The Use2Use Design Toolkit-Tools for User-Centred Circular Design
Journal article, 2021

Recent research highlights that the important role users play in the transition to a circular economy is often overlooked. While the current narrative emphasises how to design products fit for circular (re-)production flows, or how to design circular business models, it often fails to address how such solutions can be designed to be attractive to people. As long as products and services are designed in a way that makes people prefer linear options over circular ones, the transition will not gain momentum. To further the understanding of how a user perspective can be valuable for circular design, this paper introduces the Use2Use Design Toolkit and presents initial experiences from using its five tools in design work. The tools were developed between 2016 and 2019 and subsequently applied in 30 workshops with professionals and students. Insights from the workshops suggest that the participants generally found the tools fun, instructive and inspirational. The tools enabled them to discuss circular processes from a user's point of view and to identify challenges and design opportunities. The toolkit was considered especially relevant and meaningful by product and service designers who needed support to explore circular solutions from a user perspective.

design tools

circular consumption

circular design

circular economy

user-centred design

sustainable design

Author

Oskar Rexfelt

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Design and Human Factors

Anneli Selvefors

Forming Futures

Sustainability

20711050 (eISSN)

Vol. 13 10 5397

Subject Categories

Design

Interaction Technologies

Human Computer Interaction

DOI

10.3390/su13105397

More information

Latest update

7/5/2021 6