Sustainable Product Design Project
36 hours + Blended
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn
Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
Overview
This unit is based on an industry project and aims to introduce the principles of sustainable design by developing an understanding of sustainable issues and an appreciation the impact of production and consumption patterns on the world’s diminishing natural resources. Additionally, the unit introduces and applies eco-design strategies and technical skills to reduce the impact of materials and manufacturing processes on global ecosystems. The unit also aims to build product design and development skills through enhanced knowledge in materials and manufacturing systems.
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Discuss the changing nature of manufacturing brought about by environmental pressures and future legislation and the broad sustainable issues impacting the product design profession. (K4, K5, K6, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5)
- Generate sustainable designs using eco-design strategies and Design for Environment methodologies. (K3, K4, K5, K6, S1, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7)
- Conduct product evaluation, re-design and apply life-cycle thinking. (K6, S1, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A6)
- Use engineering methods to analyse the strength of materials in product contexts. (K1, S1, A4)
- Synthesise a range of product design and development skills including engineering documentation, CAD techniques and prototyping into design projects. (S1, S3, S4, A2, A4, A5, A6)
- Use techniques to visually communicate design and engineering intent.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Studio | 3.00 | 12 weeks | 36 |
| Unspecified Activities Various | 4.00 | 12 weeks | 48 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 5.50 | 12 weeks | 66 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project | Individual/Group | 100% | 1,2,3,4,5,6 |
Content
- The role of the designer/engineer in sustainable design and manufacture
- Eco-design methodologies, Design for Environment methods and strategies, Life-cycle thinking, Modified Lifecycle Assessment
- Engineering documentation and drawing communication
- Product design development and detailing using 3D CAD
- Visualisation and presentation techniques
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.