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Citation: LILLEY, D. and LOFTHOUSE, V., 2009. Sustainable design ed-

ucation - considering design for behavioural change. Engineering Education:

Journal of the Higher Education Academy Engineering Sub ject Centre, 4 (1),

pp. 29 - 41.

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 Sustainable design education
considering design for behavioural change
Debra Lilley and Vicky Lofthouse

Abstract teaching covers sustainable development

This paper reports on the development (which addresses such concepts as resources,
and evaluation of design-behaviour social responsibility, systems and services,
(www.design-behaviour.co.uk), a web- designer responsibility and business drivers)
based resource created to support the and design for sustainability, where students
teaching of Design for Behavioural Change generate concepts to meet a variety of
a new field of enquiry in sustainable sustainable design briefs. Sustainable
design research. The paper presents a design is taught to industrial/product design
brief introduction to sustainable design students at Loughborough University using a
teaching in the Department of Design and blend of lectures, seminars and workshops,
Technology at Loughborough University. It supported by a range of web-based resources
goes on to outline the project methodology and assessed through a combination of
used to develop a web-based resource essay, seminar presentation and extended
to centralise and disseminate teaching design project. The emergence of Design for
material on the subject of Design for Behavioural Change (Bhamra et al., 2008a;
Behavioural Change for a design and Lilley, 2007), a broad field of enquiry exploring
engineering audience. Selected findings how design could influence user behaviour
from a literature review are introduced and towards a reduction in the environmental and
the results of a pilot study (through which social impacts of use, brought with it the need
the authors explored how this subject for new teaching material. The development of
could be taught to industrial/product this material and its delivery mechanism forms
design students) are discussed. The paper the basis of this paper.
explains how the resource was developed
and presents the results of an evaluative Vicky Lofthouse has been actively involved
user questionnaire. It concludes with an in the development of several web-based
outline of improvements made in response resources used to support teaching and
to feedback received and a discussion of learning in sustainable design (Lofthouse and
further developments planned. Bhamra, 2005; Lofthouse and Bhamra, 2004;
Lofthouse, 2001b). Through developing these
Setting the context tools she has gained a detailed understanding
The project reported on in this paper set out to of the service, content, visual requirement,
identify and develop an appropriate mechanism language and mode of access required to
for collating and distributing teaching material help make ecodesign tools more appropriate
on the subject of Design for Behavioural to industrial designers (Lofthouse, 2001a).
Change for a design and engineering audience. Information/Inspiration (Lofthouse, 2004), for
The work was supported and funded by the example, is a web-based ecodesign tool used
Higher Education Academy Engineering by three years of undergraduate Design and
Subject Centre. Technology students and Masters students to
support their design projects.
The Department of Design and Technology at
Loughborough University has been teaching The Information/Inspiration project identified
undergraduate and postgraduate industrial/ that simple guidance, information and
product design students sustainable design education each have an important role to play
since 2000 when an education for sustainability in the service delivered by ecodesign tools,
programme was developed to further engage but that combining these elements provides a
second year students with the sustainable more holistic service and greater benefits than
design agenda. Sustainable design thinking is those afforded by the individual constituent
now integrated into other parts of degree level parts. The provision of information is the
teaching within all years. Sustainable design key to a successful tool, but only alongside

