document

Who are the value transformers, value co-operators and value gatekeepers? New routes to value preservation in a sufficiency-based circular economy

Haase, Louise Møller (author), Mugge, R. (author), Mosgaard, Mette Alberg (author), Bocken, Nancy (author), Jaeger-Erben, Melanie (author), Pizzol, Massimo (author), Jørgensen, Michael Søgaard (author)

Value preservation is key for the transition from a linear economy to a sufficiency-based circular economy. However, to keep the value of products and materials at the highest level possible over time, different actors such as businesses, designers, consumers, and policymakers must know when value is reduced during a product's lifetime, and how...

journal article 2024

document

A network analysis of factors influencing the purchase intentions for refurbished electronics

Wallner, T.S. (author), Haslbeck, Jonas M.B. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Refurbishment can extend the lifetime of an electronic product and reduce its environmental footprint. However, consumers often perceive refurbished electronics as less attractive than new ones, resulting in lower purchase intentions. While prior research has identified several factors that influence consumer choices regarding refurbished...

journal article 2024

document

To see or not to see: The effect of observability of the recycled content on consumer adoption of products made from recycled materials

Polyportis, Athanasios (author), Mugge, R. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author)

Despite their environmental benefits, products made from recycled materials are not readily adopted. Prior studies focused on improving consumer adoption via product attributes and marketing elements, but the impact of product appearance remains a gap in the literature. This research contributes by investigating how observability of the recycled...

journal article 2024

document

Overcoming barriers to circularity for internal ICT management in organizations: A change management approach

McMahon, K.S. (author), Mugge, R. (author), Hultink, H.J. (author)

Circularity-conscious management of information and communications technology (ICT) owned by organizations is important to achieving a circular economy. However, changes in organizational management toward circularity has been met with multiple challenges. This study uses 11 semi-structured interviews with on-the-ground ICT decision-makers in...

journal article 2024

document

Sparking the Repair “Can-Do” Attitude: Enhancing Users’ Willingness to Repair through Design Support in Fault Diagnostics

van den Berge, R.B.R. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Current production and consumption patterns of consumer electronics have a negative impact on our environment. Designers can contribute to changing these patterns with more sustainable product design. Prolonging product lifetimes can have a positive impact, for which repair is a promising solution. However, the fact that a product can be...

journal article 2023

document

Switching to reuse? An exploration of consumers’ perceptions and behaviour towards reusable packaging systems

Miao, X. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Reusable packaging systems (RPSs) can significantly reduce single-use packaging waste. However, knowledge about consumers’ adoption of this kind of packaging is scarce. We adopted a qualitative approach using in-depth interviews with consumers (n = 27) who had actually used an RPS and follow-up phone interviews to capture consumer behaviour...

journal article 2023

document

Until death do us part? In-depth insights into Dutch consumers’ considerations about product lifetimes and lifetime extension

van den Berge, R.B.R. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Long-lasting electronic products contribute to a sustainable society; however, both expected and actual lifetimes are in decline. This research provides in-depth insights into consumers’ considerations about product lifetimes, barriers to extending lifetimes, and responses to a product lifetime label. Results of interviews (n = 22) with Dutch...

journal article 2023

document

Do consumers mind contamination by previous users? A choice-based conjoint analysis to explore strategies that improve consumers' choice for refurbished products

Wallner, T.S. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Refurbishment is an effective strategy to extend product lifetimes in a circular economy. However, consumers believe that refurbished products are contaminated with traces of prior use, which can be indicated by the appearance (e.g., scratches) or functionality (e.g., lower battery capacity) of refurbished products. This research explores...

journal article 2022

document

Contaminated by Its Prior Use: Strategies to Design and Market Refurbished Personal Care Products

Wallner, T.S. (author), Snel, S. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Refurbishment is an effective circular strategy to lengthen a product’s lifetime. However, refurbished products that are intimately used, such as personal care products, cause a feeling of unease in consumers because they are perceived to be contaminated. In 15 in-depth online interviews with female users of intense pulsed light (IPL) device...

journal article 2022

document

Guidelines to Foster Consumer Acceptance of Products Made from Recycled Plastics

Polyportis, A. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

The circular economy can reduce the environmental footprint of today’s consumption and close the resource loop through circular material flows. Companies are encouraged to fol- low circular principles, such as using more recycled plastic materials. This initiative seems promising; however, it will only be successful if consumers are willing to...

