<aside> <img src="/icons/flag-checkered_gray.svg" alt="/icons/flag-checkered_gray.svg" width="40px" /> For us, circular design is about shaping nutritious flows with intention – for the thriving of all life.
This includes:
<aside> <img src="/icons/bullseye_gray.svg" alt="/icons/bullseye_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Setting the Intention; Love, compassion and respect for all of life; acting in the highest interest of all concerned
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<aside> <img src="/icons/grocery_gray.svg" alt="/icons/grocery_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Addressing Real Needs; finding a balance between individual fulfillment and the collective well-being of communities, the health of ecosystems, and the sustainability of the planet
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<aside> <img src="/icons/rainbow_gray.svg" alt="/icons/rainbow_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Make do with Less; mindful, responsible and resource efficient creation, production and consumption, in alignment with real needs for personal and societal well-being.
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<aside> <img src="/icons/ringed-planet_gray.svg" alt="/icons/ringed-planet_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Thinking in Systems; understanding the interconnectedness of all elements (or: how the parts of a system interact) to tackle complex challenges
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<aside> <img src="/icons/star-of-life_gray.svg" alt="/icons/star-of-life_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Applying Circular (Economy) Principles Eliminate anything that is toxic and harmful to life Circulate nutritious flows at their highest value Regenerate (eco)systems that are conducive to all life on earth
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to be further developed …
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Table of content
As humans, we possess a unique ability to consciously shape our environment and realities. Our impact is evident in the physical changes we make in the world, from constructing buildings and altering landscapes to designing and producing objects. However, our actions impact not only the physical world but also bring about wider changes in culture and thinking.
Recognizing our role as conscious creators is a true opportunity for us to recalibrate our trajectory. By carefully discerning what is best for the collective well-being, we can implement a positive use of life, work, and economic force to co-create every aspect of our society with the highest intentions and the collective interests of all beings at heart, including ecosystems and our entire planet.
This means we can shape our surroundings in a 'nutritious' way that promotes the thriving of all life forms. In the concept of Circular Design, nutritious flows play a key role. These flows represent the dynamic movement and exchange of resources — like materials, information, energy, and money — in a life-friendly manner. They contribute positively to the systems they are part of, similar to how flows of nutrients support living organisms. In natural systems waste or pollution does not exist; at the end of its life, everything becomes a resource for something else. With Circular Design we copy these natural nutritious flows and start to reimagine 'waste' as a valuable input for other processes. By doing so we unleash the full potential of resources throughout their entire lifecycle.
But nutritious flows aren't just about resource circulation; they also ensure resources are directed where needed most. This involves designing systems that not only recycle materials but also consider the needs of the planet, environment, economy, society, and individuals at each stage in the cycle. This holistic, systems-oriented approach can be implemented in designing anything – from products, to services, to business models and (eco)systems.
In a circular economy, maximizing resource value is crucial. Consciously shaping nutritious flows with Circular Design ensures that every transfer adds value, whether by prolonging product life, enabling new product creation, or making processes more efficient and less wasteful. This requires considering a product or service's entire lifecycle, from product-service-design and manufacturing to use and end-of-life. By thinking upstream and tackling root causes of environmental and social challenges at the design stage, Circular Design is not just about minimizing negative impacts but actively contributing to regeneration, sustainability, and a better future for all.
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Love, compassion and respect for all of life; acting in the highest interest of all concerned
By acknowledging that we, as individuals and as a collective, actively shape the world with every decision that we make, we can focus on consciously setting our intention before we even start the design process.