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C.A. Bakker
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1
From nursery to meadow
Designing a biodegradable restoration system to help Zostera noltii re-establishment in the Dutch Wadden Sea
Coastal ecosystems occupy less than 4% of the Earth’s surface yet deliver ecological functions far exceeding their size. Among these, seagrass meadows have suffered severe global decline; in the Dutch Wadden Sea, Zostera noltii has been functionally absent since the 1970s. Active restoration remains constrained by two persistent bottlenecks: limited donor material and high post-transplant mortality.
This thesis examines seagrass restoration as a continuous process rather than a single field intervention. Through a literature review, participant observation during a Z. noltii transplantation on Ameland, and visits to seagrass nursery facilities, the project identifies a gap that existing restoration research does not address: the transition between nursery cultivation, transport, and field installation, during which the plant is repeatedly handled and mechanically disturbed.
Following the Double Diamond framework, four prototypes were developed and evaluated in a purpose-built flume tank against BESE elements, the current benchmark for emergent trait mimicry. The resulting design is a two-component biodegradable system in PHA: a cone tray in which seagrass is cultivated, transported and planted without root extraction, and a spiral that stabilises sediment and is installed by rocking rather than excavation.
Flume testing showed comparable sediment protection to BESE with a distinct spatial distribution, deflecting scour and deposition away from the planting zone. Field testing confirmed full installation in muddy sediment in 20 seconds, a condition in which BESE could not be installed at all without digging. Biological validation across a full growing season remains the essential next step. ...
This thesis examines seagrass restoration as a continuous process rather than a single field intervention. Through a literature review, participant observation during a Z. noltii transplantation on Ameland, and visits to seagrass nursery facilities, the project identifies a gap that existing restoration research does not address: the transition between nursery cultivation, transport, and field installation, during which the plant is repeatedly handled and mechanically disturbed.
Following the Double Diamond framework, four prototypes were developed and evaluated in a purpose-built flume tank against BESE elements, the current benchmark for emergent trait mimicry. The resulting design is a two-component biodegradable system in PHA: a cone tray in which seagrass is cultivated, transported and planted without root extraction, and a spiral that stabilises sediment and is installed by rocking rather than excavation.
Flume testing showed comparable sediment protection to BESE with a distinct spatial distribution, deflecting scour and deposition away from the planting zone. Field testing confirmed full installation in muddy sediment in 20 seconds, a condition in which BESE could not be installed at all without digging. Biological validation across a full growing season remains the essential next step. ...
Coastal ecosystems occupy less than 4% of the Earth’s surface yet deliver ecological functions far exceeding their size. Among these, seagrass meadows have suffered severe global decline; in the Dutch Wadden Sea, Zostera noltii has been functionally absent since the 1970s. Active restoration remains constrained by two persistent bottlenecks: limited donor material and high post-transplant mortality.
This thesis examines seagrass restoration as a continuous process rather than a single field intervention. Through a literature review, participant observation during a Z. noltii transplantation on Ameland, and visits to seagrass nursery facilities, the project identifies a gap that existing restoration research does not address: the transition between nursery cultivation, transport, and field installation, during which the plant is repeatedly handled and mechanically disturbed.
Following the Double Diamond framework, four prototypes were developed and evaluated in a purpose-built flume tank against BESE elements, the current benchmark for emergent trait mimicry. The resulting design is a two-component biodegradable system in PHA: a cone tray in which seagrass is cultivated, transported and planted without root extraction, and a spiral that stabilises sediment and is installed by rocking rather than excavation.
Flume testing showed comparable sediment protection to BESE with a distinct spatial distribution, deflecting scour and deposition away from the planting zone. Field testing confirmed full installation in muddy sediment in 20 seconds, a condition in which BESE could not be installed at all without digging. Biological validation across a full growing season remains the essential next step.
This thesis examines seagrass restoration as a continuous process rather than a single field intervention. Through a literature review, participant observation during a Z. noltii transplantation on Ameland, and visits to seagrass nursery facilities, the project identifies a gap that existing restoration research does not address: the transition between nursery cultivation, transport, and field installation, during which the plant is repeatedly handled and mechanically disturbed.
Following the Double Diamond framework, four prototypes were developed and evaluated in a purpose-built flume tank against BESE elements, the current benchmark for emergent trait mimicry. The resulting design is a two-component biodegradable system in PHA: a cone tray in which seagrass is cultivated, transported and planted without root extraction, and a spiral that stabilises sediment and is installed by rocking rather than excavation.
Flume testing showed comparable sediment protection to BESE with a distinct spatial distribution, deflecting scour and deposition away from the planting zone. Field testing confirmed full installation in muddy sediment in 20 seconds, a condition in which BESE could not be installed at all without digging. Biological validation across a full growing season remains the essential next step.
Legakker, narrow strips of peat bordered by water, unique in the Netherlands, is of Dutch cultural and ecological importance. As riparian zones, they support high levels of biodiversity and contribute to national water quality goals set by the EU Water Framework Directive. However, legakkers are eroding due to waves created by boat traffic and wind, the burrowing behavior of the invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), and due to the lack of vegetated banks. Their characteristically steep banks (1:0–1:1) prevent vegetation from establishing, which would otherwise stabilize the bank through their roots. Due to the lack of this, the crayfish activity and waves, a positive feedback loop in which erosion accelerates, is present. Left without active intervention, these banks will continue to degrade, at both an ecological and cultural cost.
To understand the context of the problem, a literature review, expert interviews, and an analysis of conventional bank protection methods were conducted. This established that bank resilience depends primarily on slope angle, under and above water vegetation cover, and resistance to crayfish burrowing, criteria that existing solutions only partially address. Five design directions were developed and evaluated against twelve drafted design criteria. A two-phase crayfish experiment was carried out to determine what barriers or substrate additions could protect the bank against crayfish burrowing. On top of that, an on-shore embodiment has been prototyped, which has been placed in a water body.
The final design consists of a biodegradable construction of wooden piles, crossbeams, a geotextile liner, BESE element frames, and willow bundles, assembled to form a 1:3 sloped bank that is placed directly in front of a degrading legakker and filled with local dredge. BESE elements form a physical barrier against crayfish burrowing during the first two years, when vegetation is absent, but continue to support the construction for up to 20 years. The sloped geometry and willow bundles dampen incoming wave energy, while the biodegradable geotextile retains the dredge in place as vegetation establishes. After two years, vegetation will start to take over the structure and keep the bank stable. The design was evaluated against the same criteria previously compiled. Further iterations and long-term field monitoring are needed to assess vegetation succession, degradation rates, and crayfish resistance under real conditions.
...
To understand the context of the problem, a literature review, expert interviews, and an analysis of conventional bank protection methods were conducted. This established that bank resilience depends primarily on slope angle, under and above water vegetation cover, and resistance to crayfish burrowing, criteria that existing solutions only partially address. Five design directions were developed and evaluated against twelve drafted design criteria. A two-phase crayfish experiment was carried out to determine what barriers or substrate additions could protect the bank against crayfish burrowing. On top of that, an on-shore embodiment has been prototyped, which has been placed in a water body.
The final design consists of a biodegradable construction of wooden piles, crossbeams, a geotextile liner, BESE element frames, and willow bundles, assembled to form a 1:3 sloped bank that is placed directly in front of a degrading legakker and filled with local dredge. BESE elements form a physical barrier against crayfish burrowing during the first two years, when vegetation is absent, but continue to support the construction for up to 20 years. The sloped geometry and willow bundles dampen incoming wave energy, while the biodegradable geotextile retains the dredge in place as vegetation establishes. After two years, vegetation will start to take over the structure and keep the bank stable. The design was evaluated against the same criteria previously compiled. Further iterations and long-term field monitoring are needed to assess vegetation succession, degradation rates, and crayfish resistance under real conditions.
...
Legakker, narrow strips of peat bordered by water, unique in the Netherlands, is of Dutch cultural and ecological importance. As riparian zones, they support high levels of biodiversity and contribute to national water quality goals set by the EU Water Framework Directive. However, legakkers are eroding due to waves created by boat traffic and wind, the burrowing behavior of the invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), and due to the lack of vegetated banks. Their characteristically steep banks (1:0–1:1) prevent vegetation from establishing, which would otherwise stabilize the bank through their roots. Due to the lack of this, the crayfish activity and waves, a positive feedback loop in which erosion accelerates, is present. Left without active intervention, these banks will continue to degrade, at both an ecological and cultural cost.
To understand the context of the problem, a literature review, expert interviews, and an analysis of conventional bank protection methods were conducted. This established that bank resilience depends primarily on slope angle, under and above water vegetation cover, and resistance to crayfish burrowing, criteria that existing solutions only partially address. Five design directions were developed and evaluated against twelve drafted design criteria. A two-phase crayfish experiment was carried out to determine what barriers or substrate additions could protect the bank against crayfish burrowing. On top of that, an on-shore embodiment has been prototyped, which has been placed in a water body.
The final design consists of a biodegradable construction of wooden piles, crossbeams, a geotextile liner, BESE element frames, and willow bundles, assembled to form a 1:3 sloped bank that is placed directly in front of a degrading legakker and filled with local dredge. BESE elements form a physical barrier against crayfish burrowing during the first two years, when vegetation is absent, but continue to support the construction for up to 20 years. The sloped geometry and willow bundles dampen incoming wave energy, while the biodegradable geotextile retains the dredge in place as vegetation establishes. After two years, vegetation will start to take over the structure and keep the bank stable. The design was evaluated against the same criteria previously compiled. Further iterations and long-term field monitoring are needed to assess vegetation succession, degradation rates, and crayfish resistance under real conditions.
