CIR·CU·

Nike Circular Design Guide

01_MATERIAL CHOICES

Selecting low-impact materials that use pre and post-consumer recycled feedstock.

_Consider your brief or project aims. What are the required, benchmark and/or ideal materials? What about standard trims and notions?

_Based on the environmental impact, how could material choices be reconsidered to lessen the product’s impact?

_How could you use recycled content instead of virgin materials?

_If your design uses a non-renewable resource (polyesters, foams, metals), can that material be easily disassembled and recycled?

_Could you use alternative trims and notions or redesign the standard options to lessen impact?

_Could the use of mono-fiber materials lessen the impact of your design?

_Which dye methods will your design require? How could you adjust your design to minimize the impact of the dye process?

_How could you eliminate or minimize the use of materials and finishes that use toxic or hazardous chemicals?

_Does the selected blend of materials limit or prevent recycling with available technology?

_What analogs from other industries or nature could help you further refine your design?

_In what ways does your supply chain (vendors, suppliers, infrastructure) adhere to circular and sustainable practices?

_How could your material choice increase the life cycle or durability of the product?

_How could your material choice allow a product to be refurbished?

03_WASTE AVOIDANCE

Minimizing or eliminating waste in the product creation process.

_Consider your brief or project aims. How could you concept and design to increase pattern efficiency (nested, square/geometric) and minimize pattern printing?

_What prototype approaches are you planning to use? Can you use alternative approaches that avoid waste (E.g. digital samples, reducing/repurposing samples and prototypes)?

_How could you leverage additive manufacturing (3D printing) to reduce prototype waste?

_How could post-industrial scrap be integrated (aligned with brief, aesthetic and consumer needs/ desires)?

_How could you adjust your business model to avoid waste (E.g. Made to Order quantities)?

_How will your selected pattern method align with the manufacturer’s method of make?

05_GREEN CHEMISTRY

Chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous substances.

_Consider your brief or project aims. What is the ideal product purpose and functional value? what are your resources, or what types of partnerships/expertise do you need to find green chemistry solutions to identified issues? How could you further balance these priorities in the concept and design phase?

_What are the chemical pros and cons to possible materials and finishes? What are the long-term repercussions?

_What part(s) of the product will generate or use the most hazardous substances? (Keep in mind it may not be the most obvious.)

_How could you eliminate or minimize harmful substances or practices through your material choices?

_How could green chemistry be used as a design tool?

_How could plant-based materials or finishes achieve the same performance or aesthetic aims as synthetic options?

_How could you integrate check points in your process to ensure adherence to green chemistry best practices (E.g. Restricted Substances lists, etc.)?

_What outside resources could you leverage to adhere to green chemistry standards?

_What is the impact of recycling a product? Can it be reduced through different design and material choices?

07_VERSATILITY

Products that easily adapt to growth, style, trend, gender, activity, and purpose.

Consider your brief or project aims. What is the purpose of the product? How could your design allow it serve other purposes (E.g. working out to a night out) or be used in a wider range of environments?

How could your product morph as a person’s physical size changes? What durability or material choice considerations are necessary to achieve that aim?

How could you source and use human insights to inform the versatility of the product?

When designing for athletic activities, what are different applications within a sport (E.g. different plates for different pitches in soccer)?

How could your design incorporate timeless silhouettes and colors to outlive and integrate with trends?

How could you adjust or break the boundaries of use established by society or culture (based on gender, etc.)?

How could you use a new business model to educate people about the product’s versatility, or versatile uses in general?

09_CIRCULAR PACKAGING

Purposeful packaging, made of materials that can be repurposed, recycled, or biodegraded

How could your product morph as a person’s physical size changes? What durability or material choice considerations are necessary to achieve that aim?

How could you source and use human insights to inform the versatility of the product?

When designing for athletic activities, what are different applications within a sport (E.g. different plates for different pitches in soccer)?

How could your design incorporate timeless silhouettes and colors to outlive and integrate with trends?

How could you adjust or break the boundaries of use established by society or culture (based on gender, etc.)?

How could you use a new business model to educate people about the product’s versatility, or versatile uses in general?

2027 A Circular Economy

LAR·IT·Y

02_CYCLABILITY

Designing with the end in mind; thinking through how a product will be recycled at the end of use.

Consider your brief or project aims. What processes will be required to recycle the materials, trims, and notions of your product? How could you adjust the design to require fewer recycling processes and minimal energy?

How can you clearly represent all materials and trims on labels or online?

How could your material choices be adjusted to make recycling easier? (mono-fiber and/or mono-material choices, non-toxic finishes, etc.)

Can components safely decompose without additives or oxo-degradability? If not, are the additives needed causing unnecessary harm?

How could your design integrate recycled materials and components to drive their market value?

How can the product be collected from the consumer at the end of use? Is the method easy (I.e. would you prioritize it in your schedule)? How could it be made easier or more efficient?

How could you adjust your design so the product increases in value with use?

How could valuable materials be reintegrated within your company, the fashion industry, or another industry?

Which partners, resources, or business models can be leveraged or created to facilitate cyclability?

04_DISASSEMBLY

Products that can easily be taken apart; recognizing the value of each component.

Consider your brief or project aims. What are the required, benchmark and/or ideal threads, adhesives, eyelets, joinery, and closures?

How could you design for personalization via changeable/modular component options?

How easily can these components be disassembled? What is the impact of their disassembly? (Consider tools, technology, and chemistry needs.)

How could material choices that easily disassemble affect durability?

Can a component be removed and the product still perform to expectations?

How could the whole product be given a second life?

How could each component be upcycled, recycled or downcycled at the end of the product life cycle? Does each component have value apart from the whole product?

Will a consumer be able to disassemble the product? If not, are there easy (I.e. would you prioritize it in your schedule) methods to return the product to the brand or a third-party for disassembly and recycling?

How could your design integrate recycled materials and components to drive their market value?

06_REFURBISHMENT

Prolonging the use of a product through repair os component parts or materials.

Consider your brief or project aims. What components make up the garment or shoe? What is the cost of each piece?

Can your product be repaired/refurbished by a repair professional (tailor, cobbler, etc.)? If not, is the barrier a materials choice that could be reconsidered?

Which components are prone to break or wear out? Why? How could they be designed/built with greater durability?

Are components easy to disassemble and replace?

What equipment or materials will a repair require?

Can the finishes be easily refurbished? (Examples: water repellency, reflective material)

Could someone with no formal repair training repair your product? What information or resource could you provide to increase their confidence to repair or refurbish?

How could you build repair kits, including instructions, into the garment, or provide them with purchase?

What would it take to host an in-store repair and refurbishment pop-up?

What digital resources could be created? (Repair “How Tos” provided within brand site, or link to resources; Virtual map of local repair facilities, crafts people and professionals (tailors, cobblers, etc.); Recommended vendor list for purchasing standard component parts.)

Are specific products or categories in your product line or company ideal for repair and/or refurbishment? How could you highlight those products?

08_DURABILITY

Products made stronger by method of make and durable material choices.

Consider your brief or project aims. What are the abrasion scores, tenacity and tear strength of each component? Which components are most likely to wear out first? Can a worn out component be removed and the product still perform to expectations?

How could the structure of the product increase durability? (use of molded supports, patches, resilient stitch methods, etc.)

How could you more rigorously test your product to withstand wear and tear? (fit model feedback, personally testing prototypes, etc.)

How could safety-impacting components be designed more durably to prolong the life cycle?

How could your silhouettes and color choices remain relevant for multiple seasons?

How could you more clearly explain product care to encourage longer use?

How could you pair versatility with durability to create a product that will adjust and last as the user grows?

Can a consumer easily repair, refurbish or return a durable product that is damaged or broken? If not, would a new business model achieve that aim?

How could blended materials increase durability? (Keep in mind balancing that win with the realities of technology and additional energy required to recycle blended materials.)

How could you design a product people can connect to emotionally and/or find value in for a longer life cycle?

How could the story of material attributes and method of make be given substantial importance in the product narrative?

How could you communicate the value of a worn garment/shoe?

10_NEW MODELS

Establishing new service and business models to extend product life cycle.

Consider your brief or project aims. How could you leverage a new business model (existing or potential) to increase the circularity of your design?

How could your product have value in a secondary market?

How could you leverage technology to educate the consumer about valuable product attributes (material choices, method of make considerations, etc.)?

What products or categories in your business are ideal candidates for resale and/or service vs. ownership models?

What kind of “Take Back” programs would make sense for your consumer (incentives, etc.)?

How could your business model be adjusted to add value to how you receive, use, and return product?

How else could your business model deliver value to your customer using principles of circularity (E.g. repair, resell, etc?)

How could you develop educational and inspirational calls to action and other triggers to distribute throughout key communication channels (email, social, etc.)? What messages or prompts will your consumer connect with?

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