Colloquia

Summary

This research delves into the historical research of sustainable design, aiming to analyze its evolution and explore its future trajectory. The investigation is structured into three core sections: A historical retrospective on sustainable design, an assessment of its current status, and an exploration of its developmental norms and potential future trajectories.

The initial phase involved extensive research using multiple search engines to uncover historical instances of sustainable design and pivotal events linked to its evolution. These findings were then utilized to construct a chronological timeline delineating the development of sustainable design, which was subsequently subjected to a historical analysis. This process facilitated a clearer understanding of the genesis of modern sustainable design and inspired the conceptualization of two distinct categories: Sustainable Generic Design (SGD) and Sustainable Industrial Design (SID). SGD denotes sustainable designs crafted on a smaller scale, while SID encompasses mass-produced sustainable designs. Recognizing the divergent functions and impacts of these categories underscored the necessity for differentiation.

However, the study acknowledges that this binary categorization falls short in capturing the ever-changing manifestation within sustainable design. Therefore, in the second phase of this research, I selected representative sustainable designs from my internet search results to conduct in-depth case studies. These case studies were instrumental in refining the definitions of various categories within the contemporary sustainable design context. They encompassed Proactive Sustainable Generic Design (ASGD), Passive Sustainable Generic Design (PSGD), Proactive Sustainable Industrial Design (ASID), and Passive Sustainable Industrial Design (PSID). By elucidating the distinctive attributes of each type of sustainable design, I was able to delve into their respective developmental patterns.

Transitioning to the third part of the study, I conducted a comparative analysis leveraging the markets of both China and the Netherlands. This analysis aimed to unravel the causality, historical evolution, and underlying factors influencing contemporary sustainable designs. Utilizing the idea of inductive reasoning, I synthesized a development model for two types of sustainable design, culminating in a comprehensive understanding of their trajectories.

Towards the conclusion of this study, I delved into the practical applications of the sustainable design development model in design evaluation and the design process.