To understand the context of the problem, a literature review, expert interviews, and an analysis of conventional bank protection methods were conducted. This established that bank resilience depends primarily on slope angle, under and above water vegetation cover, and resistance to crayfish burrowing, criteria that existing solutions only partially address. Five design directions were developed and evaluated against twelve drafted design criteria. A two-phase crayfish experiment was carried out to determine what barriers or substrate additions could protect the bank against crayfish burrowing. On top of that, an on-shore embodiment has been prototyped, which has been placed in a water body.
The final design consists of a biodegradable construction of wooden piles, crossbeams, a geotextile liner, BESE element frames, and willow bundles, assembled to form a 1:3 sloped bank that is placed directly in front of a degrading legakker and filled with local dredge. BESE elements form a physical barrier against crayfish burrowing during the first two years, when vegetation is absent, but continue to support the construction for up to 20 years. The sloped geometry and willow bundles dampen incoming wave energy, while the biodegradable geotextile retains the dredge in place as vegetation establishes. After two years, vegetation will start to take over the structure and keep the bank stable. The design was evaluated against the same criteria previously compiled. Further iterations and long-term field monitoring are needed to assess vegetation succession, degradation rates, and crayfish resistance under real conditions.
Reef-forming species in the Wadden Sea and North Sea have declined severely over the past decade, threatening the local biodiversity. Artificial reef deployment offer a promising method for restoration, yet current designs are largely confined to subtidal, sediment-poor environments. Limiting the range of species and locations they can support.
This project investigates the design of an artificial reef module intended to be placed in the intertidal zone while supporting the settlement of the Ross worm, Sabellaria spinulosa. This is a species with no prior history in artificial reef development.
The work operates at the intersection of computational design, clay additive manufacturing and marine ecology, and adopts a research through design methodology based on biomimimetic principles. Iterative prototyping and field evaluation serve as a primary modes of knowledge production in this process. The project studies the honeycomb worm, S. alveolata, as a structural model species, whose naturally constructed hummock reefs provided the morphological analogy for the design process.
The design process was structured around three interrelated research strands. First, a literature review and expert consultation established the biological requirements of S. spinulosa and S. alveolata. Second, field trips to the Wadden Sea, combined with a review of intertidal failure mechanisms, identified the dominant structural challenges facing deployed reef modules: scouring, subsidence, toppling, shifting, and sediment infilling. Which were further supported by literature. Third, iterative design and fabrication using Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and a clay 3D printer produced a series of prototypes evaluated through density and porosity testing, explorative field testing at Scheveningen, four day field testing at Texel, hydrodynamic drag calculations, bio-attractivity calculations, and expert interviews with Sabellaria specialists and industry practitioners in artificial reef development.
The resulting design. Alveo, consists of two primary components: a Habitat and an Anchor, connected by a narrowed Neck. The overall geometry is derived from S. alveolata hummock proportions and geometry. The anchor employs sediment entrapment and burial as its primary stabilisation mechanisms, directly translating a biological behaviour observed in S. alveolata reefs. The narrowed neck reduces scour initiation at the most hydrodynamically exposed point of the structure, the feature was inspired by observations from fieldtesting. The habitat geometry balances settlement surface quality against hydrodynamic drag, with the surface complexity being achieved through G-code controlled toolpath manipulation.
The final design is fabricated from earthenware clay containing 25% chamotte, fired at 1050°C, yielding a density closely matched to both the surrounding sediment and measured S. alveolata reef material. The total module weighs 14.2 kg of which 3.7 kg is entrapped sediment, while having a 65%-35% weight distribution of the respective Anchor and Habitat. The model is approximately 35 cm high, 35 cm wide and 24 cm deep.
The project proposes a structurally tested artificial reef module developed through the integration of species-specific ecological knowledge, site-specific failure analysis, computational modelling and 3D clay printing alongside a set of design principles identified through the Research through Design framework.
...
Reef-forming species in the Wadden Sea and North Sea have declined severely over the past decade, threatening the local biodiversity. Artificial reef deployment offer a promising method for restoration, yet current designs are largely confined to subtidal, sediment-poor environments. Limiting the range of species and locations they can support.
This project investigates the design of an artificial reef module intended to be placed in the intertidal zone while supporting the settlement of the Ross worm, Sabellaria spinulosa. This is a species with no prior history in artificial reef development.
The work operates at the intersection of computational design, clay additive manufacturing and marine ecology, and adopts a research through design methodology based on biomimimetic principles. Iterative prototyping and field evaluation serve as a primary modes of knowledge production in this process. The project studies the honeycomb worm, S. alveolata, as a structural model species, whose naturally constructed hummock reefs provided the morphological analogy for the design process.
The design process was structured around three interrelated research strands. First, a literature review and expert consultation established the biological requirements of S. spinulosa and S. alveolata. Second, field trips to the Wadden Sea, combined with a review of intertidal failure mechanisms, identified the dominant structural challenges facing deployed reef modules: scouring, subsidence, toppling, shifting, and sediment infilling. Which were further supported by literature. Third, iterative design and fabrication using Rhinoceros, Grasshopper, and a clay 3D printer produced a series of prototypes evaluated through density and porosity testing, explorative field testing at Scheveningen, four day field testing at Texel, hydrodynamic drag calculations, bio-attractivity calculations, and expert interviews with Sabellaria specialists and industry practitioners in artificial reef development.
The resulting design. Alveo, consists of two primary components: a Habitat and an Anchor, connected by a narrowed Neck. The overall geometry is derived from S. alveolata hummock proportions and geometry. The anchor employs sediment entrapment and burial as its primary stabilisation mechanisms, directly translating a biological behaviour observed in S. alveolata reefs. The narrowed neck reduces scour initiation at the most hydrodynamically exposed point of the structure, the feature was inspired by observations from fieldtesting. The habitat geometry balances settlement surface quality against hydrodynamic drag, with the surface complexity being achieved through G-code controlled toolpath manipulation.
The final design is fabricated from earthenware clay containing 25% chamotte, fired at 1050°C, yielding a density closely matched to both the surrounding sediment and measured S. alveolata reef material. The total module weighs 14.2 kg of which 3.7 kg is entrapped sediment, while having a 65%-35% weight distribution of the respective Anchor and Habitat. The model is approximately 35 cm high, 35 cm wide and 24 cm deep.
The project proposes a structurally tested artificial reef module developed through the integration of species-specific ecological knowledge, site-specific failure analysis, computational modelling and 3D clay printing alongside a set of design principles identified through the Research through Design framework.
Circularity by Design for Renault Group
A New Car Door Architecture for Remanufacturing and Recycling in the 2030 Context
The European automotive industry is one of the largest consumers of primary raw materials and every year more than six million vehicles reach their end of life in Europe. Although these vehicles are often recycled, the recovered materials are of low quality and only a fraction of recycled plastic re-enters vehicle production. Combined with the dependency on dominant material suppliers and the new EU regulation the industry is being pushed towards circularity and forced to abandon it’s linear model. Renault Group initiated this thesis to explore how circular strategies can be applied within its design practice. The car door was chosen as a use case. The goal of this thesis is therefor to design a circular car door concept that demonstrates the potential of remanufacturing and recycling for Renault Group and its stakeholders within the 2030 sustainable mobility context.
An analysis of the future legislative landscape and Renault Group's existing circular initiatives identified the circular capabilities the company must develop by 2030. It showed that Renault Group is building strong circular infrastructure through The Future is NEUTRAL, but that embedding circular principles into the design of new vehicles remains the least developed capability.
A product-level analysis showed that the door is not designed for the circular economy. This analysis was based on the door's functions, architecture, assembly, disassembly and component value. Together these findings revealed that the door is a subsystem whose components are difficult and time-consuming to extract, whose materials are mixed and joined irreversibly, and in which copper containing components contaminate recycling streams, which forces the recovered metals to be downcycled. These findings define the circularity gap. Renault Group's circular system is in place, but the products entering it are still designed according to linear logic. Closing this gap requires disassembly that is both fast, to make part harvesting and remanufacturing economically viable, and clean, to enable high-quality recycling.
Three concept directions were explored along the three resource cycles of the circular economy (narrowing, slowing and closing) and synthesized into a final design. A new door architecture consisting of an aluminium frame, a monomaterial PP interior panel, and a removable module in which components are clumped and surfaced. Inspired by the Centre Pompidou, the architecture exposes components rather than concealing them, making them visible, legible and accessible. The module can be liberated from the frame in a quick operation, enabling part harvesting for remanufacturing, while the removal of copper containing components improves the recycling quality of the frame.
The architecture was evaluated through validation interviews with stakeholders across the full door lifecycle and a disassembly map comparison. The concept was received as inspiring and new by the design department, technically feasible by the engineering department. Next to this it was perceived beneficial for repair by a mechanic and beneficial for end-of-life recovery by INDRA (vehicle recycler). The disassembly map comparison provided a first indication that the architecture reduces disassembly time.
This thesis demonstrates that circular value is created upstream, in decisions made during design, long before a vehicle reaches its end of life. The proposed architecture should be seen not as a finished design but as a starting point. A new approach to designing car doors and other vehicle subsystems that shows how circularity, applied from the start of the design process, can become a source of inspiration rather than a constraint. ...
An analysis of the future legislative landscape and Renault Group's existing circular initiatives identified the circular capabilities the company must develop by 2030. It showed that Renault Group is building strong circular infrastructure through The Future is NEUTRAL, but that embedding circular principles into the design of new vehicles remains the least developed capability.
A product-level analysis showed that the door is not designed for the circular economy. This analysis was based on the door's functions, architecture, assembly, disassembly and component value. Together these findings revealed that the door is a subsystem whose components are difficult and time-consuming to extract, whose materials are mixed and joined irreversibly, and in which copper containing components contaminate recycling streams, which forces the recovered metals to be downcycled. These findings define the circularity gap. Renault Group's circular system is in place, but the products entering it are still designed according to linear logic. Closing this gap requires disassembly that is both fast, to make part harvesting and remanufacturing economically viable, and clean, to enable high-quality recycling.
Three concept directions were explored along the three resource cycles of the circular economy (narrowing, slowing and closing) and synthesized into a final design. A new door architecture consisting of an aluminium frame, a monomaterial PP interior panel, and a removable module in which components are clumped and surfaced. Inspired by the Centre Pompidou, the architecture exposes components rather than concealing them, making them visible, legible and accessible. The module can be liberated from the frame in a quick operation, enabling part harvesting for remanufacturing, while the removal of copper containing components improves the recycling quality of the frame.
The architecture was evaluated through validation interviews with stakeholders across the full door lifecycle and a disassembly map comparison. The concept was received as inspiring and new by the design department, technically feasible by the engineering department. Next to this it was perceived beneficial for repair by a mechanic and beneficial for end-of-life recovery by INDRA (vehicle recycler). The disassembly map comparison provided a first indication that the architecture reduces disassembly time.
This thesis demonstrates that circular value is created upstream, in decisions made during design, long before a vehicle reaches its end of life. The proposed architecture should be seen not as a finished design but as a starting point. A new approach to designing car doors and other vehicle subsystems that shows how circularity, applied from the start of the design process, can become a source of inspiration rather than a constraint. ...
The European automotive industry is one of the largest consumers of primary raw materials and every year more than six million vehicles reach their end of life in Europe. Although these vehicles are often recycled, the recovered materials are of low quality and only a fraction of recycled plastic re-enters vehicle production. Combined with the dependency on dominant material suppliers and the new EU regulation the industry is being pushed towards circularity and forced to abandon it’s linear model. Renault Group initiated this thesis to explore how circular strategies can be applied within its design practice. The car door was chosen as a use case. The goal of this thesis is therefor to design a circular car door concept that demonstrates the potential of remanufacturing and recycling for Renault Group and its stakeholders within the 2030 sustainable mobility context.
An analysis of the future legislative landscape and Renault Group's existing circular initiatives identified the circular capabilities the company must develop by 2030. It showed that Renault Group is building strong circular infrastructure through The Future is NEUTRAL, but that embedding circular principles into the design of new vehicles remains the least developed capability.
A product-level analysis showed that the door is not designed for the circular economy. This analysis was based on the door's functions, architecture, assembly, disassembly and component value. Together these findings revealed that the door is a subsystem whose components are difficult and time-consuming to extract, whose materials are mixed and joined irreversibly, and in which copper containing components contaminate recycling streams, which forces the recovered metals to be downcycled. These findings define the circularity gap. Renault Group's circular system is in place, but the products entering it are still designed according to linear logic. Closing this gap requires disassembly that is both fast, to make part harvesting and remanufacturing economically viable, and clean, to enable high-quality recycling.
Three concept directions were explored along the three resource cycles of the circular economy (narrowing, slowing and closing) and synthesized into a final design. A new door architecture consisting of an aluminium frame, a monomaterial PP interior panel, and a removable module in which components are clumped and surfaced. Inspired by the Centre Pompidou, the architecture exposes components rather than concealing them, making them visible, legible and accessible. The module can be liberated from the frame in a quick operation, enabling part harvesting for remanufacturing, while the removal of copper containing components improves the recycling quality of the frame.
The architecture was evaluated through validation interviews with stakeholders across the full door lifecycle and a disassembly map comparison. The concept was received as inspiring and new by the design department, technically feasible by the engineering department. Next to this it was perceived beneficial for repair by a mechanic and beneficial for end-of-life recovery by INDRA (vehicle recycler). The disassembly map comparison provided a first indication that the architecture reduces disassembly time.
This thesis demonstrates that circular value is created upstream, in decisions made during design, long before a vehicle reaches its end of life. The proposed architecture should be seen not as a finished design but as a starting point. A new approach to designing car doors and other vehicle subsystems that shows how circularity, applied from the start of the design process, can become a source of inspiration rather than a constraint.
An analysis of the future legislative landscape and Renault Group's existing circular initiatives identified the circular capabilities the company must develop by 2030. It showed that Renault Group is building strong circular infrastructure through The Future is NEUTRAL, but that embedding circular principles into the design of new vehicles remains the least developed capability.
A product-level analysis showed that the door is not designed for the circular economy. This analysis was based on the door's functions, architecture, assembly, disassembly and component value. Together these findings revealed that the door is a subsystem whose components are difficult and time-consuming to extract, whose materials are mixed and joined irreversibly, and in which copper containing components contaminate recycling streams, which forces the recovered metals to be downcycled. These findings define the circularity gap. Renault Group's circular system is in place, but the products entering it are still designed according to linear logic. Closing this gap requires disassembly that is both fast, to make part harvesting and remanufacturing economically viable, and clean, to enable high-quality recycling.
Three concept directions were explored along the three resource cycles of the circular economy (narrowing, slowing and closing) and synthesized into a final design. A new door architecture consisting of an aluminium frame, a monomaterial PP interior panel, and a removable module in which components are clumped and surfaced. Inspired by the Centre Pompidou, the architecture exposes components rather than concealing them, making them visible, legible and accessible. The module can be liberated from the frame in a quick operation, enabling part harvesting for remanufacturing, while the removal of copper containing components improves the recycling quality of the frame.
The architecture was evaluated through validation interviews with stakeholders across the full door lifecycle and a disassembly map comparison. The concept was received as inspiring and new by the design department, technically feasible by the engineering department. Next to this it was perceived beneficial for repair by a mechanic and beneficial for end-of-life recovery by INDRA (vehicle recycler). The disassembly map comparison provided a first indication that the architecture reduces disassembly time.
This thesis demonstrates that circular value is created upstream, in decisions made during design, long before a vehicle reaches its end of life. The proposed architecture should be seen not as a finished design but as a starting point. A new approach to designing car doors and other vehicle subsystems that shows how circularity, applied from the start of the design process, can become a source of inspiration rather than a constraint.
Circular Car Door of 2040 for Renault
A System-and Product-Level Exploration of Circular Automotive Design for Renault in 2040
This project investigates how Renault Group (RG) can integrate higher levels of circularity into future vehicle programs by designing a circular car door for the mobility context of 2040. Using the car door as a use case, the project explores how system‑level circular infrastructures and product‑level design strategies can work together to extend component lifetimes, reduce environmental impact, and improve value recovery for RG.
The project begins with an evaluation of RG’s current circular practices within The Future is NEUTRAL ecosystem. While RG already leads the European automotive sector with initiatives in repair, remanufacture and material recycling, today’s system remains limited by mixed‑material components, irreversible connections, and economically constrained disassembly processes. These constraints originate primarily in the design phase, highlighting the need for more attention to circularity during the design process.
To understand how circularity may evolve, three future scenarios for 2040 were developed. These scenarios explore how geopolitical, technological and societal developments influence mobility systems and circular infrastructures. The “Mobility in a Bright Future” scenario was selected as the design context because it provides the greatest potential to demonstrate the application of higher R‑strategies within a shared‑mobility ecosystem.
A detailed analysis of current car doors revealed issues that limit repairability and material recovery: complex disassembly sequences, incompatible plastics, and extensive use of non‑reversible connections. These insights informed the basis of a set of circularity requirements used later in the design phase.
A shared vehicle system was envisioned, which includes a micro-EV, the vehicle for which the car door was designed. A circular system architecture was then developed for the 2040 scenario, centred around local, distributed facilities, named Vehicle Lifecycle Centres, capable of performing on‑site repairs, module swaps, remanufacturing and high‑quality material sorting. Modularity, standardisation and regionalised material loops form the backbone of this future circular ecosystem.
The resulting concept is a highly modular car door organised into a three‑module architecture with identical frames, shallow disassembly trees, reversible connections, interchangeable components, and mono‑material components. The door is designed for fast on‑site repair, improved material purity at end‑of‑life, lower operational downtime in shared fleets, and reduced manufacturing complexity. The concept demonstrates how circularity may materialise in a future that prioritises reducing emissions and resource consumption.
Overall, this project illustrates that meaningful circular innovation does not necessarily come from adding complexity or technology. Instead, it comes from rethinking product architecture, designing for long-term use, and ensuring that parts remain valuable across multiple lifecycles. The insights generated during the development of this project, through interactions with the designers and engineers at RG, were gathered to inform how RG can strengthen its circular design capabilities. This project supports RG’s long‑term ambitions for a fully circular automotive ecosystem.
...
The project begins with an evaluation of RG’s current circular practices within The Future is NEUTRAL ecosystem. While RG already leads the European automotive sector with initiatives in repair, remanufacture and material recycling, today’s system remains limited by mixed‑material components, irreversible connections, and economically constrained disassembly processes. These constraints originate primarily in the design phase, highlighting the need for more attention to circularity during the design process.
