For the Rethink consortium with Changency and Slijpstof, I joined this project as a social designer and researcher to investigate how the moving moment could be used to encourage circular behaviour. Moving home is one of the most stressful life events, and that stress reliably pushes people toward the easiest option: throwing things away. Working in Amsterdam Nieuw-West, where forced relocations due to urban renewal create a predictable pattern of mass disposal, I conducted research into the structural barriers that keep circular alternatives out of reach.

Activities

• Conducted qualitative research into moving behaviour and decision-making patterns in Amsterdam Nieuw-West
• Identified and mapped the structural barriers preventing circular choices during relocation
• Co-designed interventions together with Changency and Gemeente Amsterdam
• Facilitated collaboration between designers, civil servants, housing corporations, and residents to ground solutions in lived reality

Deliverables & Outcomes

• Research findings identifying three key behavioural patterns: stress-driven decision-making, lack of local knowledge, and mobility barriers
• Eerste Hulp bij Verhuizing: a modular, neighbourhood-tailored toolkit that makes the circular choice the visible and easy one
• Positive initial test results, with a clear pathway to scale across other districts

Value for the organisation

• Demonstrated how human-centered design can shift circular behaviour without adding pressure to already-stressed residents
• Delivered a modular toolkit that is low-cost to adapt per neighbourhood, with high potential for replication

• Service & social design
• Design research
• Intervention design
• Prototyping, iteration & validation

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