As a designer do you think multifunctionality of a product can be considered as sustainability? Does it help for a new product do different things?

 

That's what we were taught at uni - the idea of having one product do 2 things means that you don't have to have 2 products, and you save on the whole process of manufacturing, transporting and disposing of a product. I think it feels like a gray area if you consider printer/scanner combi machines which are sold as a standard now. It makes sense as it saves room, probably costs less than a printer and scanner, plus only has half of the cables!

I think these machines are good examples of designs that are sold on their merits as a stand alone product rather than under an eco banner. The consumer doesn't really need to have a choice in the matter

Just thought of a scrubs episode: "Kife-wrench!" ...

 

Here's one of my favourite examples of convergence\multifunctionality -



The Spork is genius - is it a fork, is it a spoon - no, it's both!

Convergence is the big thing at the moment in consumer products - as you mention Pete, multi-function printers are a great example, mobile phones are too (the phone part is much less important than the other functions), DVD players with built in 5.1 surround sound, games console with DVD, music, internet, storage etc.

I think it's a really exciting time for designers and consumers as there seems to be very little boundaries of what can and cannot be brought together. I'm sure I read somewwere of a bra that doubles up as an emergency gas mask!!

Steve

 

Sorry if we've lurched off topic a little, but that just reminded me of this:

How to get this back on topic...

A key sustainable design principle is that of Multifunctionality
Not all multifunctional products are goood examples of sustinable design!