To understand how circularity may evolve, three future scenarios for 2040 were developed. These scenarios explore how geopolitical, technological and societal developments influence mobility systems and circular infrastructures. The “Mobility in a Bright Future” scenario was selected as the design context because it provides the greatest potential to demonstrate the application of higher R‑strategies within a shared‑mobility ecosystem.
A detailed analysis of current car doors revealed issues that limit repairability and material recovery: complex disassembly sequences, incompatible plastics, and extensive use of non‑reversible connections. These insights informed the basis of a set of circularity requirements used later in the design phase.
A shared vehicle system was envisioned, which includes a micro-EV, the vehicle for which the car door was designed. A circular system architecture was then developed for the 2040 scenario, centred around local, distributed facilities, named Vehicle Lifecycle Centres, capable of performing on‑site repairs, module swaps, remanufacturing and high‑quality material sorting. Modularity, standardisation and regionalised material loops form the backbone of this future circular ecosystem.
The resulting concept is a highly modular car door organised into a three‑module architecture with identical frames, shallow disassembly trees, reversible connections, interchangeable components, and mono‑material components. The door is designed for fast on‑site repair, improved material purity at end‑of‑life, lower operational downtime in shared fleets, and reduced manufacturing complexity. The concept demonstrates how circularity may materialise in a future that prioritises reducing emissions and resource consumption.
Overall, this project illustrates that meaningful circular innovation does not necessarily come from adding complexity or technology. Instead, it comes from rethinking product architecture, designing for long-term use, and ensuring that parts remain valuable across multiple lifecycles. The insights generated during the development of this project, through interactions with the designers and engineers at RG, were gathered to inform how RG can strengthen its circular design capabilities. This project supports RG’s long‑term ambitions for a fully circular automotive ecosystem.
...
This project investigates how Renault Group (RG) can integrate higher levels of circularity into future vehicle programs by designing a circular car door for the mobility context of 2040. Using the car door as a use case, the project explores how system‑level circular infrastructures and product‑level design strategies can work together to extend component lifetimes, reduce environmental impact, and improve value recovery for RG.
The project begins with an evaluation of RG’s current circular practices within The Future is NEUTRAL ecosystem. While RG already leads the European automotive sector with initiatives in repair, remanufacture and material recycling, today’s system remains limited by mixed‑material components, irreversible connections, and economically constrained disassembly processes. These constraints originate primarily in the design phase, highlighting the need for more attention to circularity during the design process.
To understand how circularity may evolve, three future scenarios for 2040 were developed. These scenarios explore how geopolitical, technological and societal developments influence mobility systems and circular infrastructures. The “Mobility in a Bright Future” scenario was selected as the design context because it provides the greatest potential to demonstrate the application of higher R‑strategies within a shared‑mobility ecosystem.
A detailed analysis of current car doors revealed issues that limit repairability and material recovery: complex disassembly sequences, incompatible plastics, and extensive use of non‑reversible connections. These insights informed the basis of a set of circularity requirements used later in the design phase.
A shared vehicle system was envisioned, which includes a micro-EV, the vehicle for which the car door was designed. A circular system architecture was then developed for the 2040 scenario, centred around local, distributed facilities, named Vehicle Lifecycle Centres, capable of performing on‑site repairs, module swaps, remanufacturing and high‑quality material sorting. Modularity, standardisation and regionalised material loops form the backbone of this future circular ecosystem.
The resulting concept is a highly modular car door organised into a three‑module architecture with identical frames, shallow disassembly trees, reversible connections, interchangeable components, and mono‑material components. The door is designed for fast on‑site repair, improved material purity at end‑of‑life, lower operational downtime in shared fleets, and reduced manufacturing complexity. The concept demonstrates how circularity may materialise in a future that prioritises reducing emissions and resource consumption.
Overall, this project illustrates that meaningful circular innovation does not necessarily come from adding complexity or technology. Instead, it comes from rethinking product architecture, designing for long-term use, and ensuring that parts remain valuable across multiple lifecycles. The insights generated during the development of this project, through interactions with the designers and engineers at RG, were gathered to inform how RG can strengthen its circular design capabilities. This project supports RG’s long‑term ambitions for a fully circular automotive ecosystem.
The project begins with an evaluation of RG’s current circular practices within The Future is NEUTRAL ecosystem. While RG already leads the European automotive sector with initiatives in repair, remanufacture and material recycling, today’s system remains limited by mixed‑material components, irreversible connections, and economically constrained disassembly processes. These constraints originate primarily in the design phase, highlighting the need for more attention to circularity during the design process.
To understand how circularity may evolve, three future scenarios for 2040 were developed. These scenarios explore how geopolitical, technological and societal developments influence mobility systems and circular infrastructures. The “Mobility in a Bright Future” scenario was selected as the design context because it provides the greatest potential to demonstrate the application of higher R‑strategies within a shared‑mobility ecosystem.
A detailed analysis of current car doors revealed issues that limit repairability and material recovery: complex disassembly sequences, incompatible plastics, and extensive use of non‑reversible connections. These insights informed the basis of a set of circularity requirements used later in the design phase.
A shared vehicle system was envisioned, which includes a micro-EV, the vehicle for which the car door was designed. A circular system architecture was then developed for the 2040 scenario, centred around local, distributed facilities, named Vehicle Lifecycle Centres, capable of performing on‑site repairs, module swaps, remanufacturing and high‑quality material sorting. Modularity, standardisation and regionalised material loops form the backbone of this future circular ecosystem.
The resulting concept is a highly modular car door organised into a three‑module architecture with identical frames, shallow disassembly trees, reversible connections, interchangeable components, and mono‑material components. The door is designed for fast on‑site repair, improved material purity at end‑of‑life, lower operational downtime in shared fleets, and reduced manufacturing complexity. The concept demonstrates how circularity may materialise in a future that prioritises reducing emissions and resource consumption.
Overall, this project illustrates that meaningful circular innovation does not necessarily come from adding complexity or technology. Instead, it comes from rethinking product architecture, designing for long-term use, and ensuring that parts remain valuable across multiple lifecycles. The insights generated during the development of this project, through interactions with the designers and engineers at RG, were gathered to inform how RG can strengthen its circular design capabilities. This project supports RG’s long‑term ambitions for a fully circular automotive ecosystem.
The construction industry faces increasing pressure to transition from sustainability (reducing negative impact) towards regenerativity, which seeks to create net‑positive ecological and social outcomes. This design study responds to a challenge set by Heijmans Residential Housing: to support the organisational transition toward regenerative housing by developing an intervention that broadens employee perspectives, aligns mindsets with a future regenerative vision, and enables actionable behaviour change within daily practice. A comprehensive research phase examined the systemic impact of the built environment, the regulatory landscape, cultural barriers within the construction industry, and the strategic ambitions of Heijmans. Literature on regenerative design, circularity frameworks, organisational change, and behavioural transformation was synthesised, including models such as ADKAR, the RC4BE framework, and Arup’s regenerative principles. Interviews with senior management, intrinsically motivated employees, and external experts were used to map the target audience’s knowledge, learning preferences, and barriers to sustainable action. This analysis revealed that while awareness and motivation exist, employees struggle with the knowledge and especially the ability needed to implement regenerative principles within complex housing projects.Based on these insights, Persuasive Game Design (PGD) was selected as the design approach to address mindset, behaviour, and systemic understanding. Through iterative prototyping, testing, and refinement, a three‑hour interactive workshop was developed. The workshop consists of two gameplay rounds simulating housing development in the present and in a projected 2035 regulatory context, a discovery session introducing the conceptual foundations of regenerativity, and an activator session guiding participants to define personal and organisational actions. The workshop uses realistic roles, constraints, ecosystem‑service thinking, systemic trade‑offs, and innovation mechanisms to mirror project dynamics and create a safe environment for experimentation.Evaluation through test sessions demonstrated that the workshop is feasible within the organisational context, desirable for participants, and viable as a tool for mindset and behavioural change. Participants reported increased understanding of regenerative principles, recognition of systemic interdependencies, and a stronger sense of agency in contributing to regenerative outcomes. The activator component successfully generated concrete follow‑up actions. The workshop has already begun implementation within Heijmans’ “Attitude and Behaviour” programme and is being adapted for other domains such as infrastructure.This study concludes that experiential, game‑based learning is a high‑leverage intervention for supporting regenerative transitions in the construction sector. By combining systemic insight, practical decision‑making, and personal agency, the workshop enables employees to translate regenerative principles into their own work, contributing to the long‑term organisational transformation required for regenerative housing.
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The construction industry faces increasing pressure to transition from sustainability (reducing negative impact) towards regenerativity, which seeks to create net‑positive ecological and social outcomes. This design study responds to a challenge set by Heijmans Residential Housing: to support the organisational transition toward regenerative housing by developing an intervention that broadens employee perspectives, aligns mindsets with a future regenerative vision, and enables actionable behaviour change within daily practice. A comprehensive research phase examined the systemic impact of the built environment, the regulatory landscape, cultural barriers within the construction industry, and the strategic ambitions of Heijmans. Literature on regenerative design, circularity frameworks, organisational change, and behavioural transformation was synthesised, including models such as ADKAR, the RC4BE framework, and Arup’s regenerative principles. Interviews with senior management, intrinsically motivated employees, and external experts were used to map the target audience’s knowledge, learning preferences, and barriers to sustainable action. This analysis revealed that while awareness and motivation exist, employees struggle with the knowledge and especially the ability needed to implement regenerative principles within complex housing projects.Based on these insights, Persuasive Game Design (PGD) was selected as the design approach to address mindset, behaviour, and systemic understanding. Through iterative prototyping, testing, and refinement, a three‑hour interactive workshop was developed. The workshop consists of two gameplay rounds simulating housing development in the present and in a projected 2035 regulatory context, a discovery session introducing the conceptual foundations of regenerativity, and an activator session guiding participants to define personal and organisational actions. The workshop uses realistic roles, constraints, ecosystem‑service thinking, systemic trade‑offs, and innovation mechanisms to mirror project dynamics and create a safe environment for experimentation.Evaluation through test sessions demonstrated that the workshop is feasible within the organisational context, desirable for participants, and viable as a tool for mindset and behavioural change. Participants reported increased understanding of regenerative principles, recognition of systemic interdependencies, and a stronger sense of agency in contributing to regenerative outcomes. The activator component successfully generated concrete follow‑up actions. The workshop has already begun implementation within Heijmans’ “Attitude and Behaviour” programme and is being adapted for other domains such as infrastructure.This study concludes that experiential, game‑based learning is a high‑leverage intervention for supporting regenerative transitions in the construction sector. By combining systemic insight, practical decision‑making, and personal agency, the workshop enables employees to translate regenerative principles into their own work, contributing to the long‑term organisational transformation required for regenerative housing.
It is widely known that the healthcare industry is under pressure. On one side the costs keep increasing while on the other side the push to decrease environmental impact grows (Capolongo et al., 2015). Within this graduation project circular methodologies will be used to make a step in decreasing the environmental impact of the healthcare sector. Findings from report 2.1 from a consortium called DiCE are used intensively. One of the aims for this project is to contribute to this consortium as well. As a case study, the focus product is the electrocardiogram (ECG) lead set. A set of cables that are used to measure heart frequencies. Within the impact of the ECG lead set, the increase in the use of single patient use (SPU) lead sets is a problem. This results in the lead set system having more impact. The solution for this is the multi patient use (MPU) lead sets. But with MPU lead sets other problems pop up. To get more hospitals to switch (back) from SPU Lead sets to MPU lead sets multiple aspects are important. First is cleaning. Interviews, observations and research show that MPU lead sets are harder to clean (Albert et al., 2010). The next aspect is the quality of the MPU lead set. Prolonged use increases the risk of a lower quality lead set. Which could result in needless extra alarms and so in dangerous alarm fatigue for the nurses (Albert et al., 2014). To ensure quality a quality control system on lead sets will need to be implemented. Further important aspects for designing for a MPU lead set in a circular proposition would be the durability of the lead set and the ease of use within a hospital system. The proposed concept tackles these problems in the following way. The lead sets are monthly deep cleaned and checked on quality by a centralized cleaning department. The MPU lead set itself is redesigned to be easier to clean and a special cleaning tool is developed to help with cleaning. Combined this will create a system in which the MPU lead set will be a viable solution for hospitals again.
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It is widely known that the healthcare industry is under pressure. On one side the costs keep increasing while on the other side the push to decrease environmental impact grows (Capolongo et al., 2015). Within this graduation project circular methodologies will be used to make a step in decreasing the environmental impact of the healthcare sector. Findings from report 2.1 from a consortium called DiCE are used intensively. One of the aims for this project is to contribute to this consortium as well. As a case study, the focus product is the electrocardiogram (ECG) lead set. A set of cables that are used to measure heart frequencies. Within the impact of the ECG lead set, the increase in the use of single patient use (SPU) lead sets is a problem. This results in the lead set system having more impact. The solution for this is the multi patient use (MPU) lead sets. But with MPU lead sets other problems pop up. To get more hospitals to switch (back) from SPU Lead sets to MPU lead sets multiple aspects are important. First is cleaning. Interviews, observations and research show that MPU lead sets are harder to clean (Albert et al., 2010). The next aspect is the quality of the MPU lead set. Prolonged use increases the risk of a lower quality lead set. Which could result in needless extra alarms and so in dangerous alarm fatigue for the nurses (Albert et al., 2014). To ensure quality a quality control system on lead sets will need to be implemented. Further important aspects for designing for a MPU lead set in a circular proposition would be the durability of the lead set and the ease of use within a hospital system. The proposed concept tackles these problems in the following way. The lead sets are monthly deep cleaned and checked on quality by a centralized cleaning department. The MPU lead set itself is redesigned to be easier to clean and a special cleaning tool is developed to help with cleaning. Combined this will create a system in which the MPU lead set will be a viable solution for hospitals again.
Tides
Design of a softtop surfboard for a circular business model
Softtop surfboards have become very popular over the past decades, especially within surf schools. They are beginner-friendly, and aren’t damaged as easily as traditional fibreglass composite boards. However, the design and materials used in these boards make end-of-life strategies very limiting, resulting in a product that is generating a significant amount of waste. The effective lifetime of these boards is only two years, and most surf schools burn through approximately 70 boards during this period. To turn this linear lifecycle around, this thesis proposes Tides: a product-service system for softtop surfboards. It consists of redesigning the current softtop construction and a service system through which the boards can be accessed within a circular business model.
Through co-creation with different Dutch surf schools, a subscription-based service model is developed. It takes ownership over the boards away from users, and provides them with the guarantee of always having quality softtops. The system makes use of the seasonality in surfing, in which the low season is used to take the boards back and restore them professionally. After materials have gone through multiple iterations of reuse, the boards go into a second lifecycle by leasing them to individual surfers. These use the boards on a less intensive scale and demand less quality.
Restoring the boards is done through three different recovery strategies, which are a result of a thorough analysis of the failing mechanisms of current softtops. Each strategy has its own touchpoints within the lifecycle of the boards. The first one, Repair, is used to temporarily fix boards untill the end of the high-season. The second one, Repair+, is done periodically at the end of the season. Finally, Refurbishing is done when the boards can’t be repaired anymore without seriously hurting performance.
The Repair strategy was developed into a technical proof of concept, as this is the first step towards realising a viable circular business model. The patches were prototyped, tested on waterproofness, and evaluated on user-friendliness with surf schools.
The recovery strategies resulted in a new construction design concept. The construction allows for easier implementation of the three recovery strategies, and introduces a few new features to improve the durability of the boards. This concept will be developed further in the future of this project, and its viability in the product-service system will be evaluated with surf schools.
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Through co-creation with different Dutch surf schools, a subscription-based service model is developed. It takes ownership over the boards away from users, and provides them with the guarantee of always having quality softtops. The system makes use of the seasonality in surfing, in which the low season is used to take the boards back and restore them professionally. After materials have gone through multiple iterations of reuse, the boards go into a second lifecycle by leasing them to individual surfers. These use the boards on a less intensive scale and demand less quality.
Restoring the boards is done through three different recovery strategies, which are a result of a thorough analysis of the failing mechanisms of current softtops. Each strategy has its own touchpoints within the lifecycle of the boards. The first one, Repair, is used to temporarily fix boards untill the end of the high-season. The second one, Repair+, is done periodically at the end of the season. Finally, Refurbishing is done when the boards can’t be repaired anymore without seriously hurting performance.
The Repair strategy was developed into a technical proof of concept, as this is the first step towards realising a viable circular business model. The patches were prototyped, tested on waterproofness, and evaluated on user-friendliness with surf schools.
The recovery strategies resulted in a new construction design concept. The construction allows for easier implementation of the three recovery strategies, and introduces a few new features to improve the durability of the boards. This concept will be developed further in the future of this project, and its viability in the product-service system will be evaluated with surf schools.
...
Softtop surfboards have become very popular over the past decades, especially within surf schools. They are beginner-friendly, and aren’t damaged as easily as traditional fibreglass composite boards. However, the design and materials used in these boards make end-of-life strategies very limiting, resulting in a product that is generating a significant amount of waste. The effective lifetime of these boards is only two years, and most surf schools burn through approximately 70 boards during this period. To turn this linear lifecycle around, this thesis proposes Tides: a product-service system for softtop surfboards. It consists of redesigning the current softtop construction and a service system through which the boards can be accessed within a circular business model.
Through co-creation with different Dutch surf schools, a subscription-based service model is developed. It takes ownership over the boards away from users, and provides them with the guarantee of always having quality softtops. The system makes use of the seasonality in surfing, in which the low season is used to take the boards back and restore them professionally. After materials have gone through multiple iterations of reuse, the boards go into a second lifecycle by leasing them to individual surfers. These use the boards on a less intensive scale and demand less quality.
Restoring the boards is done through three different recovery strategies, which are a result of a thorough analysis of the failing mechanisms of current softtops. Each strategy has its own touchpoints within the lifecycle of the boards. The first one, Repair, is used to temporarily fix boards untill the end of the high-season. The second one, Repair+, is done periodically at the end of the season. Finally, Refurbishing is done when the boards can’t be repaired anymore without seriously hurting performance.
The Repair strategy was developed into a technical proof of concept, as this is the first step towards realising a viable circular business model. The patches were prototyped, tested on waterproofness, and evaluated on user-friendliness with surf schools.
The recovery strategies resulted in a new construction design concept. The construction allows for easier implementation of the three recovery strategies, and introduces a few new features to improve the durability of the boards. This concept will be developed further in the future of this project, and its viability in the product-service system will be evaluated with surf schools.
Through co-creation with different Dutch surf schools, a subscription-based service model is developed. It takes ownership over the boards away from users, and provides them with the guarantee of always having quality softtops. The system makes use of the seasonality in surfing, in which the low season is used to take the boards back and restore them professionally. After materials have gone through multiple iterations of reuse, the boards go into a second lifecycle by leasing them to individual surfers. These use the boards on a less intensive scale and demand less quality.