engineering education vol.4 issue 1 2009 29

Lilley and Lofthouse

guidance and education. Guidance provision studies. It provides the facility to address the
ensures that the most relevant information can needs of the user who seeks understanding
be identified and found. Education provision having developed their own questions, as well
has a supportive role and ensures that the as the user who is looking for quick solutions
designers have the opportunity to build up rather than meaning, addressing both surface
an understanding of the main principles of and deeper learning requirements. Through
ecodesign in a hands-on way (Lofthouse, the functions afforded by a website, this type
2001a). It was recognised that case study of approach allows students to identify and
examples bring ecodesign information alive explore links which are particularly relevant to
by illustrating how it can be applied, and their studies. It also makes the case studies
providing specific information helps to make accessible to others beyond taught classes.
the examples more credible (Lofthouse,
2001a). Tools also need to look as though they Methodology
have been created for industrial designers. This The research methodology for this project
means displaying information visually rather consisted of several stages of exploratory,
than in a written format (Lofthouse, 2001a) and qualitative research (see Figure 1).
using images wherever possible. The content
provided in ecodesign tools of this nature As illustrated in Figure 1, material gathered
needs to be presented in the form of nuggets from the literature review (see Literature review
of information, rather than large quantities design for sustainable behaviour) formed
of text, and in an appropriate language for the basis of a pilot study consisting of two
industrial designers (avoiding technical/ consecutive teaching activities carried out
scientific jargon and an academic framework). with MSc/MA Industrial Design students at
The benefit of a web based approach is Loughborough University. The aims of the pilot
that these nuggets of information can be were to:
hyperlinked to more detailed information in
order to support deeper learning as and when 1. Explore and evaluate how best to teach
required. industrial/product design students how to
apply Design for Behavioural Change theory
Web-based resources such as Information/ in sustainable design.
Inspiration are not used as stand-alone tools 2. Generate design case studies which
but as an integral part of the teaching-learning- showed how the concept had been
assessment strategy combining traditional developed, as well as the final solution.
and e-learning practices, a method often
referred to as blended learning (Garrison The students were given a preparatory
and Kanuka, 2004). Providing this type of lecture to introduce three of the product-led
resource to support studio-based learning intervention approaches discussed in the
builds on a tradition of independent study literature review and a selection of design case
which is encouraged throughout the degree studies taken from the literature. They were
course ten years of experience in using then tasked with redesigning a given product
this type of approach has shown that it is an to address a social or environmental issue
effective way of supplying students with case originating from user behaviour.

Figure 1.
EMPIRICAL
EMPIRICAL RESEARCH
Project development RESEARCH
process
LITERATURE REVIEW

MAIN STUDY: Developing & Testing

Version 1.0 of design behaviour
PILOT STUDY: Teaching
Design for Behavioural Change
1. Material collation and evaluation
to MSc/MA Industrial Design students

2. Website development
1. 2005/06 Mobile Phone Design

3. Website population
2. 2006/07 Fridge Design

4. Testing

30 vol.4 issue 1 2009 engineering education

 Lilley and Lofthouse

The design brief consisted of three parts: In phase four, Version 1.0 of design-behaviour
was evaluated using a short electronic
Research and development (R&D). questionnaire which investigated the content
Observing product use and the and navigation of the website, general
consequences of user behaviour for society perceptions on its quality, clarity and relevance,
or the environment. areas for improvement and new content for
Redesign. Generating and developing inclusion. The questionnaire was distributed
design ideas that could change user via email to the four MSc/MA Industrial Design
behaviour using one of the approaches students taught in 2006/07 as part of the pilot,
described in the lecture. the eight design professionals interviewed
Final concept. A presentation detailing the and 35 members of the Sustainable Design
final idea and how it could change user Network who had attended the Design I
behaviour to address one or more of the Behaviour seminar in April 2006. The response
issues identified in the R&D stage. rate was 26%. A coding and clustering
method was used to analyse the results of the
Each student was required to keep a design questionnaire and key lessons were drawn out.
logbook in which to record their ideas, thoughts The authors used this feedback to implement
and analysis. These were submitted with a several improvements in an updated version
copy of their presentation on completion of the of the resource (Version 1.1) (see Further
project. developments).

