Embracing Uncertainty: Developing a Life Cycle Assessment Tool to Support Decision-Making Throughout the Design Process

Abstract

With increasing policies and societal pressure, the environmental impact of product design has become a widespread concern. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a key method used to quantify the environmental impacts associated with the manufacture, transport, use and disposal of a product. While LCA provides valuable insights, it is primarily used as a retrospective evaluation tool rather than to inform design decisions. This is largely due to the complexity, data-intensive nature and misalignment of existing LCA software with the design workflow. As a result, designers struggle to incorporate LCA insights into their decision-making process.

To bridge this gap and lower the threshold for LCA adoption, Polaris Sustainability, a start-up company aiming to specialise in LCA software, initiated this thesis project to explore the development of a designer-friendly LCA tool. The aim is to make LCA more accessible by integrating it seamlessly into the design process, allowing designers to apply LCA in an ex-ante manner, assessing environmental impacts before their products are finalised. This approach helps designers integrate sustainability considerations early in development when changes are still flexible. By addressing environmental impacts before decisions become too costly or difficult to reverse, it enables more sustainable design choices.

The research identified two key challenges: the complexity of LCA software and the lack of alignment with design workflows. Designers often struggle with critical LCA steps, such as defining Functional Units (FUs), handling incomplete datasets, and interpreting results. At the same time, different design stages require different levels of environmental insights. Recognizing LCA’s value at each stage (e.g., ideation or embodiment) can improve its integration into decision-making. Designers also need structured support in performing LCA, including guidance on working with incomplete data, using proxies, and simplifying LCA terminology to make it more intuitive and actionable.

To address these issues, a digital prototype was developed through UX design methods and usability testing, featuring a wizard-based approach that guides designers step by step through the LCA process. Key features include accessible databases for material and process data, uncertainty management for handling incomplete datasets, and clear data visualizations to help designers understand and compare environmental impacts.

A feasibility discussion with software developers confirmed that the tool’s core functionalities, such as guided workflows and real-time impact assessments, are technically feasible. However, some features will require excessive computing power, making them prone to error. Future development should focus on creating a functional prototype, gathering additional user feedback, and enhancing automation to reduce cognitive load. Developing databases tailored to designers' material and process knowledge will be essential to improving usability.

By refining the user experience, addressing data challenges, and modelling the back-end, Polaris will be able to develop a practical LCA tool that supports environmetnal design decisions. Collaboration with academia and industry, along with pilot studies, will further strengthen the tool, ensuring it is both methodologically sound and aligned with practical design needs before its full launch.