Design Strategies to Extend Product Lifespan in Short-Lived Products: A Study Through Strollers

Abstract

This study aims to transform the phenomenon of premature disposal of strollers, which are considered short-lived products, from a sustainability perspective using design-oriented approaches. Strollers have a limited lifespan due to changing usage needs related to the rapid growth of the baby, mechanical wear, hygiene perceptions, repair difficulties, and storage problems. Often, they become unusable even while retaining their functional value. A review of the literature revealed five main problem areas: short lifespan, hygiene perceptions, maintenance/repair difficulties, trust issues in second-hand use, and the need for individual ownership. In order to respond to the identified problems, the study presents a framework compatible with the principles of Circular Economy and Product-Service Systems. Accordingly, design strategies have been developed that enable the traceability of the product's usage history through a convertible product structure, service-oriented modularity, and a detachable and customizable component structure. The study aims to contribute to design-oriented academic discussions on the sustainable use of short-lived consumer goods by providing a conceptual foundation for design approaches aimed at extending the product lifespan in strollers.

Keywords

• Strollers
• Circular economy
• Perpetual motion products
• Product-Service Systems

Kısa Ömürlü Ürünlerde Ürün Ömrünü Uzatmaya Yönelik Tasarım Stratejileri: