The transition toward more sustainable products necessitates the evaluation of sustainability indicators as an integral component of the iterative design process. However, conventional assessment methods are often performed retrospectively and rely on information that is typically unavailable in early design stages. This paper proposes a method that enables the integration of sustainability considerations into product development by linking available data to suitable evaluation approaches. The method builds on specification levels reflecting the maturity of product requirements during the development process. Based on this classification, appropriate assessment strategies ranging from qualitative to detailed assessments are recommended depending on data quality. The data quality is systematically evaluated following a structured scheme from environmental footprint frameworks. The novelty of this approach lies in the proposal of categories of sustainability assessment methods which can be used iteratively and in succession with increasing availability and quality of product data during the product development process. The main focus is the support in selecting suitable assessment methods in order to implement sustainability considerations early in product development. The proposed approach is demonstrated through a case study involving the redesign of a representative product with high data availability. The objective is to improve the environmental sustainability of the new product while extending its functionality. By supporting life-cycle design under uncertainty and enhancing the traceability of sustainability-related requirements, the method supports design for sustainability in data-scarce environments. It thereby strengthens the alignment between product development and the principles of a circular and sustainable product system.
Quernheim et al. (Thu,) studied this question.