A Designer´s Guide for a Circular Economy

A Designer´s Guide FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

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ÂťWe have not be long, and we wi here much long continue to ope contempt of the of ecology [...]ÂŤ

een here ill not be ger if we erate in e rules ÂťCaptain Paul WatsonÂŤ (Watson, 2012)

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Introduction Growth and progress are the engine of our time. The accompanying cry for resources is getting louder. But already today we live in a world marked by the scarcity of raw materials. The trigger for this is our linear system aka disposable society. It seems the collapse is inevitable and the only way out is a circular economy. Legally decided in Europe, it is now up to the industry and people to internalize rethinking in order to achieve this challenge.

At the same time, experts predict huge benefits for the whole society, environment and industry. Evidently, it can be more of an opportunity than a burden. But there are changes that have to be made. In particular, this transformation has a strong influence on the product design and the associated business- and service-models.

You may find on the following pages, design-methods to focus on in order to support the consumer transformation and increase the efficiency of the usage-, maintenance-, redistribution-, remanufacturing-, resource-loops of every product and service in our society.

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VI. Customer Behavoir

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I. Usage Loop

II. Maintenance Loop

III. Redistribution Loop

IV. Remanufacturing Loop

V. Resource Loop

Methods

I. Usage ° Design for Product Attachment & Trust: Extension of the personal product usage through emotional bonding between customer and product. (e.g IKEA-Effect, CoCreation, Customization, Patina-Effect, Storytelling, [...])

Design for Timeless Lastingness: Extension of the personal product usage through timeless design, independent of trends and fashion. (e.g Forms-FollowsFunction, [...])

Design for Sharing & Hand-Me-Down: Extension of the personal product usage and efficiency through the ability to share and hand-down. (e.g Sharing-Platforms, Multiple-User-Profiles, Generic Ergonomics and Looks, Gender-Equal, [...])

Design for Upgradability & Adaptability: Extension of the personal product usage through the ability to align products according the changing needs of the user. (e.g Modular Parts, Adjustable/Growing Design, [...])

Design for Standardisation & Compatibility: Extension of the personal product usage through implementation of standardized interfaces and components. (e.g USB-Plug, [...])

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Methods

II. Maintenance °

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Design for Durability: Extension of the product durability through the application of high quality materials, constructions and manufacturing processes. (e.g Finite Element Method, Field-Tests, [...])

Design for Maintenance & Repair: Extension of the product durability through the implementation of a capability for customers to maintenance and repair. (e.g Replacement Part Assortment, Detachable Connection Methods, Maintenance Manual, Service Staff, Avoid Glueing/ Welding/Soldering, [...])

Design for User Disassembly & Reassembly: Extension of the product durability through preventive product design against improper disassembly & reassembly. (e.g Poka Yoke, Disassembly-Symbols, Anti-Lost-Leash, Avoid Glueing/ Welding/Soldering, [...])

Methods

III. Redistribution ° Design for Reset: Extension of the general product usage by adding further usage loops through the ability to reset the product. (e.g BackUp, Factory-Modes, [...])

Design for Product Hygiene: Extension of the general product usage by adding further usage loops through the ability to clean the product in a proper way. (e.g Big Radii Instead Inner Edges, Closed Surfaces, Lotus-Effect, Water Resistance, [...])

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Methods

IV. Remanufacturing °

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Design for Shared Knowledge & Rights: Extension of the general product usage by the ability for external remanufaction through the disclosure of tools, media, backgrounds and content. (e.g Avoid Contractual Obligations, Open Source, Construction Plans, CAD-Data, Exploded Views, Replacement Part Assortment, [...])

Methods

V. Resource ° Design for Zero Pollution: Preservation of our resources through the exclusive usage and developing of processes, tools, pre-products (incl. energy) and products without any harming effect on the environment and adjacent resource-loops. (e.g Avoid PVC, Avoid Bleacher, Avoid Plasticizer, Avoid Microplastic, Use Renewable Energies, Resource Mapping, [...])

Design for Sustainable Resource Obtaining: Increasing of our resource-efficiency through the use of raw materials without transformation-losses and exploitation of our environment. (e.g Avoid Animal-Products, Avoid Monoculture Products, [...])

Design for Sustainable Manufacturing: Increasing of our resource-efficiency through conscious product design regarding manufacturing processes and pre-products. (e.g Minimise Cutting Losses, Avoid Chipping Production Methods, [...])

Design for Sustainable Logistics & Storage: Increasing of our resource-efficiency through conscious product design regarding logistics, storage and packaging alongside the strategic choice of the production-, distribution- and sourcinglocations. (e.g Local Production, Condensed Pack Size, Stackable Packaging, Short Shipping Distances, Avoid Perishable Goods, Lightweight Constructions, [...]) [...]

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Methods

V. Resource °

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[...]

Design for Return: Preservation of our resources through the active take-back of products after the consumption by the manufacturer or service provider in order to initiate a proper recycling process. (e.g Free Shipping for Returns, Incentives for Returns, Producer Tags, Material Tags, [...])

Design for Factory Disassembly & Reassembly: Preservation of our resources through the conscious product design with a focus on joining techniques which ensure an economical as possible disassembly process into the different kinds of origin materials in order to guarantee a homogeneous recycling process. (e.g Monomaterial, Avoid Welding/Soldering, Detachable Connection Methods, [...])

Design for Biological Recycling: Preservation of our resources through the application of materials that can be returned to the biosphere without polluting the environment and do not require additional energy for the composting process. (e.g Untreated Materials, [...])

Design for Technological Recycling: Preservation of our resources through the application of materials that can be homogeneously returned to the technosphere without changing the physical properties of the replicates or producing harmful by-products. (e.g Avoid Coating, Avoid Composite Materials, Avoid PVC, [...])

Methods

VI. Customer Behavior Design for Problem Solving & Needs: Extend product-usage by solving relevant problems and satisfying deficiency needs. (Open Innovation, Frugal Design, Human-, Problem Centered Design, Customer Research, Personalization, Field-Tests, [...])

Design for Inspiration & Implicit Awareness: Shaping the subconscious of users through confrontation with emotionally charged environments, symbols, objects and experiences. (e.g Green Nudges, Semantics, [...])

Design for Education & Explicit Awareness: Shaping the consciousness of users through demonstrating techniques, facts, history, statistics and relationships. (e.g Tracking, Play & Learn, Repair-Guides, Open Source, Workshops, [...])

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