Integrating environmental information into a designer's cognitive processes using an ecodesign expert system. A protocol analysis case study

Proactive electronics companies are vigorously pursuing the implementation of clean electronics. To aid designers with this task companies are developing environmental computer tool kits. These suites of software packages help designers to analyze and improve their products ecologically. Manchester Metropolitan University in collaboration with Nortel Technology Ltd. have developed an Ecodesign Tool expert system that participates in the product development process. This paper describes two protocol analysis case studies using the Ecodesign Tool. The first study shows how the tool is used to set an environmental product development strategy and the second describes how well the tool integrates into a designer's cognitive processes, whilst designing a product.