A generic framework for the collaborative and creative generation of lightweight and sustainable products

The growing demand for responsible resource use presents a significant challenge in today’s time-, cost-, and quality-driven product development. Therefore, this paper explores integrating creativity techniques into early development phases to achieve innovative, lightweight, and sustainable designs. Using a case study on extending the useful life of a bicycle trailer, a generic framework is introduced, aligning lightweighting and sustainability objectives in the idea generation process. Lessons learned highlight the critical role of the moderator, the importance of an iterative process, and the need for guidelines on method selection. The findings provide actionable recommendations for fostering sustainable innovation in lightweight design and form a basis for further research on adapting creativity techniques to sustainability goals.