The main study consisted of four phases (see Literature review

Figure 1). The first phase involved reflecting design for sustainable behaviour
on the material gathered during the literature Industrial designers shape the development
review, evaluating its appropriateness and of products, technologies and services which
gaining an understanding of what kinds directly and indirectly impact upon society
of information would be needed to enable and the environment (Papanek, 1971) at every
practising designers and students to apply stage of the product lifecycle. The application
this thinking in their design processes. Theory of sustainable design strategies can greatly
developed through Information/Inspiration reduce the environmental and social impacts
(Lofthouse, 2001a) provided a useful basis of these products and services (Lewis et
for the development of the service in terms al., 2001). However, as recognised by the
of visual requirement, language and mode forthcoming Directive 2005/32/EC on the
of access for design-behaviour. In order to ecodesign of Energy-using Products (EuP),
take a more specific direction on the content, the greatest environmental impact of electrical
empirical findings which emerged from in-depth and electronic products often occurs during
face-to-face interviews with eight design and use and is heavily influenced by consumer
engineering professionals conducted during behaviour (Rodriguez and Boks, 2005).
the main study of Lilleys PhD (2007) were
drawn on. In spite of a decade of adverts reminding
consumers to adopt more environmentally
Phase two centred on developing a prototype conscious behaviours and the numerous
version of the web-based resource in technological options on offer, most are slow to
FrontPage (Version 1.0). FrontPage was adopt more sustainable behaviours (DeVries,
selected for its ease of use and the ready 2006; Siegle, 2006). Information campaigns
availability of the software. Key objectives such as Are you doing your bit? (DEFRA,
included identifying potential audiences, 2002) and ACT ON CO2 (DEFRA et al., 2008)
identifying their needs (through interviews have failed to create the long term behavioural
where possible) and developing the structure shift needed to reduce the impact of product
for the content. use (Scott, 2004; Darby, 2001). The key
problem has been that users have to make the
The third phase of the main study focused link between the information, their behaviour
on populating the resource by drawing on and the resulting impact and this makes it
theoretical findings (Lilley, 2007). Content difficult to motivate a change in the majority of
included design approaches and case studies their behaviour (Bhamra et al., 2008b; Darby,
identified during the literature review, useful 2001). To encourage behavioural change the
websites and blogs and links to further reading. causal link between behaviour and positive or

engineering education vol.4 issue 1 2009 31

Lilley and Lofthouse

negative environmental or social consequences from an industrial/product design perspective

must be reinforced (Darby, 2001). and contained discipline-specific terminology
not readily used or understood in the context
By considering the impact of the use phase, of product design. The majority of the existing
designers have greater potential to reduce product design examples identified in the
environmental and social impacts of the literature, though inspirational, lacked sufficient
products they create. However, this stage detail of the designers research and design
of the lifecycle has historically not been processes. This limited their usefulness from
considered in detail. Design for Behavioural an educational perspective as students were
Change is a new field of enquiry exploring how unable to understand how the end result was
design can influence user behaviour. In the reached. In spite of these limitations, the
context of sustainable design this approach students taught in 2005/06 engaged with the
can be applied to reduce negative social subject matter and produced a broad range of
and environmental use impacts. Through innovative design concepts in response to the
examining cross-disciplinary literature, Lilley brief (Lilley et al., 2006). One student even went
(2007) identified three potential approaches on to study this subject at PhD level.
for influencing user behaviour through product
design; eco-feedback (McCalley, 2006), In 2006/07, the introductory lecture had a
behaviour steering (Jelsma and Knot, 2002; different focus: to explore the environmental
Akrich, 1992) and persuasive technology impacts associated with the use of fridges
(or captology) (Fogg, 2003). This framework and develop design solutions to address user
was subsequently refined to include seven behaviour and reduce use impacts (lecture
approaches which can be applied within design by Debra Lilley and Tang Tang). The students
to reduce use impacts (Bhamra et al., 2008a; were provided with background contextual
Bhamra et al., 2008b). Table 1 describes information, an overview of design for
each approach with some examples of their behavioural change approaches and product
application in product design. case studies illustrating how others had used
these approaches to design for sustainable
Whilst providing interesting considerations for behaviour. By 2007 further research had been
designers, these approaches have not been undertaken and the body of knowledge on
widely applied and there is lack of real data on which to draw was greater. The theoretical
their effectiveness (Bhamra et al., 2008b). approaches were more clearly defined and
more closely related to sustainable product
Pilot study design. Additionally, a greater range of product
In 2005/06 Debra Lilley delivered a lecture design case studies had been identified.
to MA/MSc Industrial Design students at A PowerPoint diagram which linked an
Loughborough University introducing design explanation of each approach with examples of
for behavioural change. The students were then its application in product design was created.
set a brief which challenged them to apply one Directly linking theory and practice was of great
of the approaches outlined in the lecture to the use in engaging the students and furthering
design of a mobile phone to reduce the social their understanding of the subject as it not only
impacts of its use in public. enabled them to understand the theory but also
brought it to life. From a teaching perspective,
An earlier version of the framework shown in being able to toggle between the theory and
Table 1 and a range of product design case case study examples through hyperlinked
studies identified through Lilleys PhD proved texts embedded in the PowerPoint slides was
extremely useful in explaining the concept of extremely useful, though limited.
design for behavioural change to the students.
However, at that time research in this field was Lilleys experiences of teaching design for
fairly limited in an industrial/product design behavioural change led the authors to conclude
context and subsequently there were few that there was a need for a centralised resource
publications to explain what it was or how to to support teaching and learning in this field.
apply it in product design. Existing literature The findings indicated that this resource
was located across a range of disciplinary would need to present clear information
areas, making it difficult for designers and about available approaches and provide
engineers to access. Most publications tended case studies (detailing research and design
to focus on a single approach, were not written processes) to illustrate how these approaches

