Founder of philo & co speaks at inaugural Circularity event
Pippa was invited to speak at Australia’s inaugural Circularity event in Sydney. Circularity is a premier conference dedicated to the circular economy, highlighting the best of circular design, practices, and research to catalyse action across the Asia-Pacific region. Pippa’s session focused on the critical role of design in realising systems behaviour change and bringing consumers along on the journey to a circular future.
During her presentation, Pippa discussed the essential role design plays in achieving a circular economy, particularly in designing out waste and pollution—one of the core principles of circular design. She highlighted that to achieve systems change, it’s essential to influence societal behaviour at a mass level, a task best approached through systems thinking. Pippa used the ‘iceberg model’ to demonstrate how the deeper we dive into a system, the greater the potential for impactful change.
Pippa’s presentation also outlined several tools that designers can use to drive behavioural change:
Systems Thinker: Understanding interconnections and zooming between the micro and macro levels.
Creative Problem Solver: Redefining the challenges facing our world with innovative solutions.
Leader and Storyteller: Engaging stakeholders at all levels through compelling narratives.
Designer and Maker: Harnessing creativity and technical skills to bring ideas to life early in the process.
Connector and Convener: Building relationships and creating collaborative spaces to drive collective action.
Key insights from the conference included:
Allowing more creative space to shift mindsets towards sustainability.
Emphasising biodiversity in circular design, as it is inherently regenerative.
Futureproofing not just our designs, but also the data that underpins them.
Putting a price on environmental externalities to drive responsible decision-making.
Philo & Co extends a huge thank you to Planet Ark Environmental Foundation’s ACE Hub team and everyone involved in the Circularity event for an inspiring and action-packed two days.