Redesign for Sustainability

The Google Molly set-top-box

Image courtesy of Google

MCAD Students: Richard Ledesma, Zachary Elder, Christian Aage Lundsgaard

Google Representative: Ben Gallant
Instructor: Jeremy Faludi

Collaborative Product Design - MCAD - 05/01/2016

Table of Contents

1.

Project Introduction

2.

System Map

3.

Design Brief

4.

Green Certification Result: EPEAT Rating

5.

Tools and Methodology

6.

Top Six Concepts

7.

Decision Matrix

8.

Presentation of the top Three Concepts

Image courtesy of Google

Project Introduction

In February 2016, Sustainable Design Masters students from

Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) were tasked with
doing a sustainable redesign of the Google Molly set-top-box product
(released as an Android TV developer unit at Google I/O in 2014).
Over the course of nine weeks, the team has applied a series of
sustainable design assessment tools and methodologies and are
sharing their results with this presentation.
The presentation will briefly explain methodologies used and outline a
series of design concepts that were developed in the process, as well
as evaluations of these.

Image courtesy of Google

Mollys System Map

A Systems Map is created to define

the whole picture of the product and
its complete lifecycle.
Using a Product teardown and a
System Bill of Materials (SBOM),
individual components are listed to
perform a Life Cycle Assessment
(LCA) in order to determine the
environmental impacts of the system
as a whole.
Environmental impact is measured in
TRACI (mPts/functional unit) points
and Carbon footprint (CO2 eq. kg /
functional unit).

Design Brief
Objective

Metric/goal

Priority 1 Metal optimization

Reduction of environmental impact by 30%

Priority 2 Longevity

Life extension by 5 years

Priority 3 Design aesthetics

Qualitative study with 80% favorability

Priority 4 Plastics optimization

Reduction of environmental impact by 20%

Priority 5 Maintaining or lowering the cost

Less than or equal to 15%

Priority 6 Energy use reduction

Reduction of environmental impact by 5%

Baseline LCA

Impact Type

Weight
Environment 5

Business + Environment 5
Business 4
Environment 5
Business 3
Environment 1

Weight Description
Optimize metals usage in design to reduce environmental impact
Design product life to accept upgrades, serviceability, repair
Increase the visual and tactile experience of the product
Optimize all plastics usage in design to reduce environmental impact
How well do the ideas maintain cost level of the product?
Reduce products local energy use

Design Brief
Objective

Metric/goal

Priority 1 Metal optimization

Reduction of environmental impact by 30%

Priority 2 Longevity

Life extension by 5 years

Priority 3 Design aesthetics

Qualitative study with 80% favorability

Priority 4 Plastics optimization

Reduction of environmental impact by 20%

Priority 5 Maintaining or lowering the cost

Less than or equal to 15%

Priority 6 Energy use reduction

Reduction of environmental impact by 5%

EPEAT CERTIFICATION

Not eligible at current stage (based on

assumptions)

Results provided input for design brief

Impact Type

Weight
Environment 5

Business + Environment 5
Business 4
Environment 5
Business 3
Environment 1

Weight Description
Optimize metals usage in design to reduce environmental impact
Design product life to accept upgrades, serviceability, repair
Increase the visual and tactile experience of the product
Optimize all plastics usage in design to reduce environmental impact
How well do the ideas maintain cost level of the product?
Reduce products local energy use

Tools and Methodology

These are the design for sustainability tools that were used:
Whole Systems and Lifecycle Method
Analyze the system as a whole to know where to focus
Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) - Sustainable Minds
Software for assessing environmental impacts and carbon footprint
EPEAT Rating
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool
Factor of Ten Engineering Principles
Radical efficiency through integrative design and whole systems thinking
Energy optimization
Reducing consumption or impact of consumption
Materials
Reducing consumption and finding good alternatives
Biomimicry Redesign - AskNature
Inspiration from Mother Nature
Persuasive Design
Changing user behavior through design

Top 6 Concepts

Ventilating bi-metal
concept

Integrated solid
state concept

Surface convection
concept

Recycled aluminium
heat spreader concept

Cloud based
dongle concept

Longevity and
modularity concept

LCA Concept Comparison versus Original Baseline

These 2 graphs represent the final LCA results of each final concept design. These provide additional data for the decision matrix.