32 vol.4 issue 1 2009 engineering education

 Lilley and Lofthouse

Table 1. Design for behavioural change approaches and examples

Eco-information design oriented education

Aim: to make consumables visible, understandable and accessible to inspire consumers to reflect upon their use
of resources.

How it works: Examples:

1. Product expresses the presence and consumption Power Aware Cord Seeing Personal Energy
of resources e.g. water, energy etc. Consumption (Interactive Institute, 2004).

2. Product encourages the user to interact with Tyranny of the Plug Kitchen Machines Being involved
resource use. in powering the product (Van Hoff, 2003).

Eco-choice design oriented empowerment

Aim: to encourage consumers to think about their use behaviour and to take responsibility for theirs actions
by providing them with options.

How it works: Example:

Users have a choice and the product enables Domestic Energy Display household system level
sustainable use to take place. concept (Design Council, 2005).

Eco-feedback design oriented links to environmentally or socially responsible action

Aim: to inform users clearly about what they are doing and to facilitate consumers to make environmentally and
socially responsible decisions through offering real-time feedback..

How it works: Example:

The product provides tangible aural, visual, or tactile Wattson wireless energy monitor which raises
signs as reminders to inform users of resource use. awareness of energy used in the home (DIY Kyoto,
2005).

Eco-spur design oriented rewarding incentive and penalty

Aim: to inspire users to explore more sustainable usage through providing rewards to prompt good behaviour or
penalties to punish unsustainable usage.

How it works: Example:

The product shows the user the consequences of their Flower Lamp Rewarding Energy Behaviours
actions through rewarding incentives and penalties. (Interactive Institute, 2004).

Eco-steer design oriented affordances and constraints

Aim: to facilitate users to adopt more environmentally or socially desirable use habits through the prescriptions
and/or constraints of use embedded in the product design..

How it works: Example:

The product contains affordances and constraints Unilever Powder Tablet Counteracting excessive
which encourage users to adopt more sustainable use amounts of washing powder consumption by
habits or reform existing unsustainable habits. prescribing correct dose (Unilever, 2000).

Eco-technical intervention design oriented technical intervention

Aim: to restrain existing use habits and to persuade or control user behaviour automatically by design combined
with advanced technology.

How it works: Example:

The product utilises advanced technology to persuade Energy Curtain Interacting with Daily Light Cycles
or control user behaviour automatically. (Interactive Institute, 2004).

Clever design

Aim: to automatically act environmentally or socially without raising awareness or changing user behaviour purely
through innovative product design.

