Sustainability in the Future of Design Education

The Future of Design Education working group on sustainability developed recommendations for integrating sustainability into higher education design curricula. The recommendations provide a foundation for design instruction, using well-established evidence-based tools, methods, and mindsets that apply to professional practice and support...

COEVOLVE: a design journey towards more inclusive and circular medical practices

The industry devoted to keeping us healthy is also one of the largest contributors to climate change: one of the greatest threats to our well-being. Medical devices and services are often designed in and for high-income countries. However, they are also used in low- and middle-income countries. Due to this mismatch of context, they are often not...

Key competencies for design in a circular economy: Exploring gaps in design knowledge and skills for a circular economy

In a recent study, we identified seven key circular competencies for design: (1) Design for Multiple Use Cycles, (2) Design for Recovery, (3) Circular Impact Assessment, (4) Circular Business Models, (5) Circular User Engagement, (6) Circular Economy Collaboration, and (7) Circular Economy Communication. These were derived from small‐scale...

Circular economy in industrial design research: A review

In the past decades, industrial design practice and research have focused extensively on how to optimize production and consumption, as a way to prevent negative environmental impacts, such as resource depletion, pollution, and excessive waste. Recently, the “circular economy” concept is increasingly used to achieve environmental benefits and...