sustainability Article Sustainable Design and Prototyping Using Digital Fabrication Tools for Education Sohail Ahmed Soomro 1,2 , Hernan Casakin 3 and Georgi V. Georgiev 1,* 1 Center for Ubiquitous Computing, University of Oulu, 90570 Oulu, Finland; sohail.soomro@oulu.fi 2 Department of Electrical Engineering, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur 65200, Pakistan 3 School of Architecture, Ariel University, Ariel 44837, Israel; [email protected] * Correspondence: georgi.georgiev@oulu.fi Abstract: Prototyping physical artifacts is a fundamental activity for both product development in industrial and engineering design domains and the development of digital fabrication skills. Proto- typing is also essential for human-centric problem-solving in design education. Digital fabrication assists in rapid prototype development through computer-aided design and manufacturing tools. Due to the spread of makerspaces like fabrication laboratories (FabLabs) around the world, the use of digital fabrication tools for prototyping in educational institutes is becoming increasingly common. Studies on the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of digital fabrication have been carried out. However, none of them focus on sustainability and prototyping-based digital fabrication tools or design education. To bridge this research gap, a conceptual framework for sustainable prototyping based on a five-stage design thinking model is proposed. The framework, which is based on a comprehensive literature review of social, economic, and environmental sustainability factors of digital fabrication, is applied to evaluate a prototyping process that took place in a FabLab in an education context aimed at enhancing sustainability. Three case studies are used to evaluate the proposed framework. Based on the findings, recommendations are presented for sustainable prototyping using digital fabrication tools. Citation: Soomro, S.A.; Casakin, H.; Keywords: sustainability indicators; prototyping; digital fabrication; design education; FabLab; mak- Georgiev, G.V. Sustainable Design erspace and Prototyping Using Digital Fabrication Tools for Education. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1196. https:// doi.org/10.3390/su13031196 1. Introduction Various definitions of a prototype can be found in the literature [1–3]. In this study, a Received: 29 December 2020 prototype is defined as “a concrete representation of part or all of an interactive system” Accepted: 19 January 2021 Published: 23 January 2021 and as “a tangible artefact, not an abstract description that requires interpretation” [4]. As the word prototype suggests, it is the outcome of the prototyping activity. Indeed, the Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral prototyping activity and its outcome help to improve design [1,5,6]. Prototyping provides with regard to jurisdictional claims in an opportunity to transform a design idea into a tangible form. This activity is frequently published maps and institutional affil- carried out by product development designers from the earlier stages of the design process. iations. Architects, engineers, and designers use prototypes for concept testing and evaluation purposes. Prototyping is highly relevant in design education, where students learn how to produce creative idea solutions for real-life problems [7]. Different types of prototype processes exist [6,8]. Digital fabrication is one of them [9] and is largely affected by the manner that designers think. Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Design thinking is concerned with the generation of ideas while tackling a design This article is an open access article problem and transforming them into a solution. Among many models that can be found in distributed under the terms and the literature, Stanford’s design thinking model relates to a well-established conceptual conditions of the Creative Commons framework in which the development of a solution leads to a concrete product [10]. This Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// model is used for the sake of creating human-centric product solutions. It is composed of creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ five steps, the fourth of which is to prototype. This is the step where prototyping, digital 4.0/). fabrication, and design thinking come into place [9]. In the present technological era, Sustainability 2021, 13, 1196. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031196 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 18 Sustainability 2021, 13, 1196 2 of 17 fabrication, and design thinking come into place [9]. In the present technological era, dig- ital fabrication is characterized by the use of convenient techniques that facilitate the rapid digital fabrication is characterized by the use of convenient techniques that facilitate the creation of tangible prototypes using CAD and CAM tools. The digital fabrication tech- rapid creation of tangible prototypes using CAD and CAM tools. The digital fabrication niques are used in a variety of disciplines ranging from architectural to industrial design techniques are used in a variety of disciplines ranging from architectural to industrial design[7,11–13]. [7,11 Several–13]. Several studies studies have examined have examined the role the of roledigital of digital fabrication fabrication tools in tools the indesign the designeducation education context. context. Kim [14] Kim highlights [14] highlights the impo thertance importance of digital of digitalfabrication fabrication tools such tools as suchparametric as parametric design designsoftware, software, 3D printers 3D printers (additive (additive manufacturing), manufacturing), and Computer and Computer numer- numericalical control control (CNC) (CNC)milling milling(subtractive (subtractive manufacturing manufacturing process) in process) architectural in architectural design ed- designucation. education. Researchers Researchers explore the explore contribution the contribution of these techniques of these in techniques STEM and in STEAM STEM andeducation STEAM [15–18]. education Digital [15 –fabrication18]. 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For For example, example, Corsini Corsini and and Moultrie Moultrie [22 ][22] conducted conducted a comprehensive a comprehen- studysive study on the on social the social aspects aspects of digital of digital fabrication fabrication for humanitarian for humanitarian development. development. They They sug- gestedsuggested a framework a framework aimed aimed at dealing at dealing with thewith social the sustainabilitysocial sustainability of design of implementeddesign imple- throughmented digitalthrough fabrication digital fabrication [22]. In another [22]. In study, another the lifestudy, cycle the assessment life cycle assessment (LCA) of a digital (LCA) fabrication-basedof a digital fabrication-based prototype was prototype discussed was by di Lazaroscussed Vasquez by Lazaro et al. Vasq [23uez]. In et their al. 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TheThe aboveabove studiesstudies exploreexplore social,social, environmental,environmental,or oreconomic economicaspects aspects ofof sustainabil-sustainabil- ityity butbut dodo not investigate investigate all all these these aspects aspects to together.gether. Digital Digital fabrication fabrication tools tools used used for pro- for prototypingtotyping are are not not only only relevant relevant at the at the higher higher education education level, level, butbut also also for forSTEM STEM and and pri- primarymary education education [20]. [20 Despite]. Despite its itsimportance, importance, no nostudy study has hasaddressed addressed sustainability sustainability and andprototyping-based prototyping-based digital digital fabrication fabrication tools tools in the in thedesign