Abstract
The escalating global climate crisis and mounting resource scarcity are accelerating the transformation of economic models from linear to circular economy. However, existing circular design research primarily focuses on abstract theories and strategic frameworks, lacking systematic empirical exploration of practical operational pathways — limiting its direct applicability for designers. This study takes Xiaomi Business Ecosystem, as a case study. Through literature analysis and public data mining, it conducts an in-depth examination into Xiaomi’s empirical circular design practices using a dual framework of “Life cycle design strategy” and “four-level circular design strategies” (encompassing technical and biological cycles). To ensure the accuracy of identified cases, data comparison was conducted, additionally, the maturity level of each case (i.e., large-scale production, small-scale production, or experimental phase) was determined through a triangular verification method based on expert questionnaire responses. The findings demonstrate that Xiaomi has effectively integrated both technical and biological cycle approaches across all seven stages of its product lifecycle strategy. This study highlights key lifecycle strategies from material selection to end-of-life optimization. It identifies mid-to-late stage designer-focused approaches like packaging design, service integration, and durability enhancement. This integration is powered by the unique structural advantages of its ecosystem-based model — namely, cross- industry collaboration, resource sharing, and capability complementarity. These three factors work synergistic ally to enable efficient implementation of circular design practices at multiple stages, fostering technological innovation and strengthening collaborative dynamics within the ecosystem. This study not only provides a systematic illustration of how circular design can be operationalized in real-world contexts but also offers practical, actionable insights for designers seeking to embed circular strategies into specific product development processes.
Keywords
Circular design; Circular economy; Business ecosystem; Xiaomi
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.401
Citation
Song, J., Hung, W.,and Sung, T.(2025) An Empirical Case Study of Circular Design Strategies: Taking Xiaomi Business Ecosystem as an Example, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.401
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 8 - Circular/Sustainable Design
An Empirical Case Study of Circular Design Strategies: Taking Xiaomi Business Ecosystem as an Example
The escalating global climate crisis and mounting resource scarcity are accelerating the transformation of economic models from linear to circular economy. However, existing circular design research primarily focuses on abstract theories and strategic frameworks, lacking systematic empirical exploration of practical operational pathways — limiting its direct applicability for designers. This study takes Xiaomi Business Ecosystem, as a case study. Through literature analysis and public data mining, it conducts an in-depth examination into Xiaomi’s empirical circular design practices using a dual framework of “Life cycle design strategy” and “four-level circular design strategies” (encompassing technical and biological cycles). To ensure the accuracy of identified cases, data comparison was conducted, additionally, the maturity level of each case (i.e., large-scale production, small-scale production, or experimental phase) was determined through a triangular verification method based on expert questionnaire responses. The findings demonstrate that Xiaomi has effectively integrated both technical and biological cycle approaches across all seven stages of its product lifecycle strategy. This study highlights key lifecycle strategies from material selection to end-of-life optimization. It identifies mid-to-late stage designer-focused approaches like packaging design, service integration, and durability enhancement. This integration is powered by the unique structural advantages of its ecosystem-based model — namely, cross- industry collaboration, resource sharing, and capability complementarity. These three factors work synergistic ally to enable efficient implementation of circular design practices at multiple stages, fostering technological innovation and strengthening collaborative dynamics within the ecosystem. This study not only provides a systematic illustration of how circular design can be operationalized in real-world contexts but also offers practical, actionable insights for designers seeking to embed circular strategies into specific product development processes.