Restoring the boards is done through three different recovery strategies, which are a result of a thorough analysis of the failing mechanisms of current softtops. Each strategy has its own touchpoints within the lifecycle of the boards. The first one, Repair, is used to temporarily fix boards untill the end of the high-season. The second one, Repair+, is done periodically at the end of the season. Finally, Refurbishing is done when the boards can’t be repaired anymore without seriously hurting performance.
The Repair strategy was developed into a technical proof of concept, as this is the first step towards realising a viable circular business model. The patches were prototyped, tested on waterproofness, and evaluated on user-friendliness with surf schools.
The recovery strategies resulted in a new construction design concept. The construction allows for easier implementation of the three recovery strategies, and introduces a few new features to improve the durability of the boards. This concept will be developed further in the future of this project, and its viability in the product-service system will be evaluated with surf schools.
This project aims to develop an easy-to-use method to (re)design products for ease of disassembly and subsequently for circular strategies, such as repair, refurbish, remanufacture, etc. Improving repairability is one of the first steps in decreasing the environmental impact of products by prolonging their technical lifespan. This thesis focuses on two separate tools that have the potential to be integrated: the Hotspot Mapping tool and the Disassembly Map. Both tools assess a product by disassembling it into its core parts and recording the properties of the parts and the disassembly steps (Fazio & et al., 2021; Flipsen et al., 2020).
The Hotspot Mapping tool highlights parts and disassembly activities that are important due to their failure rate, functionality, disassembly effort, and environmental and economic impact. On the other hand, the Disassembly Map uses these highlighted features to create a visual representation of the product architecture. Since the inputs for both tools are similar, it raises the question of whether it is possible to link them together.
The tools are analysed by literature review and usability questionnaires, resulting in a usability score of the original tool and strengths and weaknesses in terms of features and usability. Through an iterative approach, a new tool is developed, that uses a node/edge lists data structure to describe the product architecture of a product. This data-structure allows for the automatic generation of a dynamic Disassembly Map (Figure 1) in the visualisation software program yEd Graph Editor. The dynamic Disassembly Map allows designers to select which properties to display and which to hide, enabling focused attention and a better overview.
Through user testing the new method has been proven to offer increased usability, requiring less time to fill in, and an overall preference by all usability test participants over the original Hotspot Mapping and Disassembly Map tools. ...
The Hotspot Mapping tool highlights parts and disassembly activities that are important due to their failure rate, functionality, disassembly effort, and environmental and economic impact. On the other hand, the Disassembly Map uses these highlighted features to create a visual representation of the product architecture. Since the inputs for both tools are similar, it raises the question of whether it is possible to link them together.
The tools are analysed by literature review and usability questionnaires, resulting in a usability score of the original tool and strengths and weaknesses in terms of features and usability. Through an iterative approach, a new tool is developed, that uses a node/edge lists data structure to describe the product architecture of a product. This data-structure allows for the automatic generation of a dynamic Disassembly Map (Figure 1) in the visualisation software program yEd Graph Editor. The dynamic Disassembly Map allows designers to select which properties to display and which to hide, enabling focused attention and a better overview.
Through user testing the new method has been proven to offer increased usability, requiring less time to fill in, and an overall preference by all usability test participants over the original Hotspot Mapping and Disassembly Map tools. ...
This project aims to develop an easy-to-use method to (re)design products for ease of disassembly and subsequently for circular strategies, such as repair, refurbish, remanufacture, etc. Improving repairability is one of the first steps in decreasing the environmental impact of products by prolonging their technical lifespan. This thesis focuses on two separate tools that have the potential to be integrated: the Hotspot Mapping tool and the Disassembly Map. Both tools assess a product by disassembling it into its core parts and recording the properties of the parts and the disassembly steps (Fazio & et al., 2021; Flipsen et al., 2020).
The Hotspot Mapping tool highlights parts and disassembly activities that are important due to their failure rate, functionality, disassembly effort, and environmental and economic impact. On the other hand, the Disassembly Map uses these highlighted features to create a visual representation of the product architecture. Since the inputs for both tools are similar, it raises the question of whether it is possible to link them together.
The tools are analysed by literature review and usability questionnaires, resulting in a usability score of the original tool and strengths and weaknesses in terms of features and usability. Through an iterative approach, a new tool is developed, that uses a node/edge lists data structure to describe the product architecture of a product. This data-structure allows for the automatic generation of a dynamic Disassembly Map (Figure 1) in the visualisation software program yEd Graph Editor. The dynamic Disassembly Map allows designers to select which properties to display and which to hide, enabling focused attention and a better overview.
Through user testing the new method has been proven to offer increased usability, requiring less time to fill in, and an overall preference by all usability test participants over the original Hotspot Mapping and Disassembly Map tools.
The Hotspot Mapping tool highlights parts and disassembly activities that are important due to their failure rate, functionality, disassembly effort, and environmental and economic impact. On the other hand, the Disassembly Map uses these highlighted features to create a visual representation of the product architecture. Since the inputs for both tools are similar, it raises the question of whether it is possible to link them together.
The tools are analysed by literature review and usability questionnaires, resulting in a usability score of the original tool and strengths and weaknesses in terms of features and usability. Through an iterative approach, a new tool is developed, that uses a node/edge lists data structure to describe the product architecture of a product. This data-structure allows for the automatic generation of a dynamic Disassembly Map (Figure 1) in the visualisation software program yEd Graph Editor. The dynamic Disassembly Map allows designers to select which properties to display and which to hide, enabling focused attention and a better overview.
Through user testing the new method has been proven to offer increased usability, requiring less time to fill in, and an overall preference by all usability test participants over the original Hotspot Mapping and Disassembly Map tools.
This thesis explores user motivation and barriers in returning Bosch drills from the DIY Tools range, with the goal of proposing an effective return service. Stakeholder analysis, literature review, and customer research were conducted to inform the design process. The objective of this research was to identify key factors influencing the development of the return service. Stakeholder analysis and meetings with the company provided insights into major stakeholders, including the company, legal regulations, customers, and the environment. A literature review revealed pain points in reverse logistics and guided the selection of a behavioral model. Extensive customer research was conducted to understand the customer perspective on EOU reverse logistics. Design guidelines were formulated based on these findings. The stakeholder analysis emphasized the importance of satisfying all major stakeholders for the success of the return service. The literature review identified pain points in reverse logistics and highlighted the significance of incorporating behavioral change elements. Customer research underscored the pivotal role of customers in the success of the return service. Based on these findings, design guidelines were established, such as designing a comprehensive solution that integrates data from various consumption stages, utilizing the same data carrier as a touchpoint, and simplifying the return process while enhancing customer motivation. Motivational elements, particularly emphasizing the sustainability aspect, were identified to encourage customers to choose the return service. The research led to the development of the QR code solution, an integral approach that offers easy accessibility for customers, incorporates multiple customer stages, and collects usage data for reverse logistics purposes. This solution not only benefits customers but also has the potential to streamline post-return processing. Additionally, the proposed return service aligns with potential future legal requirements regarding the digital product passport. This thesis provides valuable insights into user motivation and barriers to returning Bosch drills, resulting in a suggested return service. The research findings inform design guidelines for creating an effective and usercentric return process, ensuring stakeholder satisfaction and promoting sustainability in reverse logistics. The proposed QR code solution offers an accessible and data-driven approach, while also preparing for potential future regulatory requirements.
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This thesis explores user motivation and barriers in returning Bosch drills from the DIY Tools range, with the goal of proposing an effective return service. Stakeholder analysis, literature review, and customer research were conducted to inform the design process. The objective of this research was to identify key factors influencing the development of the return service. Stakeholder analysis and meetings with the company provided insights into major stakeholders, including the company, legal regulations, customers, and the environment. A literature review revealed pain points in reverse logistics and guided the selection of a behavioral model. Extensive customer research was conducted to understand the customer perspective on EOU reverse logistics. Design guidelines were formulated based on these findings. The stakeholder analysis emphasized the importance of satisfying all major stakeholders for the success of the return service. The literature review identified pain points in reverse logistics and highlighted the significance of incorporating behavioral change elements. Customer research underscored the pivotal role of customers in the success of the return service. Based on these findings, design guidelines were established, such as designing a comprehensive solution that integrates data from various consumption stages, utilizing the same data carrier as a touchpoint, and simplifying the return process while enhancing customer motivation. Motivational elements, particularly emphasizing the sustainability aspect, were identified to encourage customers to choose the return service. The research led to the development of the QR code solution, an integral approach that offers easy accessibility for customers, incorporates multiple customer stages, and collects usage data for reverse logistics purposes. This solution not only benefits customers but also has the potential to streamline post-return processing. Additionally, the proposed return service aligns with potential future legal requirements regarding the digital product passport. This thesis provides valuable insights into user motivation and barriers to returning Bosch drills, resulting in a suggested return service. The research findings inform design guidelines for creating an effective and usercentric return process, ensuring stakeholder satisfaction and promoting sustainability in reverse logistics. The proposed QR code solution offers an accessible and data-driven approach, while also preparing for potential future regulatory requirements.