How it works: Example:

The design solution decreases environmental impacts Caroma integrated toilet and washbasin decreases
without changing the users behaviour. water use by re-using water for hand-washing to flush
toilet (Caroma, 2008).

engineering education vol.4 issue 1 2009 33

Lilley and Lofthouse

could be applied in sustainable design. It was (level2): what is it?, doing it, understanding
recognised that the increased functionality the user, how others have done it (which held
and flexibility offered by a web-based program individual webpages (level 3)) and about us.
would further enhance the delivery of theoretical
information and inspirational case studies in a As illustrated in Figure 3, each webpage
simple, graphic format, enabling lecturers to featured a vertical menu on the left-hand
use it within the classroom and offering a quick side with links to the five main sections
and easy path for updating the resource, whilst and homepage. Each level 3 page also
still being comprehensive enough to facilitate featured a horizontal navigation path known
independent study. as breadcrumbs just below the banner, a
mechanism which helps the user to place
The similarity in the characteristics required themselves more easily within the website
of this resource with those of Information/ as well as shortcut links []. to jump to
Inspiration led the authors to believe that previously viewed pages without using the back
a blended learning approach would be a button (Rogers and Chaparro, 2003).
suitable way forward for this exploratory piece
of work. In response to this need, the authors Content
sought and secured funding to create design- The findings of the interviews with engineering
behaviour (www.design-behaviour.co.uk), an and design professionals (Lilley, 2007) revealed
educational web-based resource. that resources to support the implementation of
design for behavioural change should:
Main study: developing
the prototype (Version 1.0) assist in problem identification
Over a six month period a prototype version of be explorative, not prescriptive
design-behaviour (Version 1.0) was developed be applied in the early ideation stages of
in FrontPage and tested by a cross-section the design process
of potential users. The following paragraphs pose questions, not provide solutions
detail the process undertaken to develop inspire designers to solve problems.
the structure, navigation and content of this
resource. Favoured modes for the presentation of
information included:
Structure and navigation
As seen in Figure 2, in addition to the informal checklists in the form of prompt
homepage (level 1), Version 1.0 of design- questions, rather than prescriptive
behaviour consisted of five main sections sequential steps to follow

Figure 2.
Design-behaviour site map (Version 1.0) level 1

level 2

level 3

34 vol.4 issue 1 2009 engineering education

 Lilley and Lofthouse

specific case studies supported by The information provided in the doing it

evidence which validates the outcome section was intended to be informative but not
scenarios depicting use to assist the prescriptive. This section did not advocate the
designer in exploring product use in a use of one approach in isolation, instead it
specific context, including short films encouraged the use of two or more approaches
showing actual user behaviour. in tandem to emphasise that there is no single
way to design for behavioural change and no
The following paragraphs introduce the content hard and fast rules as to which approach to
contained in Version 1.0 of design-behaviour. use.

Welcome / homepage Understanding the user

The welcome / homepage presented a brief This section presented a range of user-centred
introduction to the website and how to use it. research techniques drawn from the literature
The navigation menu to the left provided links to assist practitioners in gathering user
to the five main sections. perceptions and observing real behaviours
in real contexts. Each technique listed was
What is it? linked to an individual webpage (see Figure 5)
The what is it? section gave a brief which provided a more detailed description,
introduction to the concept of design for references to further information and examples
behavioural change, described the intended of how the technique has been applied in
audience for the website and provided a practice. It was anticipated that this layout
rationale as to why those working in design would enable users to select an applicable
and engineering professions should apply technique easily and quickly from the level2
these approaches in practice. It also provided introductory webpage, then follow the link
a central portal for relevant information and through to the level 3 webpage to acquire more
resources, including books, conference and information on their chosen technique.
journal papers, websites and blogs, as well as
a list of researchers actively researching and How others have done it
publishing in related fields. The how others have done it section aimed
to provide the user with a broad range of case
Doing it studies drawn from primary research (Lilley,
The doing it section listed three design for 2007) which demonstrate how others have
behavioural change approaches identified by approached designing for behavioural change
Lilley (2007) (see Figure 4). Each approach within the context of sustainable design
was shown with a thumbnail image, title, brief (see Figure 6).
description and link to the corresponding
level3 webpage which provided more detail
and extra resources.

