Certified Production & Operations Manager (POM) Practice Exam

Which design approach aims to minimize environmental impact?

1. Robust design

2. Green design

3. Functional design

4. Traditional design

The correct answer is: Green design

The focus of green design is specifically to minimize environmental impact throughout a product's lifecycle. This approach involves creating products with consideration for the environment by using sustainable materials, reducing energy consumption, ensuring recyclability, and minimizing waste during production and use. Green design goes beyond just compliance with regulations; it actively seeks to improve the ecological footprint of products. Other design approaches, while valuable in their contexts, do not primarily focus on environmental concerns. Robust design emphasizes creating products that perform consistently under varying conditions but doesn't inherently address environmental impacts. Functional design prioritizes achieving specific functions effectively, and traditional design often follows established practices without necessarily considering sustainability as a primary goal. Thus, green design stands out as the approach specifically aimed at addressing environmental issues.