Ana Colaco Maruta Mestre

Ana is a sustainable product designer and researcher. She holds a PhD in Sustainable Design from the Delft University of Technology, where prior to joining NTU she had been a guest researcher and lecturer in subjects such as design research, sustainable materials and life cycle assessment. Ana has worked as an ecodesign researcher at the Centre for Sustainable Business Development within the National Research Institute of Engineering, Technology and Innovation in Portugal. Ana has also worked for the Creative University as principal lecturer of Sustainable Design. She is the founder of the SUSDESIGN design and research consultancy for sustainable design.

Ana's research at the CIE-MAP research centre focuses on sustainable design. Ana's research role at NTU includes:

- reviewing current guidelines aimed at promoting design for longevity in consumer goods markets

- developing criteria to enable designers to assess the effects of increased product longevity (e.g. through durability, repair, and upgrading) upon energy and materials consumption, and

- using case studies to explore trade-offs when designing products for lower materials consumption, such as between a) reduced materials use for efficiency and greater use of materials to ensure durability, b) embodied carbon in products and energy consumed during use, and c) designing products for greater durability and recyclability at end of life.