Design Thinking for The Circular

Economy
Shar Olivier
Director of Sustainability & CSR, IIL

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

What Comes to Mind When you Hear

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who Innovates?

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Who are the Innovators in the Marketplace?

What Does this Say about the Future?

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

INNOVATION = Longevity & Prosperity

Innovation drives the marketplace of the future.
Design Thinking drives human-centered products
and services.
These products and services need to embed the
principles and processes of
The Circular Economy.

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

What is Design Thinking?

A method of focusing innovation on human-centered
design through iterative and collaborative processes
and ideation through prototyping.

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

What is The Circular Economy?

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Core to Both Methodologies

PROBLEM SOLVING
THROUGH
EMPATHY & INNOVATION
International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Linear Take and Make Model

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing World

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

10

Here at home

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

11

 International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

12

Cradle2Cradle Concepts
MATERIAL FLOWS
BIOLOGICAL (consumable) Materials Re-enter
the biosphere to build natural capital.
TECHNICAL (durable) Materials High quality, high
added-value. Designed to circulate and not enter
biosphere.

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

13

Circular Economy Model

Production
Production

Secondary
Secondary
Raw
Raw
Materials
Materials

Innovatio
Innovatio
n,
n,
Investme
Investme
nt
nt &
&
Monitorin
Monitorin
g
g

Consumptio
Consumptio
n
n

Waste
Waste
Managemen
Managemen
tt
International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

14

Circular Economy Model

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

15

Some Key Sectors for CE

Plastics

Food Waste

Constructio
n&
Demolition
International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critical Raw
Materials

Biomass &
Bio-based
Products
16

Value Creation
Inner Circle Minimizing comparative
materials use through re-use. The tighter
the circle, the less it has to be changed to
be returned to use (with higher savings).

Circling Longer Maximizing the number of

consecutive cycles of reuse to avoid
production of a new component

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

17

Functional Service Economy

Closed-loop systems advocate a functional service economy
manufacturers and retailers shift from selling products to services.
Products are designed for a cycle of disassembly and re-use.
Companies maintain ownership of products and act as a
service provider.
PROMOTES:
More durable products longer life-span = lower demand for
energy and materials
Disassembly and refurnishing rather than disposal
New economic opportunities through product and service
shifts
International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

18

Design Thinking
A skill that allows a designer to align what
people want with what can be done, and produce
a viable business strategy that creates customer
value and market opportunity.

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

19

Matthew Holloway VP, Design for SAP

ust do:

Best Practices and

Continuous Innovation
Left Brain Says:
These crazy guys will never deliver a
product.
Give me the budget and I will deliver
whatever you want.
We have to concentrate on what we
are good at.
The new ideas are interesting, but we
dont have the time or necessity.

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

To Win:

Differentiation and
Breakthrough
Innovation
Right Brain Says:

If we dont change now, it will be too

late.
We have to stop living in the past
regardless of the success we had.
New things are possible, we only have
to have the will to want them.
There are better ways to do it.

20

BIOMIMICRY
Why is it Vital to Design and The Circular
Economy?
Natural world is our map to sustainable design.

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

21

Keep up the Great Work!

shar.olivier@iil.com
212-515-5073

International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

22

 International Institute for Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

23