Adapted Product and Service Design – How to Work Together for a Sustainable Future?

Introduction

Kalevi Ekman

Noara Kebir

Technological features are not the only important part of successful energy systems. This session focused on the design of technology - not only on the look of a charge controller but the whole system needed.

To get an overview on this topic two lecturers introduced their perspective on the design question. Prof. Kalevi Ekman from Finland is founder of the Aalto University Design Factory and gave an general idea of what especially engineers should know about design. Noara Kebir is the Managing Director and co-founder of MicroEnergy International, a company specialized in supporting financial institutions to develop and implement energy specific programs. She gave a more detailed insight into the role of design in microenergy solutions.

Perspectives to Design

Prof. Ekman likes to pose questions. Think about this one:

What is design?

The usual picture in our minds is one of fancy, expensive and useless artefacts such as tableware or vases. If you think a little longer business-to-customer products as mobile phones and cameras might come to our minds. Design as a measure to be competitive on the market.

The design quality seems to be hard to put a finger on. Normally, engineers work with matriceses to calculate e.g. the price per kilogram of a number of products. Let's compare some numbers: A steak could cost some 20€ per kg in Finland. Another everyday product in the land o the woods is paper which costs less than 1 €/kg. To get a little closer into the topic of energy, what about a wind mill? It costs about 1.5 million euros/300 tons. So it`s price per kilogram is somewhere around 5€. The before mentioned camera comes at 1,000 €/kg and a light weight pair of glasses at 180 € per 1.8 grams, which makes 180,000 €/kg.

We obviously don't pay according to the weight of a product. To get a closer idea of what design means Prof. Ekman presents different objects.

1. Calendering machine: This machine is used in the paper making process to improve the quality of a sheet of paper. The quality can either be improved by "ironing" the sheet in a process comparable to the ironing of cloth that you might - or might not - know. The surface can also be coated by a machine which combines engineering knowledge in pneumatics, electronics and other disciplines. The first generation shows how different disciplines are meshed together into one pot. Dust and cables are everywhere. The second generation already looks different. It is designed for easier operability, cleaning and maintenance. The third generation has some resemblance with a spacecraft. No moisture or dust comes in or out. For maintenance only one big piece has to be taken away. Maintenance though can not performed by any operator but by specialists only.
   

Second generation of machine | Third generation of machine |} Cars: Dacia, Renault, BMW - all these producers offer different car types but what is the same in their advertisements: sure all cars have four wheels and provide the same functionability but what is most striking is that they all use aluminium wheels. That is not how cars are equipped in the shops. There you usually find steel wheels. Aluminium wheels are used in advertisements because of aesthetics nothing else. tractors: real difference inside: 16 h/day, engines are covered, mainteancea they can not touch it which could be better for todays citizens main message: all artefacts are designed by professionals or well meaning hobbyists medical machine Could you easily go under this machine? Has been awarded in 70s because of appealing design kenwood mixer, 50 years ago looks quite the same today but the advertisement around it sounds different process lines, hobby, health care: there is always some sace for different design, mostly we are well meaning hobbyists power suit for nurse pneumatically supported nurse: design of prototype is not yet user friendly > at this point to late to call for designers mobile phone smaller development battery and electroinc devices but also : weird things in the world of applications