Foundation Course: Design for Circular Economy
Milan, Italy
DURATION
8 Weeks
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
Introduction
An SOS-certified course for those who want to acquire the necessary practical skills to becoming Circular Economy consultants in the fields of design, architecture, and engineering. By successfully completing this course you are eligible for becoming a Circular Economy Consultant Practitioner (Basic Level).
- Duration: 8 weeks, 2 units/week
- Cost: 1500 euro
Admissions
Curriculum
Module Introduction
Design is faced with unprecedented challenges. The implications of our design decisions involve a much broader scale than that of products, and what we design addresses today a vast array of topics ranging from companies’ strategies to business models. Clients asking for design services are now interconnected with a global network of users and partners spanning the globe. Products and services provision benefits from the availability of an unprecedented amount of data and by new tools such as artificial intelligence and the internet of things that expand the boundaries of what creativity can let us imagine and achieve.
In parallel with disruptive new technological opportunities, we observe that 99% of materials that are sourced, processed, manufactured, and transported are wasted within six months after purchase (Leonard, 2011). Such a wasteful pattern of growth can no longer be sustained by the planet for it is largely contributing to CO2 emissions and to the annihilation of natural resources. The solution that we look forward to lies in achieving a circular economy and changing the buying habits of consumers and – more importantly – organizations according to a new, regenerative mindset.
Module Focus
The module introduces students to Circular Economy in the design professions in the broadest sense. Design for Circular Economy covers three main topic areas to provide approaches, processes, strategies, and structures for the delivery of sustainable projects.
- Transforming the Cultural Waste which content focuses on the role played by a circular economy in creating opportunities to generate value at all stages of any process at any scale.
- New Approaches to Products and Materials which focuses on the emergence of use-inspired research leading to strategies for keeping products and materials in use.
- Integrated Delivery for Regenerative Projects focuses on the particular methods of high-performance teams to deliver nature-inspired regenerative projects at a range of scales.
Design for Circular Economy is designed to prepare students for establishing, developing, and delivering integrated strategies and circular processes. Specifically, it is devoted to articulating a detailed case study through project research.
The Structure
| Understanding Circular Flows It introduces the challenges of circular economy seen as the transition to a new world when products will no longer have a life cycle with a beginning, middle, and end. It covers how they will contribute less waste while adding value to their eco-systems. It addresses the challenges related to materials' end of use, and the opportunities that unfold from being back into a useful, circular cycle. | Shifting from Products to Services It introduces the shift that companies are taking to move from selling products to turning them into services. It questions the reasons for this change to identify the benefits for an organization to become more effective and circular. It addresses a range of questions including the need for an established space vs a place to get work done, the need to buy a new set of items vs having access to a never-ending collection. It covers the understanding of the underlying user needs and the need to expand our way of thinking beyond our current mindset. |
| Design for Disassembly 2 Units - 6 Hours Lecture + Seminar | Circular Opportunities 2 Units - 6 Hours Lecture + Seminar |
| Circular Buy-In 2 Units - 6 Hours Lecture + Seminar | Branding the Idea 2 Units - 6 Hours Lecture + Seminar |
| Business Canvas 2 Units - 6 Hours Lecture + Seminar | Prototyping 2 Units - 6 Hours Lecture + Seminar |