LEARNING JOURNEY

CIRCULAR
DESIGN
How to use this guide
An opportunity for students to start their
circular design journey.

As much a learning experience as a design brief, it has been

designed to help professors challenge their students to
rethink everyday products, services and systems for a
circular economy.

This guide is easily adaptable to your context.

We inserted a sample brief, submission process and judging

criteria that can be modified depending on your teaching
subject and style.
Your mission
Today's linear ‘take, make, dispose’ economy relies on large quantities of cheap,
easily accessible materials and energy, and is a model that is wasteful and polluting.

A circular economy is an
attractive and viable alternative
that businesses have already
started exploring today.

To drive the transition towards a

more regenerative economy, we
need to design differently.
The brief
Example from Circular Design Case 2017

Understand an everyday product by exploring the system Think of an everyday product that is made out of
it is part of. Imagine how both could be redesigned to be in plastics or plastics-based fibres such as
accordance with the circular economy and its three
polyester. Some examples include a cup, a bottle, a shirt,
principles:
your trainers, a toothbrush, or a carpet in your flat. Think of
the precise context it falls into.
1. Design out waste and pollution
2. Keep products and materials in use Think of how it is made. It might be made of plastics
3. Regenerate natural systems and molded or extruded. It might be made of fibres and
knitted/woven or nonwoven. Think of its packaging.

Ask yourself: Can you zoom out from end users and
consider the wider network of stakeholders? Can you identify
how they influence each other? Look at the material flows and
examine where they come from and where they go after use?
Can you find opportunities to redesign this system?
Submission Process: 1
Example from Circular Design Case 2017

The 1st submission requirement of the Circular Design Case is:

1 x system map with up to 3 highlighted circular

opportunities:

A system map around the product you chose. We are interested to see
the important stakeholders and the connections between them. On
top of that, we ask you to highlight up to 3 opportunities to make
your everyday product more circular. Think about what would need to
change in the system and what this change involves for the
stakeholders.

FORMAT: Map either by hand or with a software of your choice (e.g.

Illustrator).

TIPS: You might find much more information on the system by choosing
a product you own. Remember this is an exploration process, you might
have to do a few iterations.
Submission Process: 2
Example from Circular Design Case 2017

The 2nd submission requirement of the Circular Design Case is:

1 x “One question for systems change” template:

A synthesis of your reflection on the circular opportunities you explored.

Formulate your most critical question on the “One question for systems
change” template. If you could ask one question to make your everyday
product more circular, what would it be?

FORMAT: Fill in the “One question for systems change” template either by hand or
with a software of your choice (e.g. Illustrator).

TIP: Think of this question as your own design challenge. What would you like
other people to focus their attention on?
Judging Criteria
Example from Circular Design Case 2017

There are six criteria your entry will be judged against - make sure you consider them all:

1 System mapping
The important stakeholders of the system are 4 Visual clarity
mapped out & the relationships between them are Information is easy to grasp and visually appealing
clear

5 Feedback
2 Circular opportunities (max 3) You have been provided constructive feedback by at
They fulfill the principles of the circular economy & least 3 other participants
give insights on the relevant stakeholders that
need to be involved
6 Magic
Your entry shows a high degree of creative
3 One question for systems change confidence
It is specific and action-oriented
Choose your track
Minimalist
To help students in their mission, we have prepared a
learning journey building on the Circular Design Guide
and additional resources.

This journey is modular. You can choose your own level of

depth and further dive into areas that interest you.

Bonus

Entering the Circular

To go further and learn about
Design Case can be as
circular design in more depth,
quick as a few hours of
have a look at the “Bonus” track
work. Follow the
at the end of this document.
“Minimalist” track.

Ready? Let’s jump in!

1. Start your circular economy journey

You may be wondering “What is a circular economy”?

Have a look at our introductory video to get into the concept.

Listen to Tim Brown introducing the circular economy from

a designer’s point of view.

Now, have a closer look at how to create for the circular economy!
2. Design for the circular economy
What does it mean to design for the circular economy?

