Circular design: An introduction
Nature constructs circular systems while humans set up linear ones. For this reason, there is no “waste” in nature. The radical premise of a circular economy is this: a transition from the traditional “take, make, dispose” extractive industrial model to a model with a closed cycle in which material and data are continually reassigned.
As a model that minimizes energy and resource waste in industrial processes, the principles of a circular economy can be summarized as follows:
- Protect and reinforce natural heritage by managing limited stocks and balancing renewable resources.
- Optimize resource efficiency by circulating products, components and materials in technical and biological cycles.
- Cultivate system efficiency by revealing and designing negative externalities.
This video made by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation summarizes the circular economy quite well:
A circular economy for a circular design
“Design is integral in the shift to the circular economy. There’s only so much we can do with products, services and systems based on the ‘take, make, dispose’ model. By re-thinking and re-designing, we can accelerate the transition to a new model that doesn’t just ‘eke out resources a bit longer,’ but is restorative and regenerative by design.”
Ellen MacArthur, founder of Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Chris Grantham, portfolio manager of IDEO London, points out that design is central to this transition to the circular economy. “As a result, any designer working in the modern commercial setting must understand the key principles and be able to apply them in their work,” he said.
“Designers and entrepreneurs tend to be familiar with designing for an end user. Effective circular design looks beyond a single-product lifecycle for a single user, to designing a bigger system – one that creates more value by enabling multiple usages and users of that material.”
Design has a tremendous impact on the production and usage of commodities, and is therefore a critical component in the transition to a resource efficient economy. Studies show that 75 percent of the final decisions on production processes and materials are made during the design stage.
In his article, Ruud Bakenende, professor of circular product design at Delft University of Technology, compares circular design with design for sustainability and design for recycling approaches. For him, what makes the circular design unusual is its interest in extending the life cycle of products, systems and components, and redefining the economic potential of resources through new business models. We can observe these competencies and potentials in the conducted research.
IDEO CEO Tim Brown emphasizes that one of the main problems that can be encountered while working on complex structures like circularity is too much thinking and failure to take action. This is where the Circular Design Guide comes in.
Circular Design Guide
By collaborating with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, IDEO developed a Circular Design Guide to create interest and facilitate the transition to this new-generation economic model. As a guide designed for innovators, entrepreneurs and designers, it cultivates system-oriented thinking and shares practical innovation methods. The guide offers a series of content including 24 different methods, design-oriented thinking techniques specific to the circular economy and video interviews.
“Transition to a circular economy is one of the most important design challenges of our time. For designers, it means rethinking traditional approaches and retraining in circular principles. This guide was created to provide the tools needed to move from ideas to action, creating solutions for the circular economy that give businesses a competitive edge and are regenerative for our world.”
Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO
In this video prepared for the guide, Brown summarizes his design approach.