment Read More

If Products Could Speak

I want to give products a voice. When I look at a pencil, a mop, or a smart phone, I most likely don’t know where in the world these objects came from, what they are made out of, who created them, nor do I know who or what was affected in the making of these things. The more I become aware of the impact that products make on our health, Read More

These Flocks: Storytelling Product Backstories

Christien Meindertsma shows how a student can better illuminate life cycle thinking and product transparency in a creative way. While she was still in design school, Meindertsma launched a the project These Flocks. She purchased a flock of sheep, and then created sweaters, hats, and a “pouf” footstool using the wool from this flock. Each product received a passport describing the origin of the product, including the birthplace, weight, breed, and Read More

Green my Apple, Green my Future

Take a poll on any city street, and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t admire Apple’s clean, innovative product design. In the past 5 years, with the success of the iPod and power PCs, Mac has come to dominate the high-end consumer electronic space, with their clean, minimalist aesthetic. With such a prestigious design-driven brand, one would think that Apple would be leading the way in the green design revolution. Read More