Publicação
Aesthetics and meaning within the circular design discourse: an analysis based on design projects
| Resumo: | Design is recognised as a crucial driver of innovation and a facilitator of the transition to a circular economy. While there are numerous strategies to support circular design practices, many tend to prioritise management and engineering processes, overlooking design’s aesthetic dimension and its role as a cultural mediator. This research paper aims to revisit the role of design in the circular economy, emphasising its aesthetic and meaning dimensions, and exploring the potential of circular design to trigger sociocultural change. It develops a framework based on existing literature and examines 14 master design projects developed within a higher education institution in Portugal, using tenets of multiple case study analysis and interpretative approach. The paper proposes a conceptual matrix that connects material function, meaning, and sustainability aesthetics, forming a continuum of design approaches for circular projects. The findings indicate that material exploration and transformation often shape the ethos of the project, while design intention and aesthetics assumes a secondary role. Moreover, the potential to reach a significant human impact is still quite limited. These results highlight the importance of expanding beyond functionalism and rebalancing ontological borders of the field within circular discourse. |
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| Autores principais: | Costa, Nina |
| Outros Autores: | Pinho, Adriano; Providência, Francisco |
| Assunto: | Circular economy Circular design Sustainable aesthetics Sustainable products Design projects |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | capítulo de livro |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Aveiro |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | RIA - Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro |
| Resumo: | Design is recognised as a crucial driver of innovation and a facilitator of the transition to a circular economy. While there are numerous strategies to support circular design practices, many tend to prioritise management and engineering processes, overlooking design’s aesthetic dimension and its role as a cultural mediator. This research paper aims to revisit the role of design in the circular economy, emphasising its aesthetic and meaning dimensions, and exploring the potential of circular design to trigger sociocultural change. It develops a framework based on existing literature and examines 14 master design projects developed within a higher education institution in Portugal, using tenets of multiple case study analysis and interpretative approach. The paper proposes a conceptual matrix that connects material function, meaning, and sustainability aesthetics, forming a continuum of design approaches for circular projects. The findings indicate that material exploration and transformation often shape the ethos of the project, while design intention and aesthetics assumes a secondary role. Moreover, the potential to reach a significant human impact is still quite limited. These results highlight the importance of expanding beyond functionalism and rebalancing ontological borders of the field within circular discourse. |
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