Furniture Design Principles for Sustainable PSS

Fu r n i t u r e D e s i g n Principles for sustainable PSS

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Introduction From Product to Product-Service System (PSS), Product-Service System (PSS) is not just a way to improve competitiveness for companies anymore. Instead, it is indeed a potential approach to tackle environmental issues. In furniture brands, the sustainability effects of the Product-Service System (PSS) are also notable in that it can create a new consumption and production pattern in the furniture industry. The final sustainability outcomes can be concluded as follows: -Prolong the lifespan of furniture, thus saving the resources and energy.

-Control the product and material flow, thus closing the loop.

-Help produce less and dispose of less furniture.

-Importantly, arouses people’s awareness, motivates sustainable behavior and ecological consumption.

From Product to Product-Service System (PSS), the role of furniture has changed a lot. “Products should be designed keeping the end of life in mind.” (Trimingham & Hurn, n.d.) Designers and producers should not only consider the birth of furniture, but also how users interact with it, and where it goes to die. The preconditions of furniture behind a sustainable Product-Service System (PSS) is that furniture needs to be strategically designed and manufactured while thinking about the whole system in terms of how it can meet the social, economic and environmental goals.

This small booklet gives a hint of the furniture design guidelines that can contribute to Sustainable Product-Service System (PSS), where different ideas are specifically explained with related excellent references.

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Business Model

Tangible Product

Intangible Service

PSS as an integration of tangible products, intangible services and an integrated business model.

(Diehl, 2015)

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MATERIAL

01 Use Long Lasting Materials

02 Use Sus Mater

COMPONENT

04 Disassembly

05 Standa

FUNCTIONALITY

07 Flexibility

08 Custom

stainable rials

03 Use Less Materials

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ardization

06 Stackability

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mization

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Materials:

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01 Use Long Lasting Materials Long Lasting not only means quality long-lasting, but also refers to long-lasting comfort and timeless beauty.

For customers, long-lasting materials provide the timeless use of furniture, which will saticefy the customers and motivate them to cherish the furnitures.

For brands, long-lasting materials can gain more trust from the customers and also make the provided services more easier.

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|Artek 2nd Cycle, Finland Designed by Alvar Aalto Material: Birch, new Zebra upholstery Year of production: 1940's

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'Paimio armchair & Stool 60' Year of production: 1930's |Artek 2nd Cycle, Finland Designed by Alvar Aalto Material: Birch

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02 Use Sustainable Materials Sustainable materials are materials that can be produced in required volumes without depleting non-renewable resources and without disrupting the environment and key natural resource systems. Reducing the impact on the environment from the very beginning of the selection process is the key for environmental bebefits.

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'CH24 Wishbone Chair' |Carl Hansen & Søn, Denmark Designed by by Hans J. Wegner (1949) Material: FSC™-certified Beech, Oil, Natural cord

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'Table Bench Serie': BM0488 / BM0488S |Carl Hansen & Son, Denmark Designed by Børge Mogensen (1958) Material: Oak, Oil, Cane

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03 Use Less Materials Less material means less types of materials and less quatity of materials.

For customers, less materials can simplify the procedure of assembly and maintenance.

For brands, less materials can reduce the cost of material and energy as well as simplify the production procedure.

Then, the environmental benifits can be achieved by reducing the use of materials and energy.

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'Stool 60 Nesting Set' |Artek, Finland Designed by Artek and Heath (2021) Materials: 3 Solid birch L-legs & birch plywood seat

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'Landi Chair' |Vitra, Switzerland Designed by Hans Coray (1938) Material: 100% aluminum Once a product reaches the end of its life cycle, aluminum can be fully recycled.

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Components/ Form/ Joinings:

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04 Disassembly

Design for disassembly means that the product can be taken apart into different parts, which is easy for reusing or replacing the materials and components (Bogue, 2007).

In the Product-Service System (PSS), disassembly takes a significant role.

For customers, disassembly offers convenience where customers can dismantle the furniture while cleaning, thus keeping long-lasting use.

For furniture brands, disassembly can save cost for the brands by reducing the space of transportation and instore storage. Besides, disassembly also makes it easier and more efficient for them to repair and replace the related parts through their inhouse services, which can contribute to the viability of the in-house services.

