SESSION #1 – SUSTAINLAB WORKSHOP

In a digital workshop Ina & Henning gave a broad overview on different methods of sustainbiiity assessments. After starting of with system perspectives they focussed on Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) as a method to analyse and compare environmental impact of materials, products and services. They especcially talked about the use of LCAs in and for art and design by giving many examples and using case studies. Various tools such as the software OpenLCA and also different databases containing numerous data sets already were explained into great detail. Some are developed especially for designers, others are open source and therefor accessible.
The messages was not to create or use LCAs directly but to understand the idea, principle and potentials behind in order to make use of them with according experts.

Life&Cycle
Getting started workshop by Henning Francik & Ina Turinsky / SustainLab

In a digital workshop Ina & Henning gave a broad overview on different methods of sustainbiiity assessments. After starting of with system perspectives they focussed on Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) as a method to analyse and compare environmental impact of materials, products and services. They especcially talked about the use of LCAs in and for art and design by giving many examples and using case studies. Various tools such as the software OpenLCA and also different databases containing numerous data sets already were explained into great detail. Some are developed especially for designers, others are open source and therefor accessible.
The messages was not to create or use LCAs directly but to understand the idea, principle and potentials behind in order to make use of them with according experts.

LCD-LCA
Using a study as a basis / Henning Francik /SustainLab

In a second step Henning introduced the group to the study “Schaffung einer Datenbasis zur Ermittlung ökologischer Wirkungen der Produkte der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik (IKT)” by the Ökoinstitut on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency. This study is based on an environmental declaration for an LCD laptop screen by the Chinese company Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO). The data set has been transferred to the database Probas, which is accessible for us. This set of data and also the study was starting point for the task of session #1. Part of this excersise was indirectly to learn to not just read such studies and be able to use them as a designer.

visual analysis / analytical visualisation
introduction by Ina Turinsky / SustainLab

The task for session #1 was not just about visualizing a set of data, but also to analyze by visualizing, to understand design as a research tool, as a way to question.
!na gave a great input on very different possibilities to on the one hand visualize data meaningfully and critically and also to use design as a research tool.