Many of the methods and tools proposed in the literature for validating product concepts are matrix-based, but they do not allow the results to be communicated easily and comprehensibly. This is a major obstacle to the integration of such methods. The poor communication of the results of a method therefore represents great potential for better integration of sustainability aspects in product development. In this article, an approach is proposed on how the results of the MECO matrix can be converted into a clear visualization of the reduced environmental assessments.

The method known as the analysis of interconnected decision areas (AIDA) has been in use for nearly 40 years, but has made little headway into engineering design. This paper describes an implementation of AIDA that is useful to engineering designers wishing to combine the solution principles of various subfunctions within a product in new ways. Traditionally, the method is used to understand how one decision affects the options available to other decisions in a large-scale project. The method is to be used interactively with designers participating in a brainstorming session so that ideas are added to AIDA and immediately combined with other compatible ideas. The existing implementation has been tested in a classroom setting in which upper level undergraduates have successfully used the AIDA method along with numerous of design methods to solve conceptual design problems.