BACKSTORY
Design Conformity, or dc was established in 2017 to help display furniture manufacturers apply circular design standards to their manufacturing. We began with an electrical design standard that reduced operational carbon, and enabled reuse, this was adopted by Boots, M&S, next, WH Smith and other high street retailers.
Before long we were being asked to assess the carbon footprint of complete fixtures and furniture; the question remained – how do we reduce carbon impact without comprising design creativity? The answer, circularity. Our first Circular Design Guide was created in 2021 and now over 1,500 products from more than 50 international manufacturers have now been certified to comply with the dc guidance.
Our guidance is based on the current British, European and ISO standards and seeks to provide clarity for designers and created by subject matter experts. The guidance is always evolving but based on three core principles:
CARBON EFFICIENY
The guidance established the need for a standard approach to carbon reporting that encapsulated not just the carbon footprint, but the value of carbon.
‘Carbon Efficiency’ was then created to allow end users to report the value of circular design and help them see carbon as an asset to be invested and reused.
We’re then committed to standardised, simple reporting.
WHAT DOES DC STAND FOR?
The mission
unite circular companies to promote sustainable businesses practises and reduce the carbon impact of interiors.
The vision
to become Europe’s leading online resource for circular interior products.
Our values
Innovation, Integrity and Diversity.
CORE TEAM
Ben · Dawson
Circularity
Supporting clients to develop circularity strategies. Ben has 15 years experience in the interior fit-out industry.
Beth · Gover
Certification
Leads our analysis and product certification. Beth is an award-winning product designer and software developer.
Irene · Zeng
Operations
Irene has double Masters degrees in Environmental Engineering and worked at Ernst & Young.
Adam · Hamilton-Fletcher
Strategy
Leads growth and strategic development with our collaborators. Adam has 15 years experience in the product design and manufacturing industry.
BACKSTORY
Olivia · Aspinall
Materials
Olivia is a materials & circularity consultant who has specialised in material composition & data for over 10 years; going from creating her own solid surface materials to consulting with interior designers, architects and brands to help them understand material data. Olivia is currently building a materials database for designers.
Katie · Furmston
Learning
Katie has worked within the industry for 10 years, predominantly on the education side with 7 years teaching at NTU. Katie is currently studying in her 2nd year of her PhD which looks to investigate and improve the sustainability of fast furniture.
Bill · Jones
Design
Bill is the former Managing Director of the one of the UK’s largest retail fixture manufacturers and co-founder of the industry’s first independent retail design consultancy focused on sustainability. Bill has 30 years’ retail design and manufacturing experience.
Mark · Nathan
ISO Assessment
This is a technical expert with years of experience. This is a technical expert with years of experience. This is a technical expert with years of experience. This is a technical expert with years of experience.
Helen · Carpentier
Circularity
This is a technical expert with years of experience. This is a technical expert with years of experience. This is a technical expert with years of experience. This is a technical expert with years of experience.
CIRCULAR EVOLUTION
We’re committed to listening. To manufacturers, suppliers, partners and collaborators to ensure we reflect their interests through innovation.
It’s by listening that we get our best ideas, and it’s through trials (and a few tribulations), that we ensure we have the most valuable solutions.
The Carbon Efficiency methodology has become the foundation of more than one good idea. Since 2023 we’ve developed:
If you have an idea, you think we should consider, we’re listening.
ReINVESTMENT
We’re committed to supporting organisations that seek to invest and support social enterprise. Companies like RAW are creating new and second opportunists for people from challenged backgrounds proving champions can bring about real change.
If you have a program or project that you think we could support, please get in touch.
Waste not want not
We’re committed to helping manufacturers and suppliers ensure that end of life doesn’t mean end of value. By partnering with charities and organisations we encourage landfill avoidance.
If you have a program or project that you think we could support, please get in touch.
CIRCULAR KNOWLEDGE
We’re committed to sharing our knowledge with the next generations of designers. By making our guidance and software available to students and apprentices we create opportunities for both our manufactures, ourselves and our wider collaborators.
If you’d like to become a knowledge partner, please get in touch.
EMPOWERMENT & ENTREPRENUERSHIP
We’re committed to championing women in the circularity and design industry. Within our board, our team, our technical committee and through our dc agents.
If you’d like to find out about becoming a dc agent or working with our team, please get in touch.
That litle leaf on our logo? Circular design implementation results in biodiversity for us.
We’re teamed up with Forest Carbon to plant a tree for product that is dc certified. The site we’ve picked tosupport is in the stunning lsle of Mull.
Croft 4 Fanmore is a small but highly impactful woodland creation project set within the wild coastal landscapes on the lsle of Mull, overlooking the Sea of the Hebrides. By establishing a diverse mix of species- including downy birch, hazel, oak, aspen, alder, holly, rowan and willow – the woodland will provide valuable shelter for livestock, enhance landscape structure, and in time offer opportunities for coppicing and woodfuel. A small watercourse borders part of the planting area, adding riparian value and further boosting habitat variety across the site.
