Thinking beyond circles: developing visual research methods for circularity

This presentation presents a case study of a material-lifecycle design project developed between educators, researchers and industry. Communicating and conceptualising circularity presented an opportunity to expand the reach of the research into a curriculum intervention. The project invited graphic design students to visualise a product lifecycle for a circular textile industry client. This paper explores the challenges of communicating circular lifecycles to non-expert audiences.

It is acknowledged that there is a need for new kinds of designers in practice-based research. Therefore, the presentation presents examples of new knowledge that visual communication methods, more traditionally taught in graphic design programmes can bring to research. Drawing on practice-based iconic research methods, which in contrast to theory-driven research enabled the production of images as a means producing knowledge about visual communication. Through an after-action review, the research demonstrated three surprising approaches to communication of circular processes that typically creates diagrams with icons in a circular shape. Through working with non-experts, the research exposed the client and the research team to range of visual approaches, namely, symbolic, non-circular and quantitative visuals. The research found that visual communication methods have the potential to play a pivotal role in development of new visual languages for circularity. It concludes that visual research methods can bring different design disciplines closer and build a stronger educational base for the transition to a circular economy.