Method content theory: Towards a new understanding of methods in design

Daalhuizen, Jaap; Cash, Philip

doi:10.1016/j.destud.2021.101018

Cited by 33 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Effectiveness relates to "how well a method allows designers to achieve the desired effect in context" [22]. In this design case study, we evaluated the extent to which the method invokes circularity in the design.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We describe the circular composites design method's use in context by following the method content theory [22]. The method's goal is to support the designers of composite products when integrating circular economy strategies.…”

Section: Circular Composites Design Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The company, policy, and industry contexts determined the implementation of the circular principles. The context in which a design method is used is an important but often overlooked factor for its success [22]. By developing the design method in context, we have addressed some of these concerns, but still improvements can be made.…”

Section: Validating the Circular Composites Design Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such testing is essential, since many developed design methods find limited uptake in industry and their actual impact remains unclear [20,21]. This is caused by many of the methods being developed out of context and without having the user in mind [22,23]. Design methods do not merely provide a formal description of the design process, they are part of the interaction between the designer, context, and design goal [21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is caused by many of the methods being developed out of context and without having the user in mind [22,23]. Design methods do not merely provide a formal description of the design process, they are part of the interaction between the designer, context, and design goal [21,22]. Failing to take these factors into account during method development leads to design methods having limited usability, unknown performance and ensuing poor acceptance in industry practice [22,23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Circular Composites by Design: Testing a Design Method in Industry

et al. 2022

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The design of composite products for a circular economy is challenging. Materials such as glass-fibre-reinforced plastics have long product lifetimes but are hard to recycle. For the effective reuse and recycling of products, parts, and materials, recovery strategies must be selected and implemented in the product design stage. This extends the scope and complexity of the design process and requires additional skills from the designers. We developed a novel circular composites design method for products containing composite materials to support designers and improve product circularity. This method, which is the first of its kind to address the circular design of composite products, helps designers explore recovery pathways and generate design solutions. In this study, we evaluated the method’s effectiveness, accessibility, and usability in design practice. We tested the method with five design case studies in the construction, furniture, and automotive industries. The method was used to generate, evaluate, communicate, and detail product designs. We found that two of the five cases used the method to develop circular product concepts. In the other three cases, recycling rather than product-level recovery strategies was the result, with a focus on improving the material formulations instead of the overall product design. Although the designers considered the method accessible and usable, its effectiveness was restricted by the existing business, logistics, reprocessing technology, and policy contexts. These factors are intertwined and partly dictate the boundary conditions of the design, which means that to successfully implement the proposed method, the transition to a circular economy requires a holistic approach to adjust the design process, organisations, and value chains.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Circular Composites Design Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Validating the Circular Composites Design Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%