Get a sense how design thinking helps to design for the

circular economy!

Circular design is about designing for users, stakeholders

and the systems they are part of.

Are you starting to see how your everyday product could be more circular? Check out the
different loops you can design for.
3. Start your systems thinking journey

Keep zooming in and out throughout your journey!

The Circular Design Case is all about learning to

adopt a systems mindset.

Do you start realising the system your everyday

product is part of?

Take an extra step in systems thinking on the next page.

4. From linear thinking to systems thinking
Leyla Acaroglu and UnSchool introduce us to the key concepts and tools of system thinkers:

Illustrator: Emma Segal

Source: https://online.unschools.co/collections/systems-thinking
 Systems mapping and influence diagrams

‘When individuals have a better understanding of systems, they are better

able to identify the intervention points that lead to desired outcomes.’
Jules Hayward

A simple starting point is to map the system of your chosen product.

Put it in the middle of the diagram. Get further help by looking

Draw the connections
Then let your mind roam freely. at the systems mapping tool
between the agents to
Identify the many components / for systems thinkers.
show what influences what.
agents that influence it or who are
Look in particular for
influenced by it - people, flows of Remember that you cannot
feedback loops. Are they
materials and energy, sources of know everything - make sure
reinforcing or balancing ?
money, legislation, information. you make a conscious
decision as where to stop!
 5. Finding circular opportunities

‘We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims’

Buckminster Fuller

Think of what would need to change in the system and how it could be redesigned

Once you have a deeper understanding of your object and the

Make sure these opportunities fit the
system it is part of, it’s time to identify circular opportunities.
principles of a circular economy:

Ask yourself
What forces at play impede the system to be fit for the circular 1. Design out waste and pollution
economy? 2. Keep products and materials in
How could new opportunities make the system more circular? Who use
would benefit? 3. Regenerate natural systems
Who would need to be involved to make this change happen?
 EXAMPLES:
Submissions Circular
Design Case 2017
Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves!

It’s time to prototype. Explore and refine.

Get yourself going at system You can now synthesize your

mapping. Remember that you system map for others to
will need a few iterations. understand it. Make sure your
system boundary is clear.

Identify.

Discover potential circular opportunities by knowing

what you want to solve. Once done, can you ask the one
question that, if answered, could lead to designing a
better system for your everyday product?
Are you ready to participate?

Do you feel you adopted the right mindsets throughout your journey?

Do you feel you proposition makes your product a better experience?

Make sure you understand the submission process and judging criteria.
WHAT’S NEXT?

Are you inspired? Do you want to redesign

everything for a circular economy? Join our
emerging community of circular designers.

Are you looking for further material on

circular design? Find a collection of
resources on the Circular Design Guide.
We would like to thank players of
People's Postcode Lottery for
supporting the emerging circular
design community.
BONUS
More on the circular economy

Examine our butterfly diagram as well as the building

blocks of a circular economy.

The New Plastics Economy is an ambitious, three-year

initiative to build momentum towards a plastics system
that works. Start to understand what the opportunity of
a circular economy means for plastics.
More on design for the circular economy

Do you want to learn more about how designers turn

common products into service models? Check out the
Service Flip method on the Circular Design Guide.

You can also examine the Biomimicry and Regenerative

Thinking methods to get inspired by nature.

For a deeper dive have a look at our numerous case

studies. Get inspired by how others are driving the
transition towards a circular economy.
More on systems thinking

Adopting a systems mindset requires training your brain

to think differently. Get acquainted to the habits of a
systems thinker.

There are also courses available on systems thinking.

Check out what UnSchool have put together.
More on finding circular opportunities

Make your ideas more tangible by filling in the circular

opportunities worksheet.

To further enhance the circularity of your product check

out our method on embedding feedback loops.

A $2m New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize was

launched in May 2017, calling designers, entrepreneurs,
academics and scientists to rethink the plastics system
and eliminate plastics packaging waste. Get inspired by
the winners!