Environmental Potential of Infra-as-a-Service
A case study of a municipal slow traffic road
The building and civil engineering sector is the most polluting sector in the Netherlands. Therefore, there is an increasing need for circular and sustainable products and processes. High demand for raw materials and high environmental pressure of this sector could be reduced by implementing the Circular Economy (CE) principles in the public procurement, which is called circular public procurement (CPP). There are different ways to circular public procurement (CPP), among which is the implementation of new business concepts such as Product-Service System (PSS). An example of a business concept that is relatively new in the Dutch infrastructure sector, is the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service, which is a type of PSS. Even though some of CE principles are incorporated in PSS, PSS does not always lead to higher circularity or environmental improvements. Therefore, in this study, the following research question is answered: Does PSS lead to a higher circularity and lower environmental pressure when implemented in the municipal procuring process of a slow traffic road? The research question was answered by performing semi-structured interviews with the experts from the field, by providing the first comparative LCA of a traditional road and its product-service alternatives, and by calculating and comparing the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) of each alternative.
The scope of this study considers the upper layer of the road and the following life cycle stages: extraction of raw materials, transport of raw materials, production and transport of road components, use, maintenance, replacement, transport of waste and other released material, recycling and waste treatment. The function studied was the availability of 11,200 m2 of paving brick slow traffic road surface for 40 years’.
Based on the set scenarios, the LCA results showed that product-service alternatives do have significant environmental benefits over the reference system. The product-service scenarios were based on the two environmental strategies that were mentioned in both the interviews and in literature: i) extending the useful lifetime of the product and ii) reducing waste and optimizing end-of-life treatment. Relative to the baseline scenario, the biggest environmental gains and the biggest increase in circularity can be achieved when the currently downcycled material is reused or repurposed instead of recycled. By reusing all residual paving material at the end of its use, the CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 77%, and circularity can be increased by 8%. The other two assessed improvements of the use and end-of-life phase were the reduction of breaking percentage and the increased utility of concrete components through a material passport. The last initiative led to 3% higher circularity but it did not lead to significant environmental improvements while the reduction of breaking percentage did lead to improved environmental impacts but it did not lead to a change in circularity. When combining all three initiatives, which was done in the product-service++ scenario, CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 95%, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity by 98% and stratospheric ozone depletion by 90%, relative to the baseline scenario. In addition, this study identifies the supply of road components that includes extraction of raw materials, production and transport as the hotspot of each alternative, which indicates the importance of material reuse. Furthermore, over the whole life cycle of each alternative, electricity was identified as the biggest contributor to the characterization results due to the high share of fossil fuels in its generation.
Even though the possible product-service scenarios lead to improved environmental performance and circularity, the results from the interviews indicated that the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service is still in its infancy and that several issues need to be addressed before it can be implemented on a large scale. The issues that need to be addressed are the separation of economic and legal ownership by law, additional burden in contract management and contractual risk inclusion. Furthermore, the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service seemed to fit more to infrastructural objects that are located in the countryside because an object in the countryside has less direct connections to other infrastructure meaning the influences from the surroundings are minimized, which poses less risk to the provision of the functional unit. Before the above-mentioned issues are solved, infrastructure-as-a-service is not recommendable. Instead, municipalities as the owner of an infrastructure should take their responsibility to properly reuse paving material.
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The scope of this study considers the upper layer of the road and the following life cycle stages: extraction of raw materials, transport of raw materials, production and transport of road components, use, maintenance, replacement, transport of waste and other released material, recycling and waste treatment. The function studied was the availability of 11,200 m2 of paving brick slow traffic road surface for 40 years’.
Based on the set scenarios, the LCA results showed that product-service alternatives do have significant environmental benefits over the reference system. The product-service scenarios were based on the two environmental strategies that were mentioned in both the interviews and in literature: i) extending the useful lifetime of the product and ii) reducing waste and optimizing end-of-life treatment. Relative to the baseline scenario, the biggest environmental gains and the biggest increase in circularity can be achieved when the currently downcycled material is reused or repurposed instead of recycled. By reusing all residual paving material at the end of its use, the CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 77%, and circularity can be increased by 8%. The other two assessed improvements of the use and end-of-life phase were the reduction of breaking percentage and the increased utility of concrete components through a material passport. The last initiative led to 3% higher circularity but it did not lead to significant environmental improvements while the reduction of breaking percentage did lead to improved environmental impacts but it did not lead to a change in circularity. When combining all three initiatives, which was done in the product-service++ scenario, CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 95%, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity by 98% and stratospheric ozone depletion by 90%, relative to the baseline scenario. In addition, this study identifies the supply of road components that includes extraction of raw materials, production and transport as the hotspot of each alternative, which indicates the importance of material reuse. Furthermore, over the whole life cycle of each alternative, electricity was identified as the biggest contributor to the characterization results due to the high share of fossil fuels in its generation.
Even though the possible product-service scenarios lead to improved environmental performance and circularity, the results from the interviews indicated that the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service is still in its infancy and that several issues need to be addressed before it can be implemented on a large scale. The issues that need to be addressed are the separation of economic and legal ownership by law, additional burden in contract management and contractual risk inclusion. Furthermore, the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service seemed to fit more to infrastructural objects that are located in the countryside because an object in the countryside has less direct connections to other infrastructure meaning the influences from the surroundings are minimized, which poses less risk to the provision of the functional unit. Before the above-mentioned issues are solved, infrastructure-as-a-service is not recommendable. Instead, municipalities as the owner of an infrastructure should take their responsibility to properly reuse paving material.
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The building and civil engineering sector is the most polluting sector in the Netherlands. Therefore, there is an increasing need for circular and sustainable products and processes. High demand for raw materials and high environmental pressure of this sector could be reduced by implementing the Circular Economy (CE) principles in the public procurement, which is called circular public procurement (CPP). There are different ways to circular public procurement (CPP), among which is the implementation of new business concepts such as Product-Service System (PSS). An example of a business concept that is relatively new in the Dutch infrastructure sector, is the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service, which is a type of PSS. Even though some of CE principles are incorporated in PSS, PSS does not always lead to higher circularity or environmental improvements. Therefore, in this study, the following research question is answered: Does PSS lead to a higher circularity and lower environmental pressure when implemented in the municipal procuring process of a slow traffic road? The research question was answered by performing semi-structured interviews with the experts from the field, by providing the first comparative LCA of a traditional road and its product-service alternatives, and by calculating and comparing the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) of each alternative.
The scope of this study considers the upper layer of the road and the following life cycle stages: extraction of raw materials, transport of raw materials, production and transport of road components, use, maintenance, replacement, transport of waste and other released material, recycling and waste treatment. The function studied was the availability of 11,200 m2 of paving brick slow traffic road surface for 40 years’.
Based on the set scenarios, the LCA results showed that product-service alternatives do have significant environmental benefits over the reference system. The product-service scenarios were based on the two environmental strategies that were mentioned in both the interviews and in literature: i) extending the useful lifetime of the product and ii) reducing waste and optimizing end-of-life treatment. Relative to the baseline scenario, the biggest environmental gains and the biggest increase in circularity can be achieved when the currently downcycled material is reused or repurposed instead of recycled. By reusing all residual paving material at the end of its use, the CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 77%, and circularity can be increased by 8%. The other two assessed improvements of the use and end-of-life phase were the reduction of breaking percentage and the increased utility of concrete components through a material passport. The last initiative led to 3% higher circularity but it did not lead to significant environmental improvements while the reduction of breaking percentage did lead to improved environmental impacts but it did not lead to a change in circularity. When combining all three initiatives, which was done in the product-service++ scenario, CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 95%, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity by 98% and stratospheric ozone depletion by 90%, relative to the baseline scenario. In addition, this study identifies the supply of road components that includes extraction of raw materials, production and transport as the hotspot of each alternative, which indicates the importance of material reuse. Furthermore, over the whole life cycle of each alternative, electricity was identified as the biggest contributor to the characterization results due to the high share of fossil fuels in its generation.
Even though the possible product-service scenarios lead to improved environmental performance and circularity, the results from the interviews indicated that the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service is still in its infancy and that several issues need to be addressed before it can be implemented on a large scale. The issues that need to be addressed are the separation of economic and legal ownership by law, additional burden in contract management and contractual risk inclusion. Furthermore, the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service seemed to fit more to infrastructural objects that are located in the countryside because an object in the countryside has less direct connections to other infrastructure meaning the influences from the surroundings are minimized, which poses less risk to the provision of the functional unit. Before the above-mentioned issues are solved, infrastructure-as-a-service is not recommendable. Instead, municipalities as the owner of an infrastructure should take their responsibility to properly reuse paving material.
The scope of this study considers the upper layer of the road and the following life cycle stages: extraction of raw materials, transport of raw materials, production and transport of road components, use, maintenance, replacement, transport of waste and other released material, recycling and waste treatment. The function studied was the availability of 11,200 m2 of paving brick slow traffic road surface for 40 years’.
Based on the set scenarios, the LCA results showed that product-service alternatives do have significant environmental benefits over the reference system. The product-service scenarios were based on the two environmental strategies that were mentioned in both the interviews and in literature: i) extending the useful lifetime of the product and ii) reducing waste and optimizing end-of-life treatment. Relative to the baseline scenario, the biggest environmental gains and the biggest increase in circularity can be achieved when the currently downcycled material is reused or repurposed instead of recycled. By reusing all residual paving material at the end of its use, the CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 77%, and circularity can be increased by 8%. The other two assessed improvements of the use and end-of-life phase were the reduction of breaking percentage and the increased utility of concrete components through a material passport. The last initiative led to 3% higher circularity but it did not lead to significant environmental improvements while the reduction of breaking percentage did lead to improved environmental impacts but it did not lead to a change in circularity. When combining all three initiatives, which was done in the product-service++ scenario, CO2-eq emissions can be reduced by 95%, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity by 98% and stratospheric ozone depletion by 90%, relative to the baseline scenario. In addition, this study identifies the supply of road components that includes extraction of raw materials, production and transport as the hotspot of each alternative, which indicates the importance of material reuse. Furthermore, over the whole life cycle of each alternative, electricity was identified as the biggest contributor to the characterization results due to the high share of fossil fuels in its generation.