Figure 3.
Sample web page
illustrating key
navigational aids

engineering education vol.4 issue 1 2009 35

Lilley and Lofthouse

Figure 4.
Doing it
(level 2 web page)

thumbnail image

potential approaches
title and brief description

link to more information

(<more>)

Figure 5.
Understanding
the user
(level 2 webpage)

Figure 6.
How others
have done it
(level 2 webpage)

36 vol.4 issue 1 2009 engineering education

 Lilley and Lofthouse

Each case study was linked to an individual Who is it most useful for?
webpage which set out a brief overview of the All of the survey respondents who were
approach taken to identify the impacts resulting beginners or intermediates felt that the website
from use (where possible) and how these was most suited to their respective level of
issues were addressed through applying one expertise. Some considered it to be suitable
or more of the design for behavioural change for all levels of expertise. The expert felt that
approaches described in the doing it section it was most suitable for an intermediate level
(see Figure 7). of expertise. This fits with the authors opinion
that the site would be most likely to support a
About us beginner or intermediate level of familiarity and
About us placed the design-behaviour expertise in this field, rather than an expert who
website within the context of Lilleys PhD would more likely be engaged in research of
research (2007) and charted the progression their own.
of its development. It outlined further areas of
research to be carried out and provided a list of Most useful section
publications. When asked to rate the most useful section,
the majority of survey respondents voted for
Feedback how other have done it. They all liked the
Feedback on the suitability of the tool was wide range of good case study examples
sought using a questionnaire administered to which help to make it real [a, d, f, k] and
a range of potential stakeholders via email. aid understanding [a, d] much better than
The majority of respondents (eight) considered theory alone [i]. The fact that they were visual
themselves to hold an intermediate level of and wide ranging was also recognised and
understanding of the subject, two felt they commended. Feedback indicated that this
were intermediate to expert, one was an expert section provided both education/awareness-
and one was a beginner. Findings from the raising and inspiration.
survey are discussed below. To enable the
authors to use direct quotes, whilst ensuring A few survey respondents preferred the
the anonymity of those who responded, each doing it pages, their general consensus
respondent was assigned a letter (e.g. k). being that the framework provided a clear
layout. However, one survey respondent did
Comments on content not feel that this section was detailed enough
Feedback from the survey respondents widely and another felt that it was too detailed. This
complimented the informative content within contradictory finding suggests that it would be
the site and the useful links and references [e, worth investigating the suitability of this section
k, l] which connect this content to the broader in more detail. Understanding the user was
picture. also recognised as very useful [j].

Figure 7.
How others
have done it:
power aware cord
(level 3 webpage)