journal article 2022

document

Seeing is believing: investigating the influence of transparency on consumers’ product perceptions and attitude

Cheng, Peiyao (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Transparency is a design characteristic enabling consumers to see the technical details underneath the product cover to create a unique visual effect. However, involving transparency in product design increases costs; it is thus essential to investigate the effects of transparency to help designers and manufacturers to determine the cost...

journal article 2022

document

Replaced too soon? An exploration of Western European consumers’ replacement of electronic products

Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

This article explores consumers’ replacement of electronic products. A survey with 617 participants from Western Europe who had recently replaced their smartphones, vacuum cleaners, televisions or washing machines gives us insights on the age and state of products when replaced, repair considerations and the extent to which 19 reasons for...

journal article 2022

document

Measuring consumers’ product care tendency: Scale development and validation

Ackermann, L. (author), Schoormans, J.P.L. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Product care is defined as all activities initiated by consumers that encourage an extension of product lifetimes, such as repair, maintenance, and/or careful handling. A product care scale was developed and validated in a set of four related studies. In study 1, we asked experts to examine the face validity of a set of 35 items. In study 2,...

journal article 2021

document

Design for Product Care—Development of Design Strategies and a Toolkit for Sustainable Consumer Behaviour

Ackermann, L. (author), Tuimaka, M. (author), Pohlmeyer, A.E. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Background: Taking care of products is a relevant approach to prolong products’ lifetimes and retain their desired level of performance, and is thus an important aspect of sustainable consumer behaviour. Although consumers have a general motivation to take care of their products, previous research has shown that they struggle to repair,...

journal article 2021

document

Too good to go? Consumers’ replacement behaviour and potential strategies for stimulating product retention

van den Berge, R.B.R. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Many products are disposed of before they have reached the end of their functional life. New technological developments and trends in fashion seem to accelerate consumers’ replacement of products. From an environmental perspective, such early replacement is undesirable. In this paper, we emphasize that product replacement is not only based on...

journal article 2021

document

An exploration of the value of timeless design styles for the consumer acceptance of refurbished products

Wallner, T.S. (author), Magnier, L.B.M. (author), Mugge, R. (author)

The prior use and age make refurbished products a less desirable option because they are perceived to be of lower quality, to have a reduced performance and a less attractive appearance. This research investigates one strategy on how to enhance the appearance of refurbished products and thereby encourage circular consumption via refurbishment...

journal article 2020

document

Designing Behaviour Change: A Behavioural Problem/Solution (BPS) Matrix

Cash, Philip (author), Khadilkar, Pramod (author), Jensen, Joanna (author), Dusterdich, Camilla (author), Mugge, R. (author)

Behavioural design has emerged as a critical new area of research and practice. However, despite the development of extensive lists of possible problem features and suggested solution principles there is little guidance on how these should be connected. Therefore, in this work we systematically examine interactions between major problem features...

journal article 2020

document

‘Complexity in simplicity’: the effects of visual complexity on consumers’ comprehension of product innovations

Cheng, Peiyao (author), Mugge, R. (author), de Bont, Cees J.P.M. (author)

Designers are frequently involved in embodying product innovations. It is challenging to embody really new products (RNPs) because<br/>consumers often have difficulty comprehending them. This study explores the value of visual complexity for designing RNPs. In study 1, an experiment was conducted (n = 77) to test the effects of visual complexity...

journal article 2020

document

The use of apps to promote energy saving: A study of smart meter–related feedback in the Netherlands

Geelen, D.V. (author), Mugge, R. (author), Silvester, S. (author), Bulters, Annemieke (author)

Feedback systems with direct feedback have shown to be effective in stimulating households to change their energy consumption levels. This research is one of the first to explore the use of apps to influence household energy use. Compared to dedicated in-home displays, smartphone/tablet apps provide a low-cost and simple design solution for...

journal article 2019

document

“Smart Home System is Like a Mother”: The Potential and Risks of Using Product Metaphors to Influence Consumers’ Comprehension of Really New Products

Cheng, Peiyao (author), Mugge, R. (author), de Bont, Cees (author)

Driven by innovative technology, really new products (RNPs) incorporate new functions that provide significant benefits for consumers. Consumers, however, often experience difficulty understanding RNPs, which hinders their further adoption. To facilitate consumers’ comprehension, the use of product metaphors in RNPs is a promising strategy...

journal article 2019