Ministry for the Environment 

In early 2004, the Ministry for the Environment identified an opportunity to improve information about sustainable product design in New Zealand.

This led to the commissioning of an initial scoping study for their internal reference.

The Ministry for the Environment sought an initial scoping study on sustainable product design in New Zealand.

This study was to be used internally by the Ministry as a basis for further exploration of a potentially ongoing work programme.

Desk-based research informed an outline of the project, identified potential respondents and led to the design of questionnaires.

Primary research included direct interviews, either recorded and transcribed or summarised by hand and emailed questionnaires.

Further desk-based research filled gaps to complete a picture of current activity in the area under study.

Six organisations, three consultant designers, 12 businesses, 12 tertiary educators and three PhD students were interviewed.

The study summarised the findings as: The Drivers (motivating forces), The Deeds (what's being done) and The Directions (future course) and offered some Possibilities and Opportunities (the creative response).

The resulting scoping study provided useful information on a number of aspects of environmentally-effective product design, as a basis for internal use by MfE in considering and exploring a work programme in the area of sustainable product design and innovation.

Back to CREATIONZ Consultants