Afterlife: Designing the End at the Beginning

As efforts intensify to move us from our linear models of making and consumption towards more circular, connected and progressive ones, our relationship with the materials we surround ourselves with will change. How we view and design products, not as static objects but as dynamic and evolving systems, is key to this more sustainable future. Respect and care for the materials themselves coupled with an appreciation of their inherent value leads us to create new narratives and perspectives. Can we design, not only for the new product that is destined to disappoint once its shiny shell has faded and worn, but for all the stages of its life journey (birth, growth, decay and death) ultimately guiding it to rebirth once more? Design has the power to harness these multiple approaches and find ever more creative ways to retell the story of materials and prepare them for their very own afterlife. The concepts and themes on the following pages are as much about the ‘what if’ of this circular material story as the current ‘what is’.