Designing Products for a Circular Economy

Concerned about the environmental impact of modern consumption? This course introduces you to a better way of creating products—one that is restorative and regenerative by design. You will gain a solid foundation in the principles of the circular economy. This course will shift your perspective from the traditional 'take-make-dispose' model to a holistic view of a product's entire lifecycle. You'll learn to think critically about material choices, design for longevity and repair, and understand how business models can support a truly sustainable system. What you'll learn: - Understand the core principles of the circular economy and contrast it with the linear model. - Apply key circular design strategies like designing for disassembly, durability, and repairability. - Explore sustainable material selection, considering recycled content, recyclability, and biodegradability. - Analyze product lifecycles using the fundamentals of Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) to measure environmental impact. - Discover how circular business models, such as product-as-a-service, support sustainable ecosystems. - Grasp the role of emerging concepts like digital product passports in enabling traceability and circularity. We begin with the core theories of circularity and sustainability, then guide you through practical design strategies and frameworks. The material is presented in a structured, text-based format to help you build your knowledge step-by-step. This course is ideal for aspiring designers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and anyone interested in sustainability. No prior experience in product development or environmental science is necessary. Begin learning how to design the next generation of responsible products.