[av_image src='http://circle-economy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/cedesignprogramheader-1500x430.jpg' attachment='7149' attachment_size='featured' align='center' animation='no-animation' link='' target='' styling='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' custom_class='']image: Shutterstock[/av_image][av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='The Circular Design Program' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']The Circular Design Program aims to foster the development of products appropriate for the circular economy. Many view the elements of the circular design process, including circular business models creation and technical product development, as a chicken vs. the egg paradox. Therefore, we work to embed systems thinking in the creation process, and at the same time, focus on ways to increase supply chain collaboration in order for design to be embedded systems. Looking beyond designers, we aim to motivate people to want to design for the circular economy and equipt creators with tooling that allows for making correct circular decisions.image: Shutterstock[/av_textblock][av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='Our current approach doesn’t fit a circular model' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']Most products have an implicit ‘box pushing’ business model. This is because they are designed of the linear system - centered on creating new products from virgin materials which, once sold, usually soon end up as waste. The World Economic Forum estimates potentially 90% of the consumer products we use are disposed as waste within 6 months. But, if there is five times more gold in a tonne of electronic waste than in a tonne of mined ore, why are we unable able to recover the gold from electronic waste?Products (and the society in which they exist) must be aligned and designed in such a way that would enable this. Not only do the electronics need to be designed to get the gold out of them easily, the electronics need to be recovered from users in the first place. In other words, a product that has been designed to get the gold back out from it is useless if it’s sitting in someone’s attic or desk drawers. The fact that over 40% of mobile phones sit and 'hibernate' in people’s drawers after use suggests this is easier said than done.Circular design addresses these aspects and challenges the traditional way of thinking. However, it is of course easier said than done. Traditional design briefs, short-term focused KPIs, lack of supply chain transparency, and even lack of knowledge about circular design have all been shown to deter implementation of circular design.[/av_textblock][av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='Towards circular product design' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']At Dutch Design Week 2014 Circle Economy presented a proposed methodology for approaching circular design based on analysis and work with members. Using the input of the designers that were in attendance, we have compiled our framework into a new and improved version, what we call the 'Four steps to circular creation'.[/av_textblock][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class=''][caption id="attachment_7195" align="alignnone" width="1504"]

Four Steps to Circular Creation[/caption][/av_textblock][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']Reframing the Design BriefIn order to design for a circular economy, it's important to challenge the design brief and (usually implicit) business model. We think designers should consider the function and purpose of the design as this dictates the type of solution the design will offer. Example: If the brief says design a new coffee machine, we'd say, what are you trying to provide through your solution - do you want just another electronic product? Or is the point to enable people to wake up?Design with a Broader PerspectiveWhen designing a product or service, it's important to design considering the system. This means taking the corresponding system (context and usage) and related system impacts (materials, energy, human resources) into account during the design phase and making smart, circular design choices based on the findings. There are many opportunities to use a mix of existing design strategies and collaborate with the system’s stakeholders.Assessing the Circularity of the DesignHere you reflect on your design. This requires assessment of the design on a material, product, business, and system level. Questions such as, 'Does your design fit to your product’s context and business model?' or 'Should additional system impacts be prioritised and addressed through a redesign?' are asked.Developing a Circular Business ModelBusiness models and design for a circular economy go hand in hand. It is crucial to think about opportunities to add value throughout the product’s lifespan and regain the embodied value at the end of life. Can material loops be closed and materials cycled infinitely cycled - either within your company or cascading between industries?[/av_textblock][av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='Circular by design' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']At Circle Economy, we believe in order to create the circular economy, we need a new way of thinking about product design. One that:

• takes into account a product’s lifespan at the start and designs products in an ‘end to end’ way
• goes beyond just thinking about recycling and instead finds opportunities to maintain or add value throughout the product’s lifespan

This can be achieve through circular design, and in working towards creators adopting circular design practices, the Circular Design Program focuses on the following three projects:[/av_textblock][av_one_third first][av_image src='http://circle-economy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/business-180x180.png' attachment='7156' attachment_size='square' align='center' animation='no-animation' link='' target='' styling='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' custom_class=''][/av_image][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']

Business Through Circular Design

[/av_textblock][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']The project focuses on working with Dutch manufacturing companies and designers to identify new circular business opportunities through implementing circular design practices. Learn More[/av_textblock][/av_one_third][av_one_third][av_image src='http://circle-economy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/tools-180x180.png' attachment='7158' attachment_size='square' align='center' animation='no-animation' link='' target='' styling='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' custom_class=''][/av_image][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']

The Tooling & Knowledge Project

[/av_textblock][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']Through a combination of practical projects with members and theoretical analysis, the project focuses on generating circular design cases studies, collecting knowledge on circular design, and creating tools to enable designers to implement circular design. Learn More[/av_textblock][/av_one_third][av_one_third][av_image src='http://circle-economy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/role-01-180x180.png' attachment='7159' attachment_size='square' align='center' animation='no-animation' link='' target='' styling='' caption='' font_size='' appearance='' custom_class=''][/av_image][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']

Designers in the Circular Economy

[/av_textblock][av_textblock size='' font_color='' color='' custom_class='']In the transition towards a circular economy, new challenges emerge especially for designers. This project aims to map these new design definitions and investigate how designers can reshape their role by utilizing opportunities that arise in a circular economy. Learn More[/av_textblock][/av_one_third][av_one_full first][av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='Project partners' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_codeblock wrapper_element='' wrapper_element_attributes='' custom_class=''][show-logos orderby='rand' category='design' activeurl='new' style='hgrayscale' interface='grid' tooltip='false' description='false' limit='0' ][/av_codeblock][av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='Primary contact person' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_codeblock wrapper_element='' wrapper_element_attributes='' custom_class=''][show-team ids='5124' url='active' layout='grid' style='img-circle,text-center,img-above,1-column' display='photo,position,social,email,name'][/av_codeblock][av_heading tag='h3' padding='10' heading='Related news items' color='' style='' custom_font='' size='' subheading_active='' subheading_size='15' custom_class=''][/av_heading][av_postslider link='post_tag,506,734' columns='3' items='3' offset='0' contents='excerpt' preview_mode='auto' image_size='portfolio' autoplay='yes' interval='5' custom_class='' orderby='' order=''][/av_one_full]