IDEAS FOR GOOD Business Design Lab starts offering “Circular Design Sprint” intensive workshop aimed at businesses for learning Circular Design thought

Harch has begun offering an intensive workshop called Circular Design Sprint, which is aimed at businesses in order for them to learn circular economy thought, which is essential for the shift to a circular economy. The workshops have begun from April 2021. Harch (based in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, CEO: Yu Kato) runs IDEAS FOR GOOD Business Design Lab, a service to support companies with sustainability and the circular economy. Harch is conducting the workshop with the cooperation of Future Sessions, Co., Ltd. (based in Shibuya Ward in Tokyo, CEO and President: Hideyuki Arifuku), which handles place creation and communication design in order to generate co-creation and innovation based on future thought.

※1 A circular economy is a new form of economic system which reuses our natural system by making products and designing services which do not emit waste or pollution, and by continuing to use raw materials and products for as long as possible.

Background of service launch

Environmental and societal issues such as the climate crisis, resource draining and sea pollution have become increasingly more severe. However, cries for a shift from linear economies to circular economies are growing worldwide. Linear economies involve mass production, mass consumption and mass diposal. In contrast, circular economies aim to reuse our natural system through design which does not emit waste or pollution, and by continuing to use raw materials and products for as long as possible. Even in Japan, in May 2020 the Ministry of Economy、Trade and Industry announced “Circular Economy Vision 2020,” and in March 2021 the MOTI along with the Ministry of the Environment and the Keidanren established the “Circular Economy Partnership,”which is one move that is accelerating action for realizing a circular economy.

Realizing a circular econmy requires circular design thought, which takes into consideration mechanisms that do not emite waste from the first step of product and service design. In order to construct a circular business model, it is necessary to reform the entire system by holistically understanding all value chains, including raw materials procurement, manufacturing, logistics and sales, Based on this kind of background, we have decided to offer this program in order to increase the number of companies conducting business using circular design thought, regardless of industry.

About Circular Design Sprint

Circular Design Sprint is a 3 day intensive workshop program. The workshop reenacts the creation and validation of prototypes made from product and service development which adopt circular economy concepts, using the design sprint method, which aims to decrease risk when companies introduce new products and services into the market.

Through 6 processes (Understand→ Define→ Sketch→ Decide→ Prototyping→ Validate), participants can learn circular design thought from understanding the circular economy to ideation and reenacting prototype creation.

Harch currently runs Circular Economy Hub, the sole specialized media site in Japan for circular economies. Our company has developed this unique workshop with the cooperation of Future Sessions, Co.,Ltd. The workshop combines the knowledge of the IDEAS FOR GOOD Business Design Lab team, who are well informed about the circumstances of circular economies in Japan and overseas, with the facilitation of Future Sessions, who handle communication design for the creation of co-creation with major companies as well as innovation,

Features

1. Input on “Circular Design Thought” that is based on the latest knowledge

The IDEAS for GOOD Business Design Lab team are knolwedgeable about circular economies in Japan and overseas. Here they offer quality input in order to increase the quality and amount of ideas that are put out about the circular economy. Their input can be customized based on the industry or topic.

2. Facilitation for drawing out ideas and motivation from employees

Future Solutions handles the design details and the facilitation on workshop days. The company has many big companies as clients and handles co-creation type facilitation for realizing innovation.

3. Circular Co-Creation for realizing ideas *optional

After the workshop itself is completed, participants can be offered a co-creation program called Circular Co-Creation. This program lasts for 6 to 12 months and lets participants actually realize their ideas.

Details

Please check the follwing page for details.
https://bdl.ideasforgood.jp/product/cds/