Circular Furniture Continuation Framework
Mitigating the risks of premature discard of household furniture by providing decision support to furniture brands for circular PSS design interventions
P.M. Zollinger (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
L.A.G. Kolks – Mentor (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
A.C. Ruiter – Mentor (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
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Abstract
This graduation project develops the Circular Furniture Continuation Framework (CFCF), which aims to reduce premature discard of household furniture. It does so by supporting furniture brands in design decision-making toward circular product-service-system intervention directions that mitigate the risks of premature discard. Findings from literature and design research suggest that premature discard stems from challenges with use continuation, as furniture is often disposed of while still functional. The systemic conditions that contribute to this problem include product limitations, changes in household contexts, and weak continuation support, which together make continued use or value retention difficult.
The design outcome resulted from sector specialists confirming both a gap in circular decision support for furniture brands and the observation that furniture brands generally limit the application of circular strategies at the material level, as well as from formulating design principles that address recurring mechanisms through which furniture continuation may break down.
Through a series of steps that guide the diagnosis of where and why furniture continuation may be at risk, and translate breakdowns into fitting intervention directions that address them, the CFCF supports furniture brands in their design decision-making. Although validation of the CFCF with furniture practitioners and relevant experts supports this, a conceptual pivot aimed to improve the CFCF’s ability to convey a more convincing value proposition and to improve its actionability, interface, and information presentation.
The project’s main contribution, however, remains the CFCF, a structured framework that supports decision-making. It supports an early step towards reducing premature furniture discard by helping brands turn a furniture continuation risk into a testable direction for a circular PSS intervention.
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