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.

Click on “Get Started from Template” button below.
Create an account or log onto Mural. Need help? Here is the Mural get started and usage guide.
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.
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.

Lately I have been working with a company giving UX advice and revising wireframes for their new site. It has been a fun and rewarding experience!

Friday it struck me once again, with a sappy sort of realization how creative the user experience design process is. This should be evident but by the word, “design” but often the process is not thought of as so.

Product Development as well demands such creativity (and really any of the web professions, when you need to problem solve and develop).

I wrote a WHOLE post about creativity, tips, etc, but that needs to be honed and posted another day. (Edit: That day has come! Seven Tips for Keeping Creative while on a Deadline)

But for now I present a metaphor…

I like to think of the product development & user experience process like sculpting.

You happen upon a big lump of concept in which you can see a glimmer of an fully formed profitable product inside.

You chip at it and make something that you think is pretty darn good looking, using inspiration from experience, other artists out there (past and present), books about sculpting and what you know about your future viewers.

But then you step back or have an art critic look at it… And its a hunk of crap.

And with the feedback you roll up your sleeves and jump back in with your chisel.

And repeat this… for who knows long until FINALLY you step back, look at it from all angles, have that critic come back over to gander, show your mum and some random passerby… and it is right! Or right enough to test further. 🙂

Funny things is it often looks MUCH different from what you originally invisioned… but if done right…

Tag: product development

Ode to the Art of Product Development

But for now I present a metaphor…

It’s better.

– S