From the environmental perspective, it can save the resources and energy by reusing the useable materials and parts.

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'Cross Chair' |TAKT, Denmark Designed by Pearson Lloyd (2019)

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'KK47000 | SAFARI CHAIR' |Carl Hansen & Søn, Denmark Designed by Kaare Klint (1933)

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05 Standard Components Standard components means that a series of products are composed in the same way, where different parts share the same procedure and technology.

-From the perspective of economic viability in terms of the Product-Service System (PSS), standard production and simple product architecture can simplify the production method and the procedure, which are of vital importance for the in-house services.

-For customer satisefacation, standardization can add the elegant harmony between pieces in the same serie and can simplify the procedure of assemble and disassemble.

-For the environment, simplified production process can save related energy and reduce the CO2 emission.

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DS001 Table and DS101 Bench

'Dinesen Collection' |Dinesen, Denmark Designed by Design Studies (2017) 36

DS201 Stool

DS301 Daybed

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'Atelier Collection' |Artek, Finland Designed by TAF Studio (2018)

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'L-leg Collection' |Artek, Finland Designed by Alvar Aalto (1933)

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06 Stackability

Stackability means that the furniture can be stacked to save space for storage and transportation.

For customers, while saving the space, furniture's stackability can make it more flexible for them to arrange and adjust the space according to different needs. Besides, stackable furniture can be moved from place to place and can be stacked on top of each other to save space.

For brands, stackability can save the storage space in warehouses and in-store. Besides, stackability can improve the transportation effeciency, which will reduce the CO2 emis sion, thus creating environmental benefits.

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'Chair 611' |Artek, Finland Designed by Alvar Aalto (1929)

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'Stool 60' |Artek, Finland Designed by Alvar Aalto (1933)

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'Chair 01' |Frama Studio, Denmark Designed by Frama Studio (2018)

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Functionality:

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07 Flexibility

Flexibility means that the same piece of furniture can be used in different ways for different functions according to different spaces and contexts.

-Flexibility plays an important role in achieving the goal of customer satisfaction. Flexible furniture will to some extent meet the different needs of customers. While satisfying the customers, multifunction and flexible can create an emotional attachment between the customers and furniture, which will extend the usage time of the furniture, thus motivating sustainable behavior and finally achieving environmental benefits.

-From the economic aspect, flexibility can also strengthen the relationship between customers and the brands.

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Stool as bedside table

‘DS201 Stool’ |Dinesen, Denmark Designed by Design Studies (2017) 54

Stool as seat

Stool as stand

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'Shelf Library Natural H1852' |Frama Studio, Denmark Designed by Kim Richardt (2016) The Desk Section can be used as a working spot, or as a place to display larger items like record players, plants and art objects.

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'BK11 Chair' |Carl Hansen & Son, Denmark Designed by Bodil Kjær (1959) This serie can be used both indoors and outdoor with cushion or without cushion.

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08 Customization

Customization means that the furniture can be ''customized'' to meet the requirements of different customers or consumers.

-For brands, customization can attract more customers, which strengthens their competences.

-For customers, customization makes the furniture more special, which will motivate customers to cherish and keep it for longer use.

-The betefits for brands and customers will finally contributes to the sustainability benefits.

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'Stool 60' |Artek, Finland Designed by Alvar Aalto (1933) 62

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'CH24 | WISHBONE CHAIR' |Carl Hansen & Søn, Denmark Designed by Hans J. Wegner (1949) 64

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'T01 Cross Chair Tube' |TAKT, Denmark Designed by PearsonLloyd 66

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Although the pss model is very complicate and requires various infrastructures and actors, at least the leading brands can implement it to create value and motivate the whole industry towards new sustainable production and consumption. Besides, for small brands systematic thinking could always be a way to strengthen the competences.

All images are from the website of: Artek: https://www.artek.fi/en/ Artek 2nd cycle: https://www.artek.fi/2ndcycle/en/ Carl Hansen & Søn: https://www.carlhansen.com/en Dinesen: https://www.dinesen.com/da/ FRAMA: https://framacph.com/