L’influence du développement durable à travers la formation universitaire
en design industriel
Today, the experience accumulated in the field of environmental design has put into perspective that approximately 75 to 80% of the environmental impacts of a product are determined during the design process. The role of the industrial designer is therefore crucial for achieving a better management of environmental impacts. In Quebec, the university curriculum in product design does not address sustainable development in a comprehensive manner; the introduction of this paradigm remains weak. This research seeks to target those areas of knowledge that should be part of the curriculum for training professionals in product development for environmental design. As a first step, we studied the curriculum of academic programs that "specialize" in environmental and sustainable development in Quebec, and then, the training programs in eco-design available in France. The field work was completed with an in-depth interview with a Quebec speaker who focuses on addressing environmental aspects in product development for enterprises. The information collected during these three phases of the field study was analyzed and highlighted the need for a major transformation of the university curriculum regarding the ways in which the environmental issues are addressed in industrial design as to: 1. Introduce the knowledge related to environmental issues; 2. Promote multidisciplinary team work; 3. Create collaboration between schools and industries for a better understanding of design processes (business culture, economic aspects, schedule, laws, etc.).
Ecodesign Sustainable development Design durable Sustainable design Pedagogy Industrial design