Product Designers are in an awkward position. On the one hand, we are acutely aware of green issues and the impact that consumer products have on the environment. For example, some of the issues that Designers need to consider when contemplating a new product are Design for Assembly and dis-Assembly, Design for Simplicity, and Material Selection for the Environment. On the other hand, our job, by definition, is concerned with the creation of physical goods that require energy to manufacture, distribute and use. Essentially, we are helping to create goods that will consume and pollute, while being fully aware of this transgression.
In order to reduce the frustration of this awkward position, I.D.milano Product Development is offering significant financial incentives to help any company that is pursuing a Green strategy. Our goals are twofold. Firstly, to help us sleep better at night, and, secondly, to help offset some of the additional costs that manufacturers inevitably face when developing a product with the environment in mind.
Any quotation for a new product development program that can be generally considered to have a net positive effect on the environment will be reduced up to 30% off our standard rates. Examples of such products might be a product that helps consumers reduce their carbon footprint or something that helps reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for transportation. Products under consideration include not only those related to global warming but also other green issues, such as pollution, population growth, de-forestation, overfishing, etc.
Since it is not so easy to create environmentally positive products, we are also offering incentives from 10 to 20% for programs that are either environmentally benign or have a reduced environmental impact when compared to currently available products. When considering how green a product is, we always use a multi-faceted cradle-to-grave approach.
