Bye!
I think I would have ethical issues with those sittuationa as well. However, is your employer is focusing on catoring to the clients who are only worried about price regardless of quality or design, then what variable do you really fill in the equation. I do not mean this as a cut so please do not interpret that as one. When one enters into an interview they need to remember that they are also interviewing the company, and knowing that as a designer you will have little to no say in the final products should throw up a lage red flag. However, too many designers are eager to get that first paycheck that they jump at the first oppertunity.
I know this first hand as I fell for the same trap. I just hapened to windupo having a stronger, more carismatic personality in meetings that the owner, with allowed the client to listen to my opinions and thought, making many of them see by entering the “price reduction sales model” AKA “Wal-Mart Marketing Model” you are entering into a long drown out death. As your product margins, quality, and most importantly product identity.
This allowed me to move on to other firms were the design was more incharge. Now we a lot more control over the process, and the final products.
Just because you do not see many “Green” products out there does not mean that they are not presented and fought for. All ot the desigfns that I work are always developed with end-of-life considerationa s well as green material consideration. The fact is that many die in engineering phases due to the current green materials and methodes lacking in certain properties. This is similar for everyone I know in the Mid to large firms.
This is however gradually changing as newer plant pased plastics are being developed. You will see many changes in the next 18-24 months in this relm of products. Especially in the food packaging industry through the use of PLA and other Corn/Soy based polymers.