Design Is the Problem: The Future of Design Must Be Sustainable

good book, and it tell you everything about problems with sustainability environment, and it good for student at the University could use.

This book provides a much needed overview and clarification of how designers can act sustainably. It summarizes many existing systems for sustainable design, like cradle to cradle and LCA. It shows examples of how to assess and understand the impacts of actual products. Shredoff's asserts that most "systems" for sustainable design are limited. They have their pros and cons. He also points out LCA's difficulty and potential for inaccuracy or lack of completeness. But while he tells designers that there is a lot they can't know, he also provides concrete, simple steps designers can take every day to act more sustainably, without a using constraining system. The book is also full of his valuable insights into sustainable design. This an important and MUCH needed contribution to design practice.The book is poorly edited, and the illustrations and data are confusing and in some cases slightly misleading. That is a drawback. Designers need clarity. If you are teaching with this book, you need to discuss some of these details. I hope he will create a second edition with more rigorous examples and data evaluation- and clearer illustrations. When Shedroff speaks from his heart- as in his analysis of the Segway- this book shines. In some cases he is less directly critical, and holds data and analysis to a less high standard. That is unfortunate. The evaluation of the flower pot comes to mind. I spent a long time looking at this- trying to figure out what the term organic referred to. I finally came to the conclusion that the evaluation included the PLANT- making it appear greener than it is. That is a bit like including the baby in an evaluation of car seat.

Good condition! Very informative book, glad I got it.

An excellent place to start if you are interested in Design for sustainability. Does not go into depth about any of the issues analysed but will open a LOT of interesting doors that will lead your research to new places.