How does your design meet social, moral, environmental and sustainability issues?

You need to show the examiner that you understand and have considered how your design will be socially acceptable and safe, will not damage the environment and how it is a sustainable product?

User safety: You need to show how your product will be safe for people to use e.g. rounded edges, smooth surfaces etc

Sustainability: Are the materials you are using to make your product sustainable. Do they come from sustainable sources, are you buying them locally?

End of product life: What will happen to your product when it is disposed of? Can the materials it is made from be recycled, are they bio degradable?

Using the 6 Rs to show how your design is environmentally friendly and sustainable

Many customers want to buy “green” products and consider the environmental impact and sustainability of a product. You can address these issues by using the 6 Rs.

Recycle: Are you using recycled materials to make your project, can your project be recycled? Reduce: Are you ensuring you are not wasting materials unnecessarily?Refuse: Your customers have a choice whether to buy your product or not. Does it function well, is it efficient, is it environmentally friendly?Reuse: Can your product be used again or passed onto someone else to use. Can the materials be used for another purpose?Rethink: Can your product be shared by groups of people, can it be used for other purposes?Repair: Is your product made to a high standard so it will not break and it be repaired if it does breaks?

An example of how to show how a design can meet social, moral environmental and sustainability issues

Reduce: I will make sure my measuring and marking out is correct using quality control checks and this will ensure materials are not wasted. As I am using natural timber it should last for a long period of time and not need to be replaced in a persons lifetime.

Recycle: I am not using recycled materials but the unit is being made from pine which is sustainable as it is from well managed woodlands so there is a life cycle of trees being planted, grown and then felled.

Reuse: The unit could be passed on to be used by other people or it could be taken apart and the timber used to make another piece of furniture.

Refuse: As the designer I have refused to use materials that are not sustainable. The design is efficient and compact so does not waste materials so on that basis a customer will not reject it.

Rethink: This unit can be used by different people and shared. It provides efficient storage and could be used to store a range of items.

Repair: As the unit will be made using traditional and well proven joints i.e. dovetails it should not need repairing. However if it did pine is easily available and the wood can be cut and new pieces jointed in using basic tools

User safety: I will ensure all the edges of my storage unit are rounded and all the wood is smooth to prevent splinters. The base of the unit will sit on the floor and provide excellent stability so it will not fall over and hurt anyone. The drawers will be smooth running so people will not strain themselves trying to open them.

Product disposal: The unit will be made from pine which is bio degradable so would rot into the ground if disposed of or could be taken to a recycling site and the timber would be recycled.