School of Sustainability

Foundation Course: Design for Circular Economy

Module Introduction

Design is faced with unprecedented challenges. The implications of our design decisions involve a much broader scale than that of products, and what we design addresses today a vast array of topics ranging from companies’ strategies to business models. Clients asking for design services are now interconnected with a global network of users and partners spanning the globe. Products and services provision benefits from the availability of an unprecedented amount of data and by new tools such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things that expand the boundaries of what creativity can let us imagine and achieve.

In parallel with disruptive new technological opportunities, we observe that 99% of materials that are sourced, processed, manufactured, and transported are wasted within six months after purchase (Leonard, 2011). Such a wasteful pattern of growth can no longer be sustained by the planet for it is largely contributing to CO2 emissions and to the annihilation of natural resources. The solution that we look forward to lies in achieving a circular economy and changing the buying habits of consumers and – more importantly – organizations according to a new, regenerative mindset.

Module Focus

The module introduces students to Circular Economy in the design professions in the broadest sense. Design for Circular Economy covers three main topic areas to provide approaches, processes, strategies, and structures for the delivery of sustainable projects.

• Transforming the Cultural Waste which content focuses on the role played by a circular economy in creating opportunities to generate value at all stages of any process at any scale.
• New Approaches to Products and Materials which focuses on the emergence of use-inspired research leading to strategies for keeping products and materials in use.
• Integrated Delivery for Regenerative Projects focuses on the particular methods of high-performance teams to deliver nature-inspired regenerative projects at a range of scales.

Design for Circular Economy is designed to prepare students for establishing, developing, and delivering integrated strategies and circular processes. Specifically, it is devoted to articulating a detailed case study through project research.

The Structure