Abstract: Eco-design is a new design method that emerges in industry circlesagainst the b ackground of the growing gravity of environmental and resource problems. This a rticle firstintroduces the concept of eco-design, the course of development, ru les and standards for the evaluation of eco-design. Then, it surveys the latest development and progress of eco-design research. Finally, problems confronting eco-design at present and the approaches for bettering eco-design are put for ward.