Even though the possible product-service scenarios lead to improved environmental performance and circularity, the results from the interviews indicated that the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service is still in its infancy and that several issues need to be addressed before it can be implemented on a large scale. The issues that need to be addressed are the separation of economic and legal ownership by law, additional burden in contract management and contractual risk inclusion. Furthermore, the concept of infrastructure-as-a-service seemed to fit more to infrastructural objects that are located in the countryside because an object in the countryside has less direct connections to other infrastructure meaning the influences from the surroundings are minimized, which poses less risk to the provision of the functional unit. Before the above-mentioned issues are solved, infrastructure-as-a-service is not recommendable. Instead, municipalities as the owner of an infrastructure should take their responsibility to properly reuse paving material.
Bundles is a Dutch startup that is working on developing circular propositions by offering products on a subscription model. Bundles already offer high-quality Miele washing machines on a “pay per wash” model to consumers. However, high lifecycle costs hinder the competitiveness of the business. This high cost is a result of the product (washing machine) and service (subscription model) not being developed in tandem with each other. The current washing machine is not designed for the Circular Economy (CE) and not designed for multiple use cycles.
CE, Digital Technologies and Product Service Systems Different academics point out that digital technologies create opportunities for circular propositions (e.g., Ellen MacArthur Foundation,2016; Pagoropoulos et al., 2017; Bressanelli et al., 2018). The connection of products through the internet enables them to sense their own and their environments status, process this information and interact with their users. These capabilities help service providers to extend the useful life of products, maximise the utilisation of products, loop products through additional use cycles, regenerate natural capital from their products, and make sure these products are used efficiently. Bundles currently, uses a smart plug to connect their devices to the internet which generates little insights for users and the service. Washing machines that last forever Through the knowledge of the condition and status of a WM, PSS can increase the useful service life of the WM eternally by enabling lifetime extending strategies like maintenance, service, refurbishing and remanufacturing . With washing machines, proactive service and maintenance is important for the service life of a washing machine. Users are critical stakeholder in enabling proper maintenance and service as if they do not participate in the service and maintenance process, the actions do not succeed. Fogg (2009) describes in his behavior change model three elements needed for a behavior to occur – Motivation, Ability, and Trigger. If a person has high motivation to do an action and the ability to do it and triggered in the right way, the action will occur.
Design Solution
The result of this design project is a User Interface framework for enabling easy and efficient maintenance and service of the WM. The concept looks at the different faults and maintenance actions for a washing machine and describes three different states of a WM.
Green State – the Most desired state where the machine is functioning perfectly and does not require any user action
Yellow State – A state where the functionality is intact but the machine requires maintenance action to be done
Red State – A state when the functionality is seized due to a fault and requires a service action to fix it.
The concept also looks at the transitions between the different states and what causes them and what action is needed to bring the machine to the green state. On the basis of the different actions, and a behavior change model that is aimed at motivating users and giving them the ability to carry out the maintenance and service actions, a UI concept is generated. This concept brings together Digital Technologies enabling circularity in a PSS.
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CE, Digital Technologies and Product Service Systems Different academics point out that digital technologies create opportunities for circular propositions (e.g., Ellen MacArthur Foundation,2016; Pagoropoulos et al., 2017; Bressanelli et al., 2018). The connection of products through the internet enables them to sense their own and their environments status, process this information and interact with their users. These capabilities help service providers to extend the useful life of products, maximise the utilisation of products, loop products through additional use cycles, regenerate natural capital from their products, and make sure these products are used efficiently. Bundles currently, uses a smart plug to connect their devices to the internet which generates little insights for users and the service. Washing machines that last forever Through the knowledge of the condition and status of a WM, PSS can increase the useful service life of the WM eternally by enabling lifetime extending strategies like maintenance, service, refurbishing and remanufacturing . With washing machines, proactive service and maintenance is important for the service life of a washing machine. Users are critical stakeholder in enabling proper maintenance and service as if they do not participate in the service and maintenance process, the actions do not succeed. Fogg (2009) describes in his behavior change model three elements needed for a behavior to occur – Motivation, Ability, and Trigger. If a person has high motivation to do an action and the ability to do it and triggered in the right way, the action will occur.
Design Solution
The result of this design project is a User Interface framework for enabling easy and efficient maintenance and service of the WM. The concept looks at the different faults and maintenance actions for a washing machine and describes three different states of a WM.
Green State – the Most desired state where the machine is functioning perfectly and does not require any user action
Yellow State – A state where the functionality is intact but the machine requires maintenance action to be done
Red State – A state when the functionality is seized due to a fault and requires a service action to fix it.
The concept also looks at the transitions between the different states and what causes them and what action is needed to bring the machine to the green state. On the basis of the different actions, and a behavior change model that is aimed at motivating users and giving them the ability to carry out the maintenance and service actions, a UI concept is generated. This concept brings together Digital Technologies enabling circularity in a PSS.
...
Bundles is a Dutch startup that is working on developing circular propositions by offering products on a subscription model. Bundles already offer high-quality Miele washing machines on a “pay per wash” model to consumers. However, high lifecycle costs hinder the competitiveness of the business. This high cost is a result of the product (washing machine) and service (subscription model) not being developed in tandem with each other. The current washing machine is not designed for the Circular Economy (CE) and not designed for multiple use cycles.
CE, Digital Technologies and Product Service Systems Different academics point out that digital technologies create opportunities for circular propositions (e.g., Ellen MacArthur Foundation,2016; Pagoropoulos et al., 2017; Bressanelli et al., 2018). The connection of products through the internet enables them to sense their own and their environments status, process this information and interact with their users. These capabilities help service providers to extend the useful life of products, maximise the utilisation of products, loop products through additional use cycles, regenerate natural capital from their products, and make sure these products are used efficiently. Bundles currently, uses a smart plug to connect their devices to the internet which generates little insights for users and the service. Washing machines that last forever Through the knowledge of the condition and status of a WM, PSS can increase the useful service life of the WM eternally by enabling lifetime extending strategies like maintenance, service, refurbishing and remanufacturing . With washing machines, proactive service and maintenance is important for the service life of a washing machine. Users are critical stakeholder in enabling proper maintenance and service as if they do not participate in the service and maintenance process, the actions do not succeed. Fogg (2009) describes in his behavior change model three elements needed for a behavior to occur – Motivation, Ability, and Trigger. If a person has high motivation to do an action and the ability to do it and triggered in the right way, the action will occur.
Design Solution
The result of this design project is a User Interface framework for enabling easy and efficient maintenance and service of the WM. The concept looks at the different faults and maintenance actions for a washing machine and describes three different states of a WM.
Green State – the Most desired state where the machine is functioning perfectly and does not require any user action
Yellow State – A state where the functionality is intact but the machine requires maintenance action to be done
Red State – A state when the functionality is seized due to a fault and requires a service action to fix it.
The concept also looks at the transitions between the different states and what causes them and what action is needed to bring the machine to the green state. On the basis of the different actions, and a behavior change model that is aimed at motivating users and giving them the ability to carry out the maintenance and service actions, a UI concept is generated. This concept brings together Digital Technologies enabling circularity in a PSS.
CE, Digital Technologies and Product Service Systems Different academics point out that digital technologies create opportunities for circular propositions (e.g., Ellen MacArthur Foundation,2016; Pagoropoulos et al., 2017; Bressanelli et al., 2018). The connection of products through the internet enables them to sense their own and their environments status, process this information and interact with their users. These capabilities help service providers to extend the useful life of products, maximise the utilisation of products, loop products through additional use cycles, regenerate natural capital from their products, and make sure these products are used efficiently. Bundles currently, uses a smart plug to connect their devices to the internet which generates little insights for users and the service. Washing machines that last forever Through the knowledge of the condition and status of a WM, PSS can increase the useful service life of the WM eternally by enabling lifetime extending strategies like maintenance, service, refurbishing and remanufacturing . With washing machines, proactive service and maintenance is important for the service life of a washing machine. Users are critical stakeholder in enabling proper maintenance and service as if they do not participate in the service and maintenance process, the actions do not succeed. Fogg (2009) describes in his behavior change model three elements needed for a behavior to occur – Motivation, Ability, and Trigger. If a person has high motivation to do an action and the ability to do it and triggered in the right way, the action will occur.
Design Solution
The result of this design project is a User Interface framework for enabling easy and efficient maintenance and service of the WM. The concept looks at the different faults and maintenance actions for a washing machine and describes three different states of a WM.
Green State – the Most desired state where the machine is functioning perfectly and does not require any user action
Yellow State – A state where the functionality is intact but the machine requires maintenance action to be done
Red State – A state when the functionality is seized due to a fault and requires a service action to fix it.
The concept also looks at the transitions between the different states and what causes them and what action is needed to bring the machine to the green state. On the basis of the different actions, and a behavior change model that is aimed at motivating users and giving them the ability to carry out the maintenance and service actions, a UI concept is generated. This concept brings together Digital Technologies enabling circularity in a PSS.