Dezeen teamed up with Dassault Systèmes to host a live talk exploring circularity in design and the role of technology in transitioning to a circular economy.

Moderated by Dezeen's chief content officer Benedict Hobson, the talk featured Anne Asensio, vice president of design experience at Dassault Systèmes, Gemma Curtin, curator at London's Design Museum, and Joe Iles, circular design programme lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Titled Design for Life: Circular Design and Technology, the conversation explored what true circularity in design means, how we transition to a circular economy and what role designers and technology have to play.

Talk coincides with Design Museum installation and exhibition

The talk coincides with an installation called Aurora, a collaboration between Dassault Systèmes and architect Arthur Mamou-Mani, which aims to demonstrate how 3D-printable materials can be used to create structures that can be recycled or repurposed.

Aurora is currently installed at the Design Museum in London alongside its new exhibition Waste Age: What can design do?

Asensio will talk about the Aurora installation and how it fits into Dassault Systèmes' wider Design for Life programme.

Curtin will present some of the themes and ideas explored in the Waste Age exhibition, which she co-curated, while Iles will share insights from his work with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation around the circular economy.

Asensio joined Dassault Systèmes in 2008 as vice president of design experience after working as a design director at General Motors and Renault.

In her current role, she guides the brand's strategy and connects it with designers to help them generate and realise projects using Dassault Systèmes' technology.

Iles is circular design programme lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Joe’s role is to inspire and empower millions of designers to create products, services, and systems for the circular economy.

He was previously editor-in-chief of Circulate, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s circular economy news channel, and has spoken about the circular economy at numerous events.

Curtin is a curator at the Design Museum in London where she is responsible for exhibitions covering contemporary architecture, product design and fashion.

She co-curated the Design Museum's current exhibition Waste Age, which explores how design has contributed to the rise of throwaway culture and how the industry can help to create an alternative circular economy that doesn't exploit the planet.

Design for Life: Circular Design and Technology takes place at 11:00am London time on 12 November 2021. For details of more architecture and design events, visit Dezeen Events Guide.

Partnership content

This talk was produced by Dezeen for Dassault Systèmes as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen's partnership content here.