Modular design: Product design opportunities and a case analysis

In recent decades, modular design has been fully developed due to its important role in the current industrial evolution. The numerous advantages offered by its application to product design has made companies from different sectors opt for its use to solve particular needs. Many authors have studied modular design from a theoretical viewpoint, but it is necessary to learn about its application by studying real cases that allow us to understand what the object of its application is, the different methods used to obtain modular products and the results obtained in each case. Accordingly, we can know modular design’s most characteristic features and benefits, the business of its application, what its evolution has been, and what path it is currently on as part of the current industrial evolution. To do this, a case study research is carried out, which is divided into two parts. The first consists of a bibliographic review that focused on the main authors who studied modular design and documented real cases of its application, especially at the beginning of modular design in industry. The second focused on investigating the current cases that have not been previously documented, which shows how modular design is currently applied and how it evolves

Validation of a New Evaluation Method of Modular Design Focused on the Prosumer

The modular design harbors a potential development in the prosumer scope that has hardly been previously exploited. Their joint application can lead to products focused on user participation through modular design. This work proposes and validates a concept evaluation metric in the design phases that meet these characteristics. To do this, 24 external designers and prosumers evaluate five products using this method. The results and conclusions contribute to the improvement of the method and provide information on how to approach it to the prosumers

Analysis and comparison of smart city initiatives

Complexity in cities is expected to become even higher in the short term, which implies the need to face new challenges. The Smart City (SC) model and its associate initiatives have become very popular for undertaking them but it is not often very clear what it really means. Starting with a previous classification of the initiatives developed under the SC model into two big categories, according to their approach to citizens, this paper aims to make a critical analysis of this model of city, and to propose the development of new initiatives for it based on Citizen-Centered Design methodologies. Living Labs, both as methodology and as organization, appear in this context as an interesting choice for developing initiatives with real citizen involvement along the entire design process, which it is expected to arise in later stages of research

Review of product design and manufacturing methods for prosumers

Product design is a process developed by specialized profiles such as designers or engineers. For this reason, most of product design and/or manufacturing methods developed are aimed at experienced professionals. However, in the current social and technological context, we observe that the number of prosumers, users who partially produce the products they consume, is increasing. These users are involved in design, manufacturing or assembly phases of the product to obtain final results that respond to specific needs and desires. Given this emerging trend, we wonder if there are methodologies focused on these users in particular, both in the academic field and in practice. This work aims to clarify this issue through a review of research papers and real cases. The results obtained differentiate between the methodologies that have been defined in the academic field and those that have not been compiled but whose repeated use has agreed its application and existence in practice. The methodologies identified are analyzed in two tables that summarize how they are applied and what their main objective is. The results and conclusions offer both the scientific community and the prosumers a series of product design and manufacturing methods focused on non-specialized profiles

Conceptualization in the circular economy: analysing the influence of thinking profiles in creative groups

Eco-innovation initiatives include eco-ideation processes for proposing ideas that are innovative and represent an environmental improvement. The evaluation of the results of eco-ideation has been focused on evaluating these two aspects, but it is necessary to know how related factors, such as the thinking profile of group members, influence the generation of concepts during the creative process. This study proposes a metric that analyses the results of the creative process within conceptualization from three approaches: innovation, circularity and group activity. The group activity approach is related to the influence of the leader in the management of a creative group. The proposed metric allows us to observe the creative process, the interactions among the participants, the design decisions made, and the evaluation of the creative product which will determine which type of creative groups obtain better results. The application of the results and the proposed metric allow the creation of groups oriented to objectives, for both specific or permanent workgroups. This can be used for the initial selection of participants for eco-ideation groups, or to improve the group functionality during intermediate stages

Promoting sustainable consumption in Higher Education Institutions through integrative co-creative processes involving relevant stakeholders

The United Nations proposes to ensure a sustainable future for all through the Sustainable Development Goals, assigning a new role to each individual in all sectors of society. Higher Education Institutions are outstanding agents of change, introducing and implementing sustainability in a holistic way, connecting people, and including social and institutional considerations, with students being a key component of change. This study presents a co-creation model to incorporate sustainability in Higher Education Institutions, integrating all members of the university community with a multidisciplinary approach, seeking to address global needs with development tools for new products and services to facilitate the transition of consumers towards responsible consumption. The model aims to analyze the daily consumption pattern of the community at the university, to identify the degree of commitment to sustainability of its members, and to co-create in search of solutions related to responsible consumption and production. This is achieved through five phases of a model, each with specific tasks and objectives based on co-creation processes and tools. As a result, the model enables stakeholders to understand the needs of their community by actively participating within the five phases for developing more democratic solutions and social involvement regarding sustainability issues that can be solved through a co-creative process. The model combines the benefits through ethnographic techniques to discover habits, tools to involve participation, and co-creation to manage complex problems. Future research will focus on the application of the proposed model to more generalist contexts of society, addressing potential challenges due to vertical collaboration and barriers pre-established by society for the adoption of a sustainable lifestyle

Analysing the prosumer opportunity. Prosumer products’ success or failure

Makerspaces and FabLabs have become prominent spaces in the prosumer and maker movements worldwide. Prosumers actively create products and services to meet their needs and wants. Availability of DIY manufacturing methods and digital fabrication tools are increasingly accessible; design and manufacturing knowledge, and reuse of parts and components, are also factors to consider. The prosumer system is influenced by economic factors and domestic fabrication costs. Emotional attachment and sustainability are also key components of the prosumer movement. Nevertheless, not everyone is inclined to become a prosumer for a variety of reasons. Prosumer design limitations need to be understood and evaluated, as do mechanisms and methods for identifying which concepts can be developed into successful products. A key objective of this work is to evaluate the transition from an idea to a fully functional product by identifying barriers and enabling factors, such as knowledge, resources and motivation. To assess the feasibility and success of prosumer-designed products, theoretical frameworks, metrics and evaluations are conducted