Causal loop diagrams as a tool in textile innovation trajectories

Authors

• Hellen van Rees, Saxion University of Applied Sciences; University of TwenteFollow
• Geke Ludden, University of TwenteFollow
• Jan Mahy, Saxion University of Applied SciencesFollow
• Angelika Mader, University of TwenteFollow

Abstract

Innovation in textile production and usage is gaining momentum, driven by both the urgent need for sustainable solutions and rising technological maturity of embedded functionalities in textiles. Traditional linear models of production and consumption are increasingly being replaced by product-service systems (PSS) that can extend product lifecycles through maintenance, reuse, and digital integration. Realizing the full potential of such innovations requires addressing complex interdependencies which are currently lacking within the day-to-day reality of textile innovation projects. We recognize Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) for their potential to gain insight into these complexities, but their intricacy limits their use in practice. In this paper we use a specific case to introduce CLD adaptations that can serve as practice-oriented tools for three phases in complex textile product development trajectories. We discuss how the tools could be used by product innovation teams and suggest future work on these and similar practice-oriented tools.

Keywords

Causal Loop Diagrams; textile innovation; stakeholder involvement.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1509

Citation

van Rees, H., Ludden, G., Mahy, J., and Mader, A. (2026) Causal loop diagrams as a tool in textile innovation trajectories, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.1509

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License