With the rapid rise in consumption and production, natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce. As the prevalence of the linear economy leads to neglect in the product end-of-use (EOU) phase, moving towards a circular economy (CE) can maximize the product value by recovering and reusing.
As one of the circular strategies applied by some industries, the take-back program could enable a company to take back used products from consumers and reintroduce them to the production cycle, thereby facilitating the CE. However, if consumers rarely bring back EOU products, manufacturers can hardly close the loop (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2013).
This thesis project collaborates with Philips, aiming to motivate Philips Grooming consumers to return used products to Philips so that devices can be recycled or refurbish. However, consumers rarely return the device. Therefore, this project intends to explore how an effective take-back program can be developed to change Grooming consumers’ behaviour towards returning.
Fogg behaviour model is the key methodology supporting the project research. It was used for exploring the relationship between users’ behaviour and the influencing factors, thereby providing valuable insights for the design direction. Taking Fogg behaviour model as a starting point, service safari, benchmarking, and in-depth user interviews were conducted to understand the service context and target group behaviour. The data obtained from these activities were further analysed, synthesised, and formulated to executive design directions.
This project ends up with a final service concept, “Philips Grooming Take-back”, which applies various design interventions and service strategies to create a painless and seamless divestment experience for users by meeting different values that each individual needs. The concept could also create long-term value for Philips, other stakeholders, and the environment. In addition to the service concept, this project has addressed systematic design opportunities and requirements for behaviour change in the Grooming divestment context, which could be potentially leveraged for other relevant initiatives of Philips Personal Health.