Baseline = Original Molly Device

Concept Decision Matrix

Implement a decision-making process to choose the top three winning concepts.
Idea 1:
Bimetal

Idea 2:
Idea 3:
Surface
HDMI
convection Dongle

Idea 4:
Solid State
Transf.

Idea 5:
Recycled
Alum. Heat
Spreader

Design Priority Weight

Idea 6:
Timeless
Longevity
Weight Description

LCA
Improvement

3 LCA improvement score

Metal
optimization

Optimize metals usage in design to

reduce environmental impact

Longevity

Design product life to accept

upgrades, serviceability, repair

Design
Aesthetics

Maintain or improve the visual and

tactile experience of the product

Plastics
optimization

Optimize plastics usage in design to

reduce environmental impact

Cost

How well do the ideas maintain cost

level of the product?

Energy use
reduction

3 Reduce product's local energy use

Awesomeness

3rd: 104

2nd: 112

1st: 147

60

64

4th: 101

Total

How well do the ideas maintain the

"awesomeness" level of the product?

Top 4 Concepts
Ventilating bi-metal

Cloud based dongle

Bimetal top cover: steel outer laminated

to a copper inner. Water-soluble glue
insulates and enhances difference in
expansion between the two metals.
Cover is thermally connected to PCB
and acts a heat spreader.

The Molly device is replaced by a smaller and

simpler device that is powered by HDMI from a
TV/monitor. Processing plus streaming power
are centralized, while the monitor controls data
transmission over the internet.

Copper expands more than the steel,

causing the cover to open and close
with temperature fluctuations.

Mollys plastics and PCB are reduced by 25%,

two antennas are to reduced to one, power use
plus product lifetime is estimated to be at same
level, and finally, the power supply transformer
and cable are eliminated.

Surface convection

Longevity and modularity

The existing thermal mass of

Mollys heatsink can be greatly
reduced by substituting that
mass with surface area.

Aesthetics designed with timelessness in

mind. Connections, PCB, antenna etc. are
replaceable modules enabling exchange
when updates are necessary.

Utilizing
surfaces
with
compound curvature would
allow for cooling structures
with greatly increased surface
area at a fraction of the
material mass needed due to
the mechanical properties of
the curved form.

These changes extend the average product

life from 5 to 10 years. Additionally, utilizing
water-soluble PCBs for replacements,
would enable Google to take back parts
and reuse all components.

Bimetal
geometry designed to optimize convection
Compound curvature allows for
greatly reduced metal usage
over a large surface area

Aluminium
Differentials in thermal
properties of layers metals
allows for automatic
venting

Copper
Heat

BENEFITS

High performance hardware

Modern design aesthetics

Reduced material cost

Brand image

28%
performance
improvement

Biomimicry Ripple
Thin shell convection housing / heatsink

Top external convection vent

Bottom external convection vent

PCB
Module housing

Thin shell aluminium

convection chimney

Internal convection vent

BENEFITS

High performance hardware

Modern design aesthetics

Reduced material cost

Brand image

29%
performance
improvement

HDMI Dongle
Small minimized impact hardware

Feature rich content with scalable cloud

based processing for extended life

Seamlessly integrates with video devices

Out of sight, out of mind hardware

experience reduces need or desire to
physically replace Molly before its
useful life is over
BENEFITS

Lower price

Centralized processing business model

Lower cost hardware

77%
performance
improvement

Timeless Longevity

Module based upgrades

Open hardware platform for makers

Contract service for updates

and hardware reclamation
Designed aesthetic longevity as well
as extended life beyond intended use
BENEFITS

Hardware exchanges
Timeless aesthetics

Iconic branding
Service contract business model
Customer loyalty

50%
performance
improvement

Thank you!

Appendix

Original Concept Design Sketches

Detailed Impacts by SBOM inputs: Total [TRACI mPts/func unit]

Impacts by SBOM inputs: Carbon Footprint [CO2 eq. kg/func unit]

Green Certification Result: EPEAT Rating of Original Molly Product