More with Less: Exploring sustainable design through application and development of an integrated multi-level design approach

This research project explores the application of the design approach of Eco-efficient Value Creation and the model of the Eco-cost/Value Ratio to practical cases, in order to advance the potential contribution of designers to accelerating the transition towards an environmentally sustainable society. <br/>The Eco-efficient Value Creation...

Community-based co-design for accessible health information for Deaf people in a context with societal complexity

Deaf people, who mainly use a signed language for communication, encounter multiple information accessibility challenges in their daily lives. Vital information, like health, has been limitedly accessible to Deaf people across the globe, including those in the Western Cape, South Africa—the studied context of this thesis. The lack of access to...

Let It Go: Designing the Divestment of Mobile Phones in a Circular Economy from a User Perspective

In a circular economy, the collection of devices is essential to enable reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing and/or recycling at a system level. Yet, even though collection programmes are in place, users often store their mobile phones after use. This dissertation provides a better understanding of closing the loop from a user perspective in...

What Leonardo could mean to us now: Systematic variation 21st century style, applied to large-scale societal issues

The problem: Design challenges are becoming increasingly complex, amongst others because real life is getting more complex. Society is more interconnected than before and most problems occur in a variety of -quickly changing- shapes and forms, i.e. in different contexts. These contexts pose different requirements and often have interdependencies...

The Intangibles: Values of Heritage Products for Design and Sustainability Initiatives

Values are attributed to products over time and across generations. They are created, compiled, shared, evolved, exchanged, and also discarded. However, creating an explicit theory and analysis on this subject is challenging due to the abstract and multifaceted nature of the topic with a plethora of theories from various research communities. To...

On the Paradoxical Nature of Innovation: Evidence from Social Networks in Fryslân

With the ever-growing development of technology, being able to innovate is the ultimate goal to create an advantage for organizations, regions and countries. Innovation enables the prosperous growth of communities all over the world, but not all regions are able to keep up. This thesis focuses on regions that have not benefitted fully from this...

Sustainable Food by Design: Co-design and Sustainable Consumption Among the Urban Middle Class of Vietnam

Growing unsustainable consumption in Vietnam is a pressing issue, especially in urban areas. The effects of rapid economic growth, industrialization and increasing wealth in combination with a young, growing population makes that the middle class of Vietnam is on the rise. This movement within the population is making room to form and introduce...