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The Role of Product Design in Creating Circular Business Models: A Case Study on the Lease and Refurbishment of Baby Strollers

Author

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  • Deborah Sumter

    (Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Conny Bakker

    (Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands)

  • Ruud Balkenende

    (Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands)

Abstract

In the transition to a circular economy companies are exploring new business models, implying a shift from selling products to offering products in circular business models, such as leasing. Product design is thought to play a crucial role in enabling this. Having a robust overview of relevant design roles and competencies is of foundational importance for the development of circular design tools and methods, and for the development of circular economy-based design curricula in higher education. However, how the role of design and the competencies required by designers need to change has hardly been investigated. Building on insights from literature regarding competencies of designers required to consider sustainability, sustainable design, and circular design, we developed a framework in which these competencies are related to the functional, coordinating, and strategic roles that have been recognized within the literature for designers. To complement the results from the literature with insights from practice, a single longitudinal in-depth case study was carried out describing a lease and refurbishment pilot conducted by a Dutch design-driven manufacturer of baby strollers. This case study allowed verification of the literature regarding the functional and coordinating roles of the designer. In addition, we were able to fill the gap observed in the literature regarding the strategic role product designers can assume when designing offers for circular business models. The competencies that we found are (1) the ability to concurrently develop the circular business model and the product’s design and (2) the ability to anticipate how the circular offering will evolve over multiple lifecycles. These findings have been used to expand the framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah Sumter & Conny Bakker & Ruud Balkenende, 2018. "The Role of Product Design in Creating Circular Business Models: A Case Study on the Lease and Refurbishment of Baby Strollers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2415-:d:157359
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Korhonen, Jouni & Honkasalo, Antero & Seppälä, Jyri, 2018. "Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 37-46.
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    Cited by:

    1. Phil Brown & Nancy Bocken & Ruud Balkenende, 2019. "Why Do Companies Pursue Collaborative Circular Oriented Innovation?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-23, January.
    2. Rocío González-Sánchez & Davide Settembre-Blundo & Anna Maria Ferrari & Fernando E. García-Muiña, 2020. "Main Dimensions in the Building of the Circular Supply Chain: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-25, March.
    3. Damien Evrard & Helmi Ben Rejeb & Peggy Zwolinski & Daniel Brissaud, 2021. "Designing Immortal Products: A Lifecycle Scenario-Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, March.
    4. Ingvild Reine Assmann & Francesco Rosati & Sandra Naomi Morioka, 2023. "Determinants of circular business model adoption—A systematic literature review," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 6008-6028, December.
    5. Deborah Sumter & Jotte de Koning & Conny Bakker & Ruud Balkenende, 2020. "Circular Economy Competencies for Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-16, February.
    6. Marcos Ferasso & Tatiana Beliaeva & Sascha Kraus & Thomas Clauss & Domingo Ribeiro‐Soriano, 2020. "Circular economy business models: The state of research and avenues ahead," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3006-3024, December.
    7. Ruth Mugge, 2018. "Product Design and Consumer Behaviour in a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-4, October.
    8. Alessio Franconi & Fabrizio Ceschin & David Peck, 2022. "Structuring Circular Objectives and Design Strategies for the Circular Economy: A Multi-Hierarchical Theoretical Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-26, July.
    9. Deborah Sumter & Jotte de Koning & Conny Bakker & Ruud Balkenende, 2021. "Key Competencies for Design in a Circular Economy: Exploring Gaps in Design Knowledge and Skills for a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-15, January.
    10. Daniel Borg & Oksana Mont & Heather Schoonover, 2020. "Consumer Acceptance and Value in Use-Oriented Product-Service Systems: Lessons from Swedish Consumer Goods Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-19, September.
    11. Maria Rosa De Giacomo & Raimund Bleischwitz, 2020. "Business models for environmental sustainability: Contemporary shortcomings and some perspectives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3352-3369, December.
    12. Suphichaya Suppipat & Kulthida Teachavorasinskun & Allen H. Hu, 2021. "Challenges of Applying Simplified LCA Tools in Sustainable Design Pedagogy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.

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