Tag: circular design

Circular Strategies – Free Online Workshop Template

Circular Design and Circular Economy is an enlarging of scope and possibilities. It is to look at the complete life cycle of the product (or service) and optimize it’s value to design out waste, from the beginning. What would have become waste becomes value. In testing this methodology, I attest, this constraint to not let anything go to waste does not limit but instead fuels innovation and collaboration ideas. Read more about Circular Design and Design Thinking here.

Interested to test out circular design strategies?

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a leader in the circular economy field. They partnered with IDEO to create a Circular Design Guide. This guide includes a kit with several outlined workshops. I chose to create a free Mural template for the workshop they created called “Circular Strategies.” I did this in hopes to make it more accessible for those currently working at a distance and further help the transition towards the circular economy. Before use please check out their legal terms to ensure you are in compliance (aka do not resell). Enjoy!

Guide to get started

Objective: Explore and learn various circular economy strategies by co-designing a new product or service of a well known industry. Some options are provided, but this workshop could work for any product or service.

Audience: Anyone! Diverse professions and backgrounds, is a perk. This could be for one company or a multi-company workshop.

Timing: Minimal timing an hour (times indicated in template, per section). But an hour and a half is ideal in order to allow a complete discussion, digestion and projection to daily activities.

  1. Click on “Get Started from Template” button below.
  2. Create an account or log onto Mural. Need help? Here is the Mural get started and usage guide.
  3. Read the yellow and orange notices which explain how to use the template and deploy the workshop. This includes reading the original instructions for the workshop on CircularDesignGuide.com.
  4. Enjoy.

[Template] Circular Strategies Workshop – Ellen MacArthur Foundation + IDEO Template by MURAL

Open to create a mural from this template in your workspace. Powered by MURAL

Did you use the template or have you experimented with another circular design workshop format? I would love to have your feedback. Do not hesitate to comment below or contact me.

What is circular design? Questions to test and inspire yourself at work and at home.

What is circular design? It is taking into account the full life cycle of an object or service to ensure all “waste” is removed and instead is value. It is a self-feeding holistic system and can be certainly used in business but also in our reflections when we buy/consume at home.

Here are some notes from a recent training I did in it, specifically, circular design thinking. Thank you Klap.io and trainers Mélanie, France, Thibaud, Vincent & my team collaborators.

Here Mélanie explains, in order of importance, some tactics & inspirations for creating more resource respectful products.

1. Can we reduce usage of a resource (including energy & materials)? Or even cut out an entire product?!
2. Are we ensuring that the product is reparable? Or can we repair something existing, eliminating new need?
3. Can we reuse something already existing? Or use one item/resource for multiple uses? Or without changing it’s form when no longer “usable” for one function can it be used elsewhere, prolonging its value & our assets?
4. Upcycle or Refabricate: Can it be slightly modified for another use?
5. Recycle – Are we ensuring as a last case scenario the product or the bi-products created can be recycled for reuse in new items?

Design Thinking… but circular? What is the difference?

For those who already know design thinking, Circular Design Thinking is quite similar but with more parameters to test and inspire from. It is also an often more longer process as you drill down and test the product versus various needs in the “system”. In my opinion, it makes Design Thinking even more robust and realistic as it respects real constraints and even uses them as a source of inspiration (constraints in the end can also liberate your creative juices). It’s edict:

No waste… only food/value!

Also one big difference is the principal “persona.” Circular Design thinking is not just looking at the “persona” or client’s problem but putting the Planet and Society as a whole at the heart of the problem solving. Our starting and principle persona: a planet with limited resources to be used wisely to the benefit of all.

And you?

Anyone else I know who does circular design and circular design thinking or want to learn it? Can you see using these questions in your personal life?