The industrial sector consumes a significant amount of the world’s energy supply; the rationalisation of energy consumption would provide the most effective method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions attributed to manufacturing and use of products. Energy consumed across the various stages of a product’s lifecycle varies significantly depending on the product design and its application. In non-energy using products such as furniture, food, and clothing, the material preparation and production phases represent a significant proportion of energy consumption over the product lifecycle. This paper proposes a new design methodology targeted at these products to minimise energy consumption during ‘production’ phase.