engineering education vol.4 issue 1 2009 37

Lilley and Lofthouse

Interfacing with the user design for behavioural change approaches,

(layout and navigation) drawn from earlier research (Lilley, 2007),
All respondents stated that they found the site were presented, with links to more detailed
either easy or very easy to navigate around and information accessible through individual
technically the website appeared to be working level 3 web pages (see Figures 2 and 4).
well as no one had any problems viewing its As discussed in the feedback section some
content. The respondents also commented respondents considered the information
favourably on its simple layout and structure. provided in this section to be too academic
One participant (a researcher) commented or text heavy. In Version 1.1, shown in
that they would value more cross linking Figure8, these approaches have been refined
between the sections [d]. This is undoubtedly and expanded upon to reflect current thinking
an issue which could be investigated. All the (Bhamra et al., 2008b) and each approach
respondents stated that they felt the language is linked to relevant case studies in the how
used was clear and easy to understand. One others have done it section to illustrate how it
participant warned against very occasionally has been applied.
[sounding] slightly too academic [e] and
another commented on sections being a bit The information provided has been streamlined
text heavy [a]. A review of these issues would and a downloadable resource pack added
help to streamline the resource and make it for those interested in reading more about
even more accessible. the theory underpinning the approaches
introduced. It is anticipated that this
Usefulness of site arrangement will cater more adequately for
All the survey respondents said that they would the primary audiences level of knowledge
use the website as part of their design process. (indicated as beginner or intermediate) whilst
How others have done it was seen as a key allowing those who wish to read more deeply
section to support this role. Sections what is on the subject to access additional materials.
it?, doing it and understanding the user all
scored similarly and proved to be relatively Discussion
popular second choices. One respondent said Providing an electronic resource to support
that he could use design-behaviour to support the teaching of design for behavioural change
his engineering teaching in two ways: firstly has proven to be a very appropriate approach.
as inspiration for final year design projects It enables students to retrieve nuggets of
and secondly as the basis of a group-working information (surface learning) or dig deeper to
activity requiring students to apply one of the find more detailed information (deep learning)
methodologies referred to by the website to whilst also being very easy to update. From
a particular market segment or product area a teaching perspective, the layered nature
to generate design solutions. This comment of the information provided enables case
suggests that specific teaching resources or study examples to underpin the delivery of
guides for lecturers would be a useful addition theory during a lecture whilst also providing a
to the resource. foundation for facilitating reflective questioning
and discussion with students. This is
Further developments particularly applicable in small group teaching
The feedback provided by respondents to the where specific case studies contained in the
questionnaire enabled the authors to tailor resource can be used as a basis for group
and refine the website content to better reflect design activities and facilitated discussion. This
the audiences needs. As a result several resource also effectively supports independent
improvements were made and implemented study and project based learning.
in an updated version of design-behaviour to
increase the clarity of the information provided To further improve interaction, the authors plan
and forge stronger, more visible links between to integrate a moderated discussion forum into
the theory (doing it) and practice (how others the resource to enable visitors to comment on
have done it) sections of the website. the case studies presented in how others have
done it. It is anticipated that these comments
The doing it section of Version 1.0, though will provide further stimulus for discussion and
well received, presented a significant challenge debate both within the classroom and in the
in terms of how to structure and present the wider design community.
information. In Version 1.0 of the resource three

38 vol.4 issue 1 2009 engineering education

 Lilley and Lofthouse

Figure 8.
Version 1.1
doing it web page

As with many student design projects, the also indicating that the approach which is
outcomes from the activities reported in being taken is not only relevant and interesting
this paper were not taken through to a user but also highly appropriate to the intended
testing phase and as such it was not possible audience. The design-behaviour resource
to determine whether the resulting designs has continued to evolve and is updated on a
were successful in encouraging behaviour regular basis with new case studies, techniques
modification. However, it is evident that this and resources. It is currently used to support
approach is gaining recognition as a subject masters level project work in combination with
worthy of academic study (Lockton et al., 2008; studio based learning and the intention next
Elias et al., 2008; Tang and Bhamra, 2008; is to integrate the updated resource into the
Design and Behaviour, 2008) and, judging by teaching of second year sustainable design
the marked increase in behaviour changing students at Loughborough University (outlined
products on the market (DIY Kyoto, 2005; in the introduction) to support the design for
Product Creation Ltd, 2007; Nissan Global, sustainability strand of the module as part of a
2008), it is increasingly of great interest to blended learning approach.
manufacturers as well.
Acknowledgements
Conclusions The authors would like thank the Higher
Through this paper the authors have presented Education Academy Engineering Subject
an iterative process of development and Centre for the opportunity, funding and support
refinement which has supported the creation of which enabled design-behaviour to be
a new resource for the teaching of design for developed. We would also like to extend our
behavioural change. Feedback on the resource thanks to all the individuals who trialled, tested
at every stage has indicated a real need for and evaluated the website and those who
this type of mechanism, with latter feedback contributed case studies. n

engineering education vol.4 issue 1 2009 39

Lilley and Lofthouse

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Contact details
Dr Debra Lilley (BA, MRes, PhD), Research Associate, Department of Design and Technology,
Loughborough University, UK. Tel: 07748 652879 Email: [email protected]

Dr Vicky Lofthouse (BSc, PhD), Lecturer in Industrial Design, Department of Design and
Technology, Loughborough University, UK.

engineering education vol.4 issue 1 2009 41