In the past decades, industrial design practice and research have focused extensively on how to optimize production and consumption, as a way to prevent negative environmental impacts, such as resource depletion, pollution, and excessive waste. Recently, the “circular economy” concept is increasingly used to achieve environmental benefits and economic growth simultaneously. Industrial design can contribute to a circular economy by fostering systems changes to achieve durability, optimal reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling of products and materials. Indeed, researchers have examined both the theoretical and practical aspects of how design knowledge can support the transition to a circular economy. However, this body of knowledge has not been systematically analyzed yet. To address this critical gap, this paper poses the following question: How has industrial design research so far contributed to advancing the circular economy knowledge? Accordingly, we survey relevant design literature focusing on the circular economy, through a review of contributions published in 42 scientific journals. Based on our results, we discuss how industrial design practices can potentially contribute to a circular economy across four thematic areas: (1) design for circular production processes, (2) design for circular consumption, (3) design to support policy towards the circular economy, and (4) design education for the circular economy.

The methodology of design science (DS) has been emerging as a new form of engaged scholarship in which key managerial and organizational challenges are addressed and solved. These developments have major implications for management education, which has been repeatedly criticized for its lack of relevance to practitioners. However, design science methodology and its implications for management education are still unclear and disputed. Teaching and learning DS thus often suffers from the lack of a consistent methodology. In this respect, teaching DS is very much like mixing oil with water. The purpose of this paper is to compare various taxonomies for DS methodology proposed in the management literature and then develop a consistent taxonomy and integrative framework that may appeal to management students at undergraduate and graduate levels. The proposed framework for DS involves an iterative cycle of exploration, synthesis, creation and evaluation. Design principles arise from, but also connect and inform, these four steps in DS.

The multidimensional nature of urban challenges requires firms to develop smart solutions with interdependent actors, often referred to as innovation ecosystems. However, firms might find it challenging to define a viable value proposition for a smart city offering at the outset, as value propositions depend on other actors' complementary technologies, an uncertain yet emerging demand, and the multifaceted nature of urban challenges. This article deploys effectuation theory from entrepreneurship research to enable focal firms to create value by managing uncertainties and available means at multiple levels of emerging ecosystems. We performed a case study within a large, incumbent corporation operating as the focal firm within a smart city context to gain insight into the value creation efforts and the challenges inherent in this process. We iteratively synthesized the case study insights with extant research on effectuation into a multilevel value creation framework in smart city ecosystems. The framework highlights how awareness of the range of alternative futures based on (potential) ecosystem-level means can enable a focal firm to develop actionable value propositions and identify relevant stakeholders within the emerging network of the focal firm. Our findings show that a holistic overview of dynamics in ecosystems can support firms in creating value in nascent ecosystems.