To achieve true circularity, we need more than just smart solutions; we need a new form of collaboration. Co-design, or co-creation, can be one of the most important prerequisites for creating sustainable and circular systems. Co-design means involving all stakeholders in the design process, from users to producers, recyclers and even those who handle waste. Instead of designing in isolation, solutions are created together with those who are affected by them.
This provides a deeper understanding of the entire system and makes it possible to create solutions that work in reality, not just on paper.
Circular systems require holistic thinking
In a circular economy, each part is dependent on the others. If a component cannot be recycled, the loop is broken. If a product is difficult to repair, its lifespan is reduced.
Circularity therefore requires designing for the entire life cycle, even if you yourself are only responsible for a small part of it. This means that the textile designer must understand how the garment is worn and thrown away, that the furniture manufacturer must know how materials can be separated, and that electronics companies must think about how products can be dismantled and recycled.
A clear example is from the textile industry, where designers who have the opportunity to study what clothes look like after they have been used and thrown away often fundamentally change their design principles. By seeing the actual problems, how certain materials are mixed so that they cannot be recycled, or how small seams can make an entire garment unusable, it becomes clear what changes are needed to create true circularity. It is one of the most effective ways to fundamentally transform an industry.
Co-design creates commitment and ownership
One of the greatest strengths of co-design is that it creates ownership and a deeper commitment from everyone involved. When people are allowed to participate in shaping solutions, they are not only more likely to use them, they also feel responsible for their success.
This is especially important in circular systems, where the contribution of each actor is crucial for the system to hold together over time.
Co-design reduces resistance to change
One of the biggest obstacles to sustainable change is resistance to change. People can experience new systems as complicated, unnecessary or threatening. But when you are involved early in the process, the perspective changes.
Through co-design, people get a chance to understand the purpose of the change, influence its design and feel involved in the end result. It is about moving from “why do we have to do this?” to “how can we do this better together?”
When people are allowed to participate, not only does resistance decrease. Change accelerates.
Alejandro Aravena and half houses
An inspiring example of co-design is the architect Alejandro Aravena and his work in Chile. He designed “half houses”, small, robust houses where residents could themselves expand and adapt their homes according to their needs and resources.
By involving future residents in the design process, homes were created that were not only cheaper and better adapted to real needs, but also built pride, commitment and long-term sustainability.
IDEO and co-design as a driver of innovation
The design and innovation agency IDEO is one of the world’s best-known examples of how co-design is used as a core tool.
Rather than seeing users as passive recipients, IDEO invites them as active co-creators in its processes through workshops, prototyping and joint development sprints.
Their work in healthcare clearly demonstrates this. Patients, doctors and staff were able to create new healthcare environments and services together.
The result? Solutions that were more useful, more sustainable and easier to implement.
At IDEO, co-design is not a step in the process, it is the process itself.
How do you co-design?
Creating co-design requires a conscious approach. Here are some important steps:
- Identify all stakeholders
Not just those who use the product, but also those who manufacture, repair, recycle and are affected in other ways. - Create open forums for co-creation
Conduct workshops, prototype workshops or joint drawing processes. - Listen, actively
Bring out all perspectives and take them seriously, even those that initially seem irrelevant. - Test quickly and collaboratively
Build simple prototypes and let participants experience and improve ideas together. - Be transparent with goals and frameworks
Explain why you are co-creating and what can be influenced. - Build for long-term ownership
Let the solutions grow with the users and give them the tools to continue improving over time.
Co-design is not just a smart tool – it is a cornerstone of sustainable and circular development.
By inviting more actors to participate in the design process, we not only create better products and systems, but also deeper ownership, less resistance and a greater understanding of the whole.
So the next time you are faced with creating something new – don’t just ask yourself what to create, but with whom.
