Abstract
This study supports the shift towards more sustainable industrial design sketch modelling (the making of expressive models for problem solving) by detailing the material needs and sustainability concerns that result from the practice’s disposable nature. This transition also provides another opportunity to embed sustainable thinking throughout industry, as sketch modelling is taught early in a designer’s education. This study is centred around an overview of the literature on the roles and life cycles of commonly associated materials, with a focus on paper derivatives, polystyrene and polyurethane foam. The polymer foams, in particular, can result in widespread environmental harm, from their petroleum-derived production to the generation of microplastic dust during modelling. Beyond emphasising that future material recommendations should be more specific, such as suggesting “fully recycled unbleached paper” instead of just “paper”, more specialised environmental data is needed alongside presenting it in a way that best supports design practitioners and educators.
Keywords
Sketch Modelling, Environmental Sustainability, Studio Materials, Occupational Health
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1684
Citation
Cvetkoski, M., Najaf Zadeh, H., and Woods, T. (2026) Towards a more sustainable industrial design sketch modelling practice: An overview of associated materials and their life cycles, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1684
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Towards a more sustainable industrial design sketch modelling practice: An overview of associated materials and their life cycles
This study supports the shift towards more sustainable industrial design sketch modelling (the making of expressive models for problem solving) by detailing the material needs and sustainability concerns that result from the practice’s disposable nature. This transition also provides another opportunity to embed sustainable thinking throughout industry, as sketch modelling is taught early in a designer’s education. This study is centred around an overview of the literature on the roles and life cycles of commonly associated materials, with a focus on paper derivatives, polystyrene and polyurethane foam. The polymer foams, in particular, can result in widespread environmental harm, from their petroleum-derived production to the generation of microplastic dust during modelling. Beyond emphasising that future material recommendations should be more specific, such as suggesting “fully recycled unbleached paper” instead of just “paper”, more specialised environmental data is needed alongside presenting it in a way that best supports design practitioners and educators.