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Overview

The Okala Ecodesign Strategy Wheel is an innovative tool designed to assist designers and system developers in reducing the ecological impact of products, services, or systems throughout their life cycle. It clusters ecodesign strategies according to different stages of the product life cycle, serving as a brainstorming aid to uncover new areas for sustainable development. This tool is a modification of the original wheel by Brezet and van Hemel (1997) and is part of the Okala Practitioner Guide. It requires an assessment to measure product system impacts for ecological effectiveness. The Okala Ecodesign Strategy Wheel, along with complementary tools such as the Ecodesign Matrix and D4S Strategic Wheel Analysis, guides businesses to adopt environmentally conscious manufacturing strategies.

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Dimensions

Resource type: The Okala Ecodesign Strategy Wheel is a practical tool that aids in the sustainable design process.

• Tags: tool, framework

Objective: This resource is aimed at aligning design strategies with sustainable goals and assessing their ecological impact.

• Tags: align, assess, coordinate

Target audience: The wheel is intended for a variety of users who are involved in the design and development of sustainable products and systems in a way that reduces the material use.

• Tags: designers, practitioners, educators, SMEs, corporations

Sustainability focus: The primary focus of this resource is on environmental sustainability, but it also touches on the social and economic aspects as they are interconnected in the product life cycle.

• Tags: environmental-sustainability environmental-impact

Innovation type: It supports innovation in product design by providing a structured approach to incorporating sustainability.

• Tags: product-innovation, process-innovation

Entrepreneurship stage: The tool is relevant across various stages of entrepreneurship, especially during the design and development phases where sustainable practices can be integrated but also the life cycle of a product in its entirety.

• Tags: ideation, design, development

Scope of relevance: While the tool can be applied globally, it may be particularly relevant to regions with strong sustainability regulations or initiatives.

• Tags: global, regional

Methodological approach: The Okala Ecodesign Strategy Wheel is based on a strategic and systematic approach to design, incorporating life-cycle thinking and system thinking.

• Tags: theoretical-frameworks

Skill development: Using this tool can enhance skills in sustainable design, systems thinking, and environmental awareness.

• Tags: creativity-and-design, systems-thinking, environmental-awareness

Source and credibility: The Okala ecodesign strategy wheel was developed by recognized experts in ecodesign which ensure a certain degree of credibility.

• Tags: academic-institutions, recognized-experts, practice

Prerequisites and requirements: The tool is accessible to a wide range of users, bur requires some basic knowledge about ecodesign principle and strategies.

• Tags: beginner-level

Collaboration level: The tool can be used individually or in team settings, facilitating cross-team collaborative efforts in sustainable design.

• Tags: individual, team, cross-team-collaboration

More information can be found at Okala Practitioner. A playbook where this tool together with several others are included can be found at PLAYBOOK - PermissionToPlay.

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Resources