Prompt Cards to guide the re/design of new products and existing products
What’s the impact of a product’s true lifecycle?
As designers and product creators, we are not just producing new consumables for humans, we are creating new members and influencers of many ecosystems that affect many living non-humans (land, water, air, animals, insects, etc).
We are not just producing an item with a lifecycle defined by human use, but also by its sourcing, manufacturing, repair, the life of use, and breakdown.
- Where does the life of your product start?
- How long is it used, how is it disposed of, and how long does it take to breakdown?
- What non-users and non-humans are affected across all stages, and how do these affected non-humans affect those they come into contact with?
Use these cards to guide the design of new products or to assess the impact of existing ones.
Shuffle and flip to use as a random challenge to the design thinking, or go through each as you map out your service design blueprint.
Flip and shuffle cards to explore your product’s true lifecycle
Where and how are the source materials taken from the earth?
Does the manufacturing demand excessive energy or affect the surroundings?
What impact do the various forms of transportation have on land, sea, and air?
Does the use and packaging generate energy or land waste?
How long is your product’s usable life?
How much is recyclable, and how long does the rest take to breakdown?
