Design thinking is already iterative, when will design be circular?
How can the principles of the circular economy be integrated into the design field?
Author: Charlotte du Payrat, Product & Service Designer at id.real
I see you coming with this question: but how does the subject of the economy concern us, designers? What does design have to do with the economy?
The link is quite simple. Our society is based on a linear economy and managed by the hard-earned money that allows us to buy what we need (or want). This means that some people produce for others to consume. The model currently used is consecutive: production extracts raw materials for processing, distributes a product for consumers to buy and discard after use, and then the process starts again indefinitely.
What happens to the products that are thrown away?
However, it is not sustainable to dispose of our waste in this way at will. What happens to the products that are thrown away? They are buried or simply dumped into the seas and oceans harming wildlife and biodiversity. Other times, they may be burned and the gases released during combustion are harmful and produce greenhouse gases that overheat our planet.
All this to say that we cannot continue like this … we need to act!
Don’t worry, I reassure you, there are solutions! Measures are being put in place. The main objectives of the sustainable development goals include, for instance, goal 12 aiming to ensure sustainable consumption and production. The concept of a circular economy makes possible to revalue its waste to limit the depletion of raw materials, control stocks and allow the earth to regenerate itself. It is also about recycling, reusing, sharing and repairing more to close the loop.
As a result, this new structure incorporates a significant change in the way we design products, services, and systems. Innovation has its role to play and we know that simplicity is the key to this change. But thinking simple is hard and we need tools to guide us.
What is circular design?
When designing, there are different elements to consider. If we want to become more circular, we must think of a system where what is produced can be back to a production stage easily. What I mean in all this is that it’s important to think about the cycle of life of a product. If I am asked to design a piece of furniture, it is my duty to ask who the user is, what will be its use, to propose a material that can be found locally and also manufactured locally. If this piece of furniture tends to be moved, what function will it have? If it breaks or gets damaged, how can it be repaired? In short, we are talking about service design and systemic design here.
Circular thinking means global thinking
As a particular example of the cycle of life of a product, specifically, the end of life part, a washing machine that is purchased with a limited lifetime would follow the principle of circularity if the company also included a service to pick it up when it no longer worked. It would then either be repaired or dismantled to reuse some components that are still in good condition to create a new one and recycling the others… so the loop is closed. The designers then conceive the product itself by thinking about the components and the utility that the user will have in order to propose a solution that reduces losses as much as possible.
We will no longer make a piece of furniture to just make a beautiful object but we will ask ourselves the questions of its life cycle, the services that we can add to it to make it more durable and, therefore, attractive. In that way, we are controlling the overproduction.
You can act upstream or react to what has already been done and take from what is available.
Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed said LAVOISIER. Indeed, we can revalorize what we produce by composting to nourish the soil or composted it to reuse raw materials. Ecoalf has done just that, turning plastic bottles into fashionable clothing! This Spanish company has kept the plastic’s characteristics and made it into waterproof coats, among other things. They want to prove that a recycled product can have the same characteristics as non-recycled products in terms of quality, design and technical properties. This solution reacts to the overuse of plastic and is a good medium-term plan for a non-plastic world but it is a good way to raise awareness.
We want people to perceive sustainability as a very important added value. People often buy not only out of necessity but for the emotional value that the object brings to them. Moreover, if the user likes the product, he or she will be more inclined to take care of it, repair it or transform it and, thus, participate in this circular economy. For instance, Patagonia brand proposes Care & Repair services to make their products last as long as possible.
Which tools have designers to go more sustainable?
There are initiatives proposing methods and reflections on how to produce in a more circular way. For example, the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, in collaboration with one of the largest design agencies IDEO, created in 2010 a platform to spread this concept. They offer a circular design guide and initiation activities, games and canvas to design in a circular principle. Linear Vs Circular is a good example of this, making us realize the differences and similarities with a living stem.
For designers who want to know which aspects they can improve to be more circular, an Eco-indicator with 99 methods has been created and it is freely accessible on the internet to guide you step by step to design more sustainably. This indicator provides evaluation criteria for considering the life cycle assessment (LCA) and measure our impact.
How does business adapt to it?
Companies need to see a real advantage in integrating a circular principle because it requires a big change in their way of conducting business and, in most cases, an economic investment. The benefits must be proven. Thankfully, they will quickly realize that their company will reap benefits from this change of strategy when their customers fall in love with the concept. For example, the strategy of a business itself can be turned circular by improving their environmental performance. The brand Philips has changed its business model. They are no longer selling lamps but light as a service, because, one customer expressed his intention of buying a performance instead of a product, Philips decided to change its business model and sell a service. They have created an intelligent lighting system based on the adaptation to natural light. For the user, this means a significant reduction in energy consumption while increasing their well-being since natural light has a beneficial effect on people. Additionally, Philips keeps the control over its stocks and therefore of its materials. Both parties are satisfied. As a result, companies tend to produce a more resistant product because they sell the service more than a product.
The designer’s role is to make the link among production, the final consumer, and define the customer’s expectation. It is by having a user-centred approach that we obtain crucial information about habits and needs. Applying design thinking processes (researching, prototyping, and testing before producing viable products) ensures that the end product will be a success, avoiding economic and material losses.
Design thinking can be circular by including a service, thus, helping to create a better world
If you want to know if your business or yourself is doing circular or not, and if you want to improve your products, services, and system, look at the following opportunities. These are some guidelines to help you either reconsider your business or create a new one in a more circular way:
- Turning a product into a service;
- Make it easier for users to repair it by themselves;
- Think of modularity to allow the individual components to be upgraded or easily replaced.
What I want you to take home:
Think about services, they are the future! After the digital transformation, all companies are starting to undertake economic transformation. The circular economy is a smooth but certain transition to a more sustainable world. It attempts to solve one of the greatest problems facing our society: our planet and our current habits that gradually damage it. It also allows the people applying it to feel useful to the ethical, social and environmental transition. Design has demonstrated its ability to adapt to change and to be an actor of change simultaneously. As a designer, I believe that we have the power, and a great responsibility, to achieve this! So, maybe is time for you to include a designer in your team and support sustainability. Just saying!
Bibliography and other lectures
If you like this cool topic, there’s also the book “Designing for the Circular Economy” by Professor Charter. Check it!
(We are Amazon Affiliates, and our recommendations are always honest)
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