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The aesthetics of sustainable industrial design

Form and function in the circular design process

Bibliographic Data

ID12306003
AuthorsPooya Sareh (0000-0003-1836-2598, School of Design, Royal College of Art London UK, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume32
Issue1
Pages1310-1320
Publication date2023-08-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSustainable Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0968-0802 • E-ISSN: 1099-1719
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/sd.2731
OpenAlexW4386251542
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited31

The relationship between form and function has long been a point of debate in the design community. Particularly, the famous principle ‘form follows function’ has been a focal point of such discussions. Since its introduction, many studies have been undertaken by theorists and practitioners to challenge or disprove this injunction. Furthermore, from the modern perspective of sustainability which has attracted global attention over the past few decades, there is a crucial link between design and sustainability. That is, poor designs, generally, lead to poor products which contribute to environmental and economic degradation. Consequently, understanding the relationship between form and function in design could contribute to a more sustainable environment. In this paper, first, we explore the views of some influential figures of the twentieth century's industrial design on this essentially philosophical, yet practically crucial, axiom of modernism. Then, we propose a design process model for aesthetic‐sustainable industrial design drawing on a theory of design aesthetics and the principles of circular design. This model integrates a circular design module into the industrial designer's theory of aesthetics to complement the design process in terms of sustainability. The proposed design process model could help designers establish an appropriate relationship between the form and the intended function of a product to contribute to lowering its environmental impact

Aesthetics · Architectural engineering · Art · Business · Circular economy · Design process · Engineering design process · Environmental ethics · Function (biology · Industrial design · Management science · Perspective (graphical · Process (computing · Product (mathematics · Product design · Sustainability · Sustainable Design · Work in process · Computer Science · Design Education and Practice · Engineering · Innovative Human-Technology Interaction · Mathematics · Philosophy · Sustainable Supply Chain Management · Artificial Intelligence · Ecology · Marketing · Mechanical Engineering

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  • E. H. Gombrich's Adoption of the Formula form Follows Function

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    Open Access•Martina Keitsch•Sustainable Development•2012

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    Open Access•Pauline Deutz, Gareth B Neighbour et al.•Sustainable Development•2010

  • On the use of Biomimicry as a Useful Tool for the Industrial Designer

    Open Access•Nina Louise Volstad, Casper Boks•Sustainable Development•2012

  • Design responsibility and sustainable design as reflective practice

    Open Access•Malene Leerberg, Vibeke Riisberg et al.•Sustainable Development•2010

  • The Dynamics of Architectural Form

    Peter F Smith, Rudolf Arnheim•Leonardo•1980

  • Automotive Emotions

    Open Access•Mimi Sheller•Theory Culture & Society•2004

Citations per year2
Citation span2025 - 2025 (1)
Highly citedNo

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