The future is circular
and the future starts now.

No matter how fast we succeed with the green energy transition it will only take us half way. We need innovation to radically rethink how we produce and consume products and food to take us to a future that is regenerative by design.

Why the circular economy guides all the work we do

There is no way the take-make-waste 'business as usual' way of operating is going to work in the 21st century. We would need at least 3 planets if everyone lived and consumed like the average European today. Global supply chains are being disrupted. A new generation of consumers demand high customisation and full transparency.

Both from an economic and planetary point of view we need to keep products and materials in use and regenerate our natural systems.

The circular economy is a radically different way to do business, inviting companies to rethink everything from how to design and manufacture products to their relationships with customers. The focus is no longer on consumption, but instead on the use of a function. We see front-runners that embrace circular economy principles build more long-term relationships with their customers and build better businesses. We see solutions that are more thought-through to minimise or completely design out waste and pollution.

The shift is already in motion

Around the world a movement is taking place to deliver everyday products without packaging waste. We see a shift from a sole focus on incremental packaging improvements to global FMCGs and retailers fundamentally rethinking their packaging, products and business models.  ​​PepsiCo’s Sodastream is an example of a reuse model that gives users the benefit of customisation while saving 87% CO2 compared to single use as usual. Also Unilever is exploring how selling shampoo, detergent etc. could happen in intelligent dispensing units currently tested in e.g. Walmart, ASDA and Lidl. 

See more than 100 examples in the Upstream Innovation Guide co-authored by Annette for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Photo: Unilever.com

Why own clothes that you aren't using any longer? Office furniture that will have to be replaced as needs change? Headphones that become insufficient as technology evolves? Winning in the circular economy requires business models that keep products and materials in use rather than let them go to waste. 

Gerrard Street is one of the pioneers that have demonstrated the business case for modular headphones on subscription. Recently we have also seen Zalando's pre-owned category offer grow tenfold to over 200.000 items since its launch in 2020 while furniture giant IKEA is scaling their take-back and repair programs in their quest to be a fully circular business.

Photo: Geraldstreet.com

Leading businesses are asking how they can restore and regenerate natural systems rather than simply reduce their negative impact. Slow is an example of an industry-rebel that is introducing forest grown coffee using regenerative farming principles. They have a fully integrated value-chain removing 15-20 intermediaries and track value based on the level of farmers’ livelihood, biodiversity, carbon binding and transparency.

One of the world’s largest organic sugar producers, Native, has shown how to do a successful transformation based on regenerative business principles at scale and recently, food giants like Nestle and Danone are also boosting investment and innovation in nature-positive business models and products.

Photo: Slowforestcoffee.com
Eliminate waste by design

Around the world a movement is taking place to deliver everyday products without packaging waste. We see a shift from a sole focus on incremental packaging improvements to global FMCGs and retailers fundamentally rethinking their packaging, products and business models.  ​​PepsiCo’s Sodastream is an example of a reuse model that gives users the benefit of customisation while saving 87% CO2 compared to single use as usual. Also Unilever is exploring how selling shampoo, detergent etc. could happen in intelligent dispensing units currently tested in e.g. Walmart, ASDA and Lidl. 

See more than 100 examples in the Upstream Innovation Guide co-authored by Annette for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Photo: Unilever.com
Keep products in use

Why own clothes that you aren't using any longer? Office furniture that will have to be replaced as needs change? Headphones that become insufficient as technology evolves? Winning in the circular economy requires business models that keep products and materials in use rather than let them go to waste. 

Gerrard Street is one of the pioneers that have demonstrated the business case for modular headphones on subscription. Recently we have also seen Zalando's pre-owned category offer grow tenfold to over 200.000 items since its launch in 2020 while furniture giant IKEA is scaling their take-back and repair programs in their quest to be a fully circular business.

Photo: Geraldstreet.com
Regenerate natural systems

Leading businesses are asking how they can restore and regenerate natural systems rather than simply reduce their negative impact. Slow is an example of an industry-rebel that is introducing forest grown coffee using regenerative farming principles. They have a fully integrated value-chain removing 15-20 intermediaries and track value based on the level of farmers’ livelihood, biodiversity, carbon binding and transparency. 

One of the world’s largest organic sugar producers, Native, has shown how to do a successful transformation based on regenerative business principles at scale and recently, food giants like Nestle and Danone are also boosting investment and innovation in nature-positive business models and products.

Photo: Slowforestcoffee.com
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We zoom in on the user needs and zoom out to the system

Designing for the circular economy requires us to zoom in on the core user needs - what's the job to be done - and challenge the way it is served today by zooming out and seeing it in a systems perspective.

Our Toolbox

For us circular design is not a dogma or a checklist - it is a set of tools
we utilise across the innovation process.

01
User centered research
>
When designing for the circular economy we are not only designing for the customer or user, but for all stakeholders in the value chain. Uncovering and serving their core needs makes us relevant now and in the future.
03
Barriers & requirements mapping
>
Innovation is sparked by hard requirements and barriers. We map the barriers and requirements for your system to mark up the space we innovate within.
02
Systems mapping
>
To get everyone on the same page and break down a complex system we visually depict it including all actors, relationships, trends and feedback loops.
01
Mega trends
>
Understanding how megatrends impact your business and product development can provide a window into the future. We look at these trends to identify opportunities within your industry.
03
Future scenarios
>
What does the future look like? We combine inspiring case examples with  storytelling to fast-forward you to a day in the future where we explore what your eco-system look, smells and feel like.
05
Circular Business models
>
When could a subscription model be relevant and what are the different ways to incentivise getting your product back? We share insights on the all the different forms and methods of doing business in the circular economy to map your opportunities.
02
Circular flows
>
Understand the core principles of circular economy and get acquainted with the different loops in the butterfly diagram to start designing for the circular economy.
04
Industry front runners
>
Knowing what is buzzing within your industry and across industries serve as a shared reference to what great looks like. We are on top of the coolest upstream innovation cases and ready to share them with you.
06
Biomimicry
>
Nature is inherently circular and is a great source of inspiration when developing ideas. We zoom in on natural systems and explore their super powers.
01
Brainstorming
>
Triggered by the principles of circularity we go for quantity over quality and welcome crazy ideas. We open up the solutionspace by for example asking "How might we deliver nutrition without generating waste".
03
Concept sketching
>
A picture is worth a 1,000 words. The same is true for sketching. Once we get a visual representation of the idea it becomes more concrete and turns into a concept.
02
Rapid prototyping
>
We create rapid prototypes to test the product or service   as early as possible prior to substantial investments. We build just enough to learn and bring down  risk for new innovations.
04
Prioritisation
>
We help you prioritise which concepts to take further by setting criteria for evaluation and mapping them on 2by2 matrix.
01
Launch to learn
>
We think big and start small. By launching a pilot locally for a limited time period we can test the most critical assumptions and learn from  mistakes before making a larger roll out.
03
Imagine new partnerships
>
We help you break down silo thinking and identify the new or unexpected partnerships that can strengthen your value chain, increase system effectiveness or make your business case more robust.
02
Continuous learning loops
>
We help you harvest  feedback from your users and setup a process for implementing learnings as you go. Design for circularity is a continuous process where we  learn and adapt along the way.
Understand
Inspire
Ideate & Create
Test & Lauch
Understand
01 User centered research
02 Systems mapping
03 Barriers & requirements mapping
Inspire
01 Mega trends
02 Circular flows
03Future scenarios
04Industry front runners
05Circular Business models
06Biomimicry
Ideate & Create
01 Brainstorming
02 Rapid prototyping
03 Concept sketching
04 Prioritisation
Test
01 Launch to learn
02 Continuous learning loops
03 Imagine new partnerships

How can we help?

Getting started with
circular economy

Set the right target
Build internal capability
Strategy review

Expand your mindset

Inspirational talk
Become future ready
Solution workshop

Product and service
innovation

Uncover the core need 
Innovation sprint
Pilot launch 

Stop talking about your targets.

Start acting on them.