4. Circular Designs and Innovation

In the linear economy model which functions on a take-make-discard system, even the most practically designed products or goods are discarded, eventually after a period of use. Sometimes items are consciously designed to last for a very short time, for various reasons like cost, convenience, or hygiene. However, such a system ignores important issues like the scarcity of resources, pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Hence, there is a need for innovations which are circular in nature.

The circular design is aimed to detach economic activity from resource consumption and presents prospects for growth. This not only helps build more resilient systems but also has positive effects on society as a whole, such as a clean and healthy environment^[3].

Circular design enables the three principles of the circular economy, i.e Eliminate, Circulate and Regenerate. That can be further explained as:

• Eliminate waste and pollution upstream through design: This principle aims to reduce the pollution and waste generation through design. Here, products are designed in such a way that they can be used for a multiple times and the by-products can also be utilized to develop new materials and products. This ensures that the minimal wastage is achieved and products do not end up in landfills in turn reduces pollution.
• Circulate materials and products by redesigning them: This principle helps to keep the products in loop through designing. Here, the designed products and materials can be repaired, upgraded and are durable. This helps in creating business models that allow materials to be used more times, by more people and for longer.
• Regenerate nature: Circular economy not only helps in combating the resource depletion, but also aids in the regeneration of nature. This is done by designing the products to improve local biodiversity, air and water quality by nature friendly means such as continuous use of bio-based material.

Various Concepts of Circular Design^[4]:

1. System Thinking: The ability to understand how the system and its parts interact to produce the behaviour as a whole. It is a way of thinking that aids in identification of the root cause of the problems and finding new opportunities.

2. Systemic Design: It is a framework that supports the designers and innovators to make sustainable and circular models. There are six principles in this framework:

• People and planet centred
• Inclusive and welcoming difference
• Zooming in and out
• Collaborating and connecting
• Testing and growing ideas
• Circular and regenerative

3. Cradle to Cradle: It is an approach to analyze the lifecycle of a manufactured product. In this approach, the product has a longer life because at the end of its usage it is again sent into the market by different processes (recycling, repairing etc.). Here the garbage is converted and used as a resource and generates money. Thus, this helps in reducing the waste and saves money.

4. Transition Design: It focuses on the ways to aid in transitioning the society towards a sustainable future by changing the designing pattern. The framework involves-
a. Vision for transition (clear visions of what to transition)
b. Theories of Change (variety of theories and methodologies to explain change in complex systems)
c. Mindset and Posture (develop postures of collaboration and self-reflection)
d. New Ways of Designing (arising out of the previous three areas)

5. Biomimicry: A process where the designs and innovations are inspired from nature and its processes. For example, the birds often fly in V-shaped structures. This enables them to updraft energy for the next bird in the structure helping them reduce the amount of energy spent on flying. These findings helped the airplanes to reduce the drag during the flight as well as reduce around 15% of the fuel consumption.

6. Regenerative Design: This approach focuses on the regeneration of raw material through designing. It focuses on creating sustainable solutions to benefit both business and the environment.

These concepts highlight various aspects of the economy's transition from linear to circular and constitute a potent, global design.