The science behind SustainableMinds.com
Okala is a comprehensive course for product design organizations, practitioners and students to learn to create, develop, and manufacture more ecologically sustainable products.
Okala is a life cycle assessment methodology for evaluating potential ecological and human health impacts from products used in North America.
Okala was created by leading product design practitioners and educators, Philip White, Louise St. Pierre and Steve Belletire, with support from Eastman Chemical, Whirlpool and the IDSA/EPA Partnership. It is being used in over 40 design and engineering schools in North America, and supported by industry and product design leaders.
Okala at a glance
Mouse over each module to view a summary. FOUNDATION
Module 1Design in the Ecological CrisisThe human population will grow from 6.1 billion to 9 billion by 2050; how will human needs be met without further destruction of the natural world? This module provides a concise introduction to the role of design in meeting the challenges of this global ecological crisis. Module 2What is Ecodesign?Designers have a direct role in determining the environmental impacts of a product, and have a unique ability and responsibility to synthesize and resolve often-contradictory goals. How have earlier generations met this need? This module provides an introduction to ecodesign history, its pioneers, current practitioners and its relevance to the design profession and our environment. Module 3Evolution of our BiosphereBefore human life on earth, more than five episodes of extinction decimated the planet. How are humans reversing eons of geological evolution, which saw the sublimation of toxic metals beneath a growing layer of soil? How is that reversal, along with the massive transfer of carbon from fossil fuels into the atmosphere, bringing about a sixth wave? This module reviews the evolutionary history of the earth, from the creation of the biosphere, to the recent arrival of humans on earth. Module 4Principles of EcologyWhat is a sustainable economy? How does the population of an organism affect the carrying capacity of a habitat? What is the difference between ecological design and sustainable design? How do population, wealth and pollution per unit of wealth affect total human ecological impact? This module explores the fundamental theories of ecology in human terms. Module 5The Natural StepIn general, what must we do to stop despoiling the natural world? This module explores The Natural Step (TNS), an international organization that proposes four system conditions to help stabilize the global biosphere. TNS provides one type of framework for making changes in business behaviors, and demonstrates the narrowing of options when the increasing demand for products meets the decline in living systems. Module 6Enviromental ImpactsWhat are the varieties of environmental impact? How are ecological damage, human health damage, and resource depletion related? This module takes a detailed look at toxicity (both ecotoxicity and human toxicity), and explores key ideas in Design + Environment, a text by Lewis and Gertsakis. Module 7Challenging our BeliefsWhy are humans, with our extraordinary capacity for reflection and intelligence, soiling our nest? What belief systems determine how we treat the natural world? How can we create new beliefs that invite different behaviors toward the environment? This module explores how environmental ethicists frame the idea that the environment may have moral rights that supercede our own. Module 8Meeting Stakeholder NeedsHow many masters must a product design serve? This module defines the four major stakeholders a product design must satisfy if it is to be successful: the environment, the user, society, and the client.LIFE CYCLE STRATEGIES
Module 9Product LifecycleWhat is a product lifecycle? What phases does a product pass through? This module identifies 8 phases in the product lifecycle, from raw material, to afterlife – and discusses how to design for recycling. Methodologies for analyzing a product's components and design for disassembly and recycling are also covered. Attention is paid to the pros and cons of various disposal technologies. Module 10Ecodesign StrategiesThis module explores the range of possible strategies that designers can use to improve the environmental performance of products, and presents the EcoDesign Strategy Wheel, which is a way of organizing over 40 different activities in designing more ecologically sustainable products. Module 11Process TreeHow can we use "big-picture" models to explore the transformation of resources and materials throughout a product's life? The process tree often triggers common-sense thinking about ecological impacts and design priorities. Because it diagrams the flow of materials through the manufacturing and use phases of a product, the process tree is also useful for presentation and discussion. Module 12Strategies in DepthOnce teams have outlined their ecodesign strategies, how do they go about implementing them? Module 12 explores three possible strategies in depth, demonstrating the value of drilling down in researching and developing a strategy. It also indicates the amount of research that is yet to be done in many strategy areas. Strategies explored: biomimicry, reducing global warming gases, and increasing product longevity. Module 13Balancing Choices, Making TradeoffsOne of the most challenging and often frustrating aspects of ecologically sustainable designis the law of unintended consequences. A single decision can affect impacts in one area positively, and yet another negatively. This module explores nine tradeoffs commonly encountered in the process of ecologically sustainable design.
