Circular Design

roxanne baron
3 min readJul 12, 2024

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A holistic systems design framework is needed to approach complex problems on a global scale. Through this, we can create “solutions that are invaluable for people, give businesses a competitive advantage, and are regenerative for our world.”

Traditionally, the three lenses of design thinking are:

1) Desirability (what do people want?)

2) Feasibility (is it technically possible to build the solution?)

3) Viability (can the company profit from the solution?)

However, desirability has evolved. People are no longer after a linear approach to consumption (make → use → dispose). They value a more circular mindset where product and materials are being restored and repurposed. In this new, circular economy, a new mind-set for product-centric companies around the world has emerged: circular design.

Source: Initial design thinking flow (on left) by InteractionDesign.org

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a leading organization in building out an evidence-based systems framework for circular design, which is aimed at re-circulating products and materials to help decrease waste.

“It’s [a circular economy] is an economic system that delivers better outcomes for people, and the environment.”

Here are some takeaways from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to help you re-frame the way you work to help support a more circular mindset:

1) Build cross-functional teams: Circularity is an organizational transformation exercise. Multidisciplinary teams across your organization will have varying viewpoints, priorities, and limitations. By aligning on a shared circularity goal, you will be able to tackle problems and achieve circularity goals more effectively.

2) Gain circular buy-in: By slowing things down and taking the time to listen to stakeholders, understand their perspectives, and map their requirements, it will increase collaboration and shift ownership of circular design from me to we.

3) Embed feedback mechanisms: Design feedback loops within your cross-functional team throughout the entire circular design process (understand → define → make → release) so that it can be a user-driven initiative that is continuously gaining insights and understanding as you implement new processes.

The Circular Design Guide was originally created by over 400 people through an iterative and inclusive design thinking process spearheaded by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and IDEO.

They’ve broken down methodological components to learn, facilitate, and implement circular design into the following stages: understand → define → make → release. Within each stage, the Circular Design Guide has user-driven methodologies on how to realistically and effectively achieve each stage of your circular design journey.

Source: The Circular Design Guide

The Circular Design Journey

  1. Understand: Similar to the initial phase of human-centred design, this step is focussed on gaining insight into 1) stakeholders of your business (+ mapping out their process), and the customers of your products (+ mapping out their journey)
  2. Define: Once an understanding of both the business process and customer need is established, a cross-functional team should be formed to iterate upon the opportunities that were discovered in the ‘understand’ phase.
  3. Make: This is the step where you begin to focus in on the consumer as well as product offerings within your current organizational ecosystem that have opportunities for circularity. This step involves intensive user-centred research, brainstorming, and feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement on your product.
  4. Release: A beta product release should be launched to market at a small, focussed scale, to learn more about the customer. This is where you will further refine your customer journey map, and will give you an opportunity to connect with and gain feedback from customers in real-time.

If you’d like to read more about Circular Design, do a deep dive into the following resources: Ellen MacArthur Foundation and The Canadian Climate Institute.

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roxanne baron
roxanne baron

Written by roxanne baron

product strategist based on the west coast. currently at arc’teryx.

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