Designing a Trade Booth System for the Circular Economy

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to explore how products can be designed for the circular economy. In order to do so, a trade booth system was developed based on circular economy principles and strategies. Trade booths are used as the subject product for multiple reasons: trade shows are particularly wasteful events, trade booths have a level of complexity suitable for this investigation and the author has previous experience in designing event products.

Understanding how circular economies work is the first step of the study. Background information about circular economies and circular design approaches are presented before moving on to an exploration of existing trade show products. After exploring and benchmarking existing trade booths, a brief is formed, highlighting the key requirements and design drivers. Five trade booth concept ideas are then ideated, the best of which is developed further. Axis, the final concept, is a modular trade booth system made from wooden frames and paper graphics.

Through the development of the trade booth system, it was found that designing for circular economies requires a holistic exploration of materials, design methods and business models. Circular design strategies need to be incorporated within each of these three categories to ensure that products fit the circular economy principles of designing out waste, prolonging materials and products and rejuvenating natural systems. Based on an analysis of the final concept, the trade booth system does seem to successfully embody circular economy principles. For future research the concept could be developed further and even launched as a product, which would reveal how effective the circular design process really was. Circular design could also be explored through other means such as by improving upon existing products or by redesigning larger systems to be more circular.