To establish a circular economy, a first step is to increase the use of recycled materials. If designers decide to apply certain materials over others, circular economy is likely a matter of design. Uncovering the role of design in changing behaviour towards more conscious consumption and transitioning to a model with less consumption of raw materials and less waste is the objective of the “Dissenya Futur” project. This project is promoted by the Barcelona Design Centre and inèdit, with the support of and funded by the Waste Agency of Catalonia.

The outcome will be a guide explaining how design can be a lever for change towards sustainability and compiling business strategies and business models that generate value from fewer resources and produce less waste, such as dematerialisation, collaborative economy, or community creation. The contents will be presented clearly and understandably to inspire and motivate others to apply design strategies.

The guide will be developed with the participation of the Catalan Design Cluster members and will be aimed at all those companies that, despite offering very different products and services, share a key factor: design is a central element in their value proposition, such as graphic design, communication and branding studios; product or service design studios; interior design studios; product manufacturing companies, etc.

Information gathering will be through questionnaires and in-depth interviews with designers from various disciplines, also allowing an assessment of the extent to which different design disciplines apply these strategies based on a more circular model.

This project is funded by the Catalan Waste Agency.