{"id":23830,"date":"2022-04-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/industrial-design\/2022\/04\/18\/sustainability-by-design\/"},"modified":"2025-04-21T05:09:00","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T09:09:00","slug":"sustainability-by-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/industrial-design\/2022\/04\/18\/sustainability-by-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability by Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Morgan High <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students are gaining real-world experience while reducing waste in a new project sponsored by Eastman. The company challenged NC\u00a0State industrial design seniors in the\u00a0College of Design\u00a0to create consumer products with sustainability top of mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students\u2019 design concepts will help Eastman have deeper conversations with consumer brands who want to be more sustainable but may not know exactly how to launch such products. \u201cThe goal is to help more brands adopt sustainable materials in order to make a significant impact on the environment,\u201d said Anders Ludvigsen, market development manager at Eastman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project aimed to apply Eastman\u2019s Tritan\u2122 Renew material in order to innovate consumer products like kitchen appliances and other household items. Tritan Renew is a highly durable, BPA-free material made with 50% certified recycled content that breaks down waste plastic back into its basic chemical building blocks, allowing plastics to be recycled again and again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe students were tasked with applying the material to an existing product in order to improve its function, appearance and carbon footprint,\u201d said Kathryn Wozniak, NC State Assistant Teaching Professor of Industrial Design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the start of the fall 2021 semester, Wozniak\u2019s class received the project criteria from Eastman and spent the next 16 weeks conducting in-depth consumer research and developing product strategies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Students
Students who participated in the class project sponsored by Eastman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe story and renderings developed by the students are very polished \u2013 it\u2019s easy to forget that these products aren\u2019t actually available on the market today,\u201d said Dawn Mason, Eastman\u2019s global external innovation manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working from a College of Design studio sponsored by Eastman, the students were mentored by their professors and Eastman scientists. The collaborative space, which is filled with designers, engineers, developers and business professionals working together, offers an interdisciplinary approach to research, design and build projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe real-world challenges provided by Eastman motivate and inspire the students to elevate their design capabilities,\u201d said Tsai Lu Liu, the head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design at NC State\u2019s College of Design. \u201cThis allows our students to become more prepared for a design career where collaborative innovation is key to future success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-depth Consumer Research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Graphic design senior Sarah Boon\u2019s approach to rethinking the traditional coffee maker started by researching two audiences: 20 to 35-year-old green travelers and retail stores that sell camping and hiking products. She dug into consumers\u2019 increasing desire to buy from brands that have a positive social and environmental impact.<\/p>\n\n\n