Real Circularity Academy™ | Curriculum for Reality™
A summary of the 12 week foundation course.
The foundations is open to all academy members to access in their own time at their own pace. Alongside we are hosting live Q&As. Masterclasses on new areas or trends, and after the foundations you will be invited into our Alumni group meeting monthly to discuss key topics, applying this to your work and practice and to look at any synergies.
The Real Circularity Academy is a space to work on Circularity in a Real life situation. We work experientially and will be inviting some of our trusted brands to lend their brand to showcase Circularity in action.
Whilst we go through the basics of Circularity for those that haven’t seen it yet, the Academy aims to go deeper in its application. We will be sharing our working method for Circular application. That is much more than the product itself.
How will it be delivered ?
The foundations are open to access from your portal hub and the library access will be sent along providing the links, books and documents to accompany the foundations;.
You’ll also have access to relevant documents and resources to deepen the distinctions covered.
On completion we will link you to our Alumni community and invite you to the live Alumni sessions which are monthly.
Week 1. Introductions and Outlines
Introduction to the concepts, paradigms, and journey of Real Circularity™.
Week 2. Real Sustainable ‘Development’
Looking at how to take theory into practice in the real world, and the common mistakes and pitfalls.
1 – What is Sustainable development ?
2 – Why go back to basics ?
3 – You can be Circular but NOT sustainable – find out why!
4 – Take the theory into reality away from the academic and into the action.
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are starting to strategise a range or new line to get started with the foundations in line, as a designer or product developer it make you start to think about how you create in line with sustainable development the elementary parts of this work, for those who are marketing helping with decernment and understanding – for anyone making a brand getting these foundational parts right is paramount to your success.
Week 3. Real Economics (The Elephant in the Room)
Getting real about the financial aspects of circularity, unique new economic workings that compliment the Circular process
1 – New Economics and systems
2 – The Elephant in the room
3 – Working with dynamic models and evolution
4 – Reducing over production and making a business
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are working inside a business and trying to find an business case for Circularity, as a designer bring new ideas to the table aside from the product and to compliment longevity ideas , for those who are marketing working with how you market an item and create substance past its sale – for anyone making a brand helps you to think and create in new ways that will have you stand out from the crowd whilst still making a model that works for investment and reductions in scale and modality.
Week 4. Everything that’s in Everything that’s in Everything
Delve into the granular detail, how to assess right down to the elements what is in ‘everything that is in everything that is in everything’ through large supply chains and cutting through the BS.
1 – How to gather Granular Detail and Transparency
2 – Nuances of applying in a whole systems process
3 – Beyond the Certifications
4 – Toxins and 100 part per million (The Chemistry bit)
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are choosing materials, wanting to trace for your business and for the business that you are in, as a designer or product developer to think about each material and its embodied toxins is really important, for those who are marketing an item to be able to see any greenwashing at hello – for anyone making a brand this is the foundations on which you will lay your entire business.
Week 5. Real Systems
Moving from a siloed approach to our ‘whole systems’ approach, How to implement this both inside a business as a professional or consultant .. how to apply this as a seed business start up in our Eco-systemic work.
1 – How to work on the zoom out from product to the interaction with the system
2 – Nuances of applying in a whole systems process
3 – Working with complex systems in a simple way
4 – How the everything thats in everything links up with the system and interlocking industries
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are looking at zooming out on how what you are creating is a part of a larger system, as a designer or product developer this is so important as you want to be able to look at the systems that your items operate in and where they go to next , for those who are marketing an item to be able to understand the more nuanced approaches – for anyone making a brand this allows you to raise up and see how what you are creating interacts at a systems level.
Week 6. Real Evolution, Durability and Design for Deconstruction
Deepening the distinctions of durability and longevity, considering what happens when a product succeeds and matures, and exploring emerging new business models.
1 – How to look at designing and producing an item not only with durability but with evolution at its heart.
2 – How to create more business with the evolution of a product.
3 – Work with that in a Circular modality, work on your product can it be taken apart?
4 – Practical issues and barriers that may hold you back
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are ideating a product, brand and business that you see the longevity and use span as a part of its possibility, as a designer or product developer you can be invested in the items design , for those who are marketing a brand how to work with multiple revenue streams and complexity – for anyone making a brand this has to be baked in to your modelling.
Week 7. Real Communication & Ethical Marketing
How to communicate ethically to the public and peers now and into the future.
1 – How to be honest and humble
2 – How to NOT greenwash
3 – Show an item and brand beyond its certifications
4 – Create a more compelling message that is based in truth
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are marketing and branding a project. As a Designer or product developer to make sure that the information provided is true and real, for those who are marketing an item to be able to share the work honestly and not risk your reputation for a brand that isn’t – for anyone making a brand the messaging is key .. don’t say it is circular when it clearly isn’t.
Week 8. Precessional Thinking Practicalities – Beneficial Vs “Less Bad”
Understanding and optimising the side effects of your business, work and outputs.
1 – Create a business and practice just in being that business you create benefits
2 – Multiple revenue streams
3 – Multiple benefits
4 – Working with other businesses and JVs
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are working on a product or business, applying more dynamic understanding of how many ways you can make a product or business positive, as a designer or product developer to design and bake this in at the origin will lead you to more creative outcomes, for those who are marketing an item to be able work on creating more revenue for businesses and help more customers – for anyone making a brand this is paramount in a world where exponential growth will be difficult to maintain for all products.
Week 9. Trend Radar
Looking at the emergent trends and sources, and how to leverage them to be ahead of the curve.
1 – Stay on the pulse with us
2 – Learn how to build your own unique’ Trend Radar’ per country and brand type
3 – Dynamic methods to make sure you don’t get bitten in the ass
4 – De-risk your position and business
Why is it needed ? – This is useful to be able to predict the future and work more dynamically, as a designer or product developer to make sure that anything that is up and coming you can be ready for, for those who are marketing an item or brand to be aware of the risk factors and new elements to place in – for anyone making a brand make sure that you are dynamic and ready for any changes in the landscape.
Week 10. Real Collaboration
An interactive experience of Real World collaboration.
1 – Collaboration is key for all sizes of business
2 – Learn how to work in collaboration and what that means for all areas.
3 – Create win win wins
4 – Joint Ventures, Strategic Alliances, Partnerships, Collaboratives & Ecosystemic buying.
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are working on a product or business, applying more dynamic and to join up on things to create benefits, better costings and workable innovation as ‘WE’ , as a designer or product developer work with your MOQ compatibility, innovation as a collective and more, for those who are marketing an item showing how to work more companies into the equations – for anyone making a brand this is critical to success for a viable business.
Week 11. Real Structures
How to take these ideas into the real world, existing opportunities and how to leverage them. Join our resident Business and Finance guru Simon Hedley for a masterclass on structures.
1 – How to work with the dynamic structures inside a business landscape
2 – The structures are there already
3 – Working with the structures
4 – Applying these to the models, Agile and lean.
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are working on a product or business, applying more dynamic structures that support Circularity, as a designer or product developer these structures will support Circular designs and development , for those who are marketing a brand to be able to understand from a business point of view how the Circular process can be worked with – for anyone making a brand this is paramount to creating a solid business and future acumen.
Completion & Certificate sent out
Week 12. Real Legislation
Learn about the upcoming legislations such as EPR that will nudge companies to do the right thing, when they are ready you will be ready to hit the ground running.
1 – legislations as a nudge
2 – How we are seeing them played out in real life
3 – What it means to regular business going forward.
4 – Link to our up to date masterclasses to stay up to date (run yearly)
Why is it needed ? – This is useful when you are working on a product, brand and business to stay abreast of any upcoming legislation, as a designer or product developer to make sure that an item or range is ready for anything that comes along and that it is designed for potential risks, for those who are marketing an item to be able to make sure that you can communicate with these regulations in mind – for anyone making a brand this is integral to know what you are facing and where with regards to any ‘waste’ in your system and beyond into emissions, toxins and so forth.
Completion & Certificate sent out
Choose your Domain Depth
Choose your domain depth, sessions will be added with experts in each domain.. the first added have been in fashion as this is our main audience. we will be adding Interiors, product, packaging and more as we grow in membership.
Special guest sessions
Choose from special guest sessions and learn about the work, brands and businesses in our ecosystem. The first guest sessions are taking expertise from Ethical Marketing with Rachel Baker, Footwear Niche with Stefan Mathys Vyn Sneakers & Making Wool Circular (a 200 year old industry) with John Parkinson. The Guest sessions will be added every time we create a LIVE and all Alumni will be welcomed to join us on the LIVE recording.