The role of product designers in the transition towards the circular economy

The role of product designers in the transition towards the circular economy: A reality check

Sumter, Deborah (TU Delft Circular Product Design)
Bakker, C.A. (TU Delft Circular Product Design)
Balkenende, A.R. (TU Delft Circular Product Design)

Bakker, C. (editor)
Mugge, R. (editor)

2017

This paper examines the role of product designers in the transition towards the circular economy. Both scientific and grey literature show remarkable optimism when it comes to role strategic and coordinating role designers could play in this transition process. However, there has been little examination of the actual role and influence designers have in practice. In this paper we review the roles that designers play in the transition towards a circular economy according to literature. Through semi-structured interviews, we uncover the views of designers themselves, which we then use to make a comparison. Our main conclusion is that designers experience a lack of knowledge and/or work in predetermined solution spaces, which prevents them from taking on the role that is expected in literature.

Designer's role
Product design
Practice
Circular economy
Transition

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:c4655dcb-ea60-4aa8-a9fe-db957b9194d9

https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-820-4-391

IOS Press, Amsterdam

978-1-61499-819-8

Plate Product Lifetimes And The Environment 2017: Conference Proceedings

PLATE 2017, 2017-11-08 → 2017-11-10, Delft, Netherlands

Research in Design Series, 9

Institutional Repository

conference paper

© 2017 Deborah Sumter, C.A. Bakker, A.R. Balkenende