Abstract:

Eco-design education is now integrated into most engineering and design curricula. However, its implementation within industry remains limited, often underdeveloped or insufficiently reinforced for a variety of reasons. This raises the question: Can the pedagogy of eco-design be improved to facilitate its broader adoption as a well-understood and practically valuable approach in industry?

This study evaluates the effectiveness of experiential learning and interdisciplinary methodologies in two eco-design education settings. Experiential learning—specifically, the deconstruction of electronic devices—enhances students’ understanding of the significance of physical and practical constraints in developing more environmentally friendly solutions. Additionally, interdisciplinary learning, achieved by bringing together students from design, engineering, and business programs, fosters cross-disciplinary knowledge and increases awareness of the diverse parameters that must be considered for the successful adoption of eco-design practices in both the conceptual and implementation phases.

The involvement of company representatives in the development and execution of the case studies has proven beneficial for both educational outcomes and the participating companies.

Keywords:

Ecodesign, hands-on, interdisciplinarity, sustainable design and business models.