Beyond Circularity | SPIRAL
Beyond Circularity | SPIRAL
Beyond Circularity | SPIRAL
Role
My role in this project includes user research, workshop design and facilitation, content writing, service branding, UI/UX prototype design
Year
2022
Role
My role in this project includes user research, workshop design and facilitation, content writing, service branding, UI/UX prototype design
Year
2022
Spiral AI is a service design project exploring sustainable future mobility through AI-driven circular economy solutions during EV Car design stage. It integrates user research, workshop facilitation, and UI/UX prototyping to design scalable, eco-conscious transportation systems.
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
The government’s carbon emission regulations have gained immense emphasis from automobile manufacturers. However, biased decisions within different sustainability targets like carbon zero goals, recyclability, ethical sourcing etc., create environmentally harmful causal loops, often uncovered during the design phase. Attaining the desired circularity while balancing other sustainability targets is a challenge.
The government’s carbon emission regulations have gained immense emphasis from automobile manufacturers. However, biased decisions within different sustainability targets like carbon zero goals, recyclability, ethical sourcing etc., create environmentally harmful causal loops, often uncovered during the design phase. Attaining the desired circularity while balancing other sustainability targets is a challenge.
Service
EV Sustainability
Service Design
UI/UX Design
Duration
5 months
Industry
Sustainable E-Mobility
Service
EV Sustainability
Service Design
UI/UX Design
Duration
5 months
Industry
Sustainable E-Mobility
BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH
BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH
We conducted extensive research to understand the existing material decision-making process in the industry by deep diving into their design and concept development stages. We interviewed and ran workshops with various industry experts, including designers, engineers, procurement teams, sustainability teams and material suppliers/recyclers associated with different EV brands.
We conducted extensive research to understand the existing material decision-making process in the industry by deep diving into their design and concept development stages. We interviewed and ran workshops with various industry experts, including designers, engineers, procurement teams, sustainability teams and material suppliers/recyclers associated with different EV brands.
We conducted extensive research to understand the existing material decision-making process in the industry by deep diving into their design and concept development stages. We interviewed and ran workshops with various industry experts, including designers, engineers, procurement teams, sustainability teams and material suppliers/recyclers associated with different EV brands.
We conducted extensive research to understand the existing material decision-making process in the industry by deep diving into their design and concept development stages. We interviewed and ran workshops with various industry experts, including designers, engineers, procurement teams, sustainability teams and material suppliers/recyclers associated with different EV brands.
Future Scenario Workshop — Base on the insights that we’ve got through interviews, we think it’s worth to host a future scenario workshop with different designers from RCA, to explore what concerns designer may have when it comes with creating product that should fit into the carbon neutral goal and to understand how the product life cycle could impact the choice of material. At the same time, ideate possibilities of how the future can look like in 2040.
Based on our interviews with industry experts and desktop research, we identified 2 key problems that leads to our final service:
Future Scenario Workshop — Base on the insights that we’ve got through interviews, we think it’s worth to host a future scenario workshop with different designers from RCA, to explore what concerns designer may have when it comes with creating product that should fit into the carbon neutral goal and to understand how the product life cycle could impact the choice of material. At the same time, ideate possibilities of how the future can look like in 2040.
Based on our interviews with industry experts and desktop research, we identified 2 key problems that leads to our final service:
Problem 1 :
Recycling doesn't always results in circularity - The Open Loop
Problem 1 :
Recycling doesn't always results in circularity - The Open Loop
Problem 2 :
Human-centred design is not enough - What if we design for more than human?
Problem 2 :
Human-centred design is not enough - What if we design for more than human?
THE CHALLENGE
THE CHALLENGE
The government’s carbon emission regulations have gained immense emphasis from automobile manufacturers. Manufacturers are prioritising making lightweight cars, as it is directly associated with reducing a car’s carbon emission in its overall lifetime. This unintentionally results in EV brands using lightweight materials with poor recyclability. Such biased decisions within different sustainability targets like carbon zero goals, recyclability, ethical sourcing etc., create environmentally harmful causal loops, often uncovered during the design phase. Attaining the desired circularity while balancing other sustainability targets is a challenge.
In exploring the designers' decision-making journey, we identified four main blockers to making sustainable material decisions:
The government’s carbon emission regulations have gained immense emphasis from automobile manufacturers. Manufacturers are prioritising making lightweight cars, as it is directly associated with reducing a car’s carbon emission in its overall lifetime. This unintentionally results in EV brands using lightweight materials with poor recyclability. Such biased decisions within different sustainability targets like carbon zero goals, recyclability, ethical sourcing etc., create environmentally harmful causal loops, often uncovered during the design phase. Attaining the desired circularity while balancing other sustainability targets is a challenge.
In exploring the designers' decision-making journey, we identified four main blockers to making sustainable material decisions:
Future Scenario Workshop — Base on the insights that we’ve got through interviews, we think it’s worth to host a future scenario workshop with different designers from RCA, to explore what concerns designer may have when it comes with creating product that should fit into the carbon neutral goal and to understand how the product life cycle could impact the choice of material. At the same time, ideate possibilities of how the future can look like in 2040.
Based on our interviews with industry experts and desktop research, we identified 2 key problems that leads to our final service:
Problem 2 :
Human-centred design is not enough - What if we design for more than human?
Problem 1 :
Recycling doesn't always results in circularity - The Open Loop
THE CHALLENGE
The government’s carbon emission regulations have gained immense emphasis from automobile manufacturers. Manufacturers are prioritising making lightweight cars, as it is directly associated with reducing a car’s carbon emission in its overall lifetime. This unintentionally results in EV brands using lightweight materials with poor recyclability. Such biased decisions within different sustainability targets like carbon zero goals, recyclability, ethical sourcing etc., create environmentally harmful causal loops, often uncovered during the design phase. Attaining the desired circularity while balancing other sustainability targets is a challenge.
In exploring the designers' decision-making journey, we identified four main blockers to making sustainable material decisions:
How might we ensure circularity in the EV industry while resolving conflicts between their different sustainability targets?
How might we ensure circularity in the EV industry while resolving conflicts between their different sustainability targets?
OUR SERVICE
OUR SERVICE
Spiral is an AI-based service that helps EV manufacturers to prioritise different sustainability targets and make circular material decisions during the automobile design and concept development phase.
Spiral guides designers/engineers to make sustainable material decisions during the concept development stage, by providing clarity and visibility in all the sustainable material choices, helping them prioritise, and visualising its future impact.
Spiral is an AI-based service that helps EV manufacturers to prioritise different sustainability targets and make circular material decisions during the automobile design and concept development phase.
Spiral guides designers/engineers to make sustainable material decisions during the concept development stage, by providing clarity and visibility in all the sustainable material choices, helping them prioritise, and visualising its future impact.
SERVICE COMPONENTS
SERVICE COMPONENTS
SPIRAL is a third-party service provider that runs as an AI-powered plugin with 3D modeling software like teamcenter, autocad and solidworks, so designers and engineers can access the service seamlessly using their existing concept development methods.
Here are the three key service components that it provides.
SPIRAL is a third-party service provider that runs as an AI-powered plugin with 3D modeling software like teamcenter, autocad and solidworks, so designers and engineers can access the service seamlessly using their existing concept development methods.
Here are the three key service components that it provides.
VALIDATION AND FUTURE IMPACT
VALIDATION AND FUTURE IMPACT
We validated our service structure and components with several industry experts and all the stakeholders involved and used the feedback to iterate further and refine the service.
We validated our service structure and components with several industry experts and all the stakeholders involved and used the feedback to iterate further and refine the service.
SERVICE COMPONENTS
SPIRAL is a third-party service provider that runs as an AI-powered plugin with 3D modeling software like teamcenter, autocad and solidworks, so designers and engineers can access the service seamlessly using their existing concept development methods.
Here are the three key service components that it provides.
VALIDATION AND FUTURE IMPACT
We validated our service structure and components with several industry experts and all the stakeholders involved and used the feedback to iterate further and refine the service.
“In principle, I think it's a really good concept. I know that we're trying to establish something similar, which is like a material calculator, which would show the CO2 footprints and also, we want to add kind of the recyclability of the materials into that list so that when you choose a material or designer chooses, they can see like is this recyclable material or not” - Head of Circular at an EV manufacturing brand.
“In principle, I think it's a really good concept. I know that we're trying to establish something similar, which is like a material calculator, which would show the CO2 footprints and also, we want to add kind of the recyclability of the materials into that list so that when you choose a material or designer chooses, they can see like is this recyclable material or not” - Head of Circular at an EV manufacturing brand.
“In principle, I think it's a really good concept. I know that we're trying to establish something similar, which is like a material calculator, which would show the CO2 footprints and also, we want to add kind of the recyclability of the materials into that list so that when you choose a material or designer chooses, they can see like is this recyclable material or not” - Head of Circular at an EV manufacturing brand.
The automotive industry is a complex system of various stakeholders with different requirements and needs. Spiral connects them, creating multi-sided benefits, and eliminating barriers within the ecosystem. Spiral can potentially create a broader impact on businesses and the planet. It brings out the business value of sustainability by broadening the scope for making cost-effective and sustainable decisions, as well as facilitating sustainable and responsible production.
The automotive industry is a complex system of various stakeholders with different requirements and needs. Spiral connects them, creating multi-sided benefits, and eliminating barriers within the ecosystem. Spiral can potentially create a broader impact on businesses and the planet. It brings out the business value of sustainability by broadening the scope for making cost-effective and sustainable decisions, as well as facilitating sustainable and responsible production.
The automotive industry is a complex system of various stakeholders with different requirements and needs. Spiral connects them, creating multi-sided benefits, and eliminating barriers within the ecosystem. Spiral can potentially create a broader impact on businesses and the planet. It brings out the business value of sustainability by broadening the scope for making cost-effective and sustainable decisions, as well as facilitating sustainable and responsible production.
Special thanks to our tutor Richard Atkinson for guiding us throughout the journey; Sander Jahilo (Head of Circular, Polestar) for the valuable feedback and support, and to all our workshop participants and interviewees.
Special thanks to our tutor Richard Atkinson for guiding us throughout the journey; Sander Jahilo (Head of Circular, Polestar) for the valuable feedback and support, and to all our workshop participants and interviewees.
PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO
PORTFOLIO
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CHECK OUT SOME MORE
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Taoyuan Volunteer Site
Taoyuan Volunteer Site
User Research
UI/UX Design
Service Design
Taoyuan Volunteer Site
Taoyuan Volunteer Site
User Research
UI/UX Design
Service Design
Taoyuan Volunteer Site
Taoyuan Volunteer Site
User Research
UI/UX Design
Service Design
Taoyuan Volunteer Site
Taoyuan Volunteer Site
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