DFE Advisor

The DFE Advisor is a new online tool that provides guidance on developing environmentally responsible products and processes. It is based on the 2009 book Design for Environment: A Guide to Sustainable Product Development by Joseph Fiksel, which presents guidelines in four major categories: design for dematerialization, design for detoxification, design for revalorization, and design for capital protection and renewal. The tool asks a few simple questions about the product or process characteristics, lifecycle stages of interest, and environmental, health, or safety concerns. It offers relevant guidelines for the designer to consider, and provides examples of companies that have incorporated these guidelines into their design and engineering innovations. This is a non-commercial prototype developed by a team of Ohio State Univ. graduate students and is available free of charge online.