BRIDGING PRACTICE: Design lessons for knowledge exchange between students and research in circular design

Albert Einstein is famously quoted saying “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn”. This paper explores the conditions and adaptive methods used by practice design researchers to enable circular design knowledge exchange between a university research community and the student body. This paper explores and draws on the experience of the authors across three academic years (2018-2020) as PhD practice researchers at Centre for Circular Design (CCD). It unpicks the adaptive practice research approaches used by the authors which enabled them to set up and deliver a series of activities under the ‘Circular Design Lab’ an education and teaching platform at CCD. Through its creation it supported a thriving community of circular designers. Using reflective practice, the paper explores the authors practice design methods to create a bridge between emerging research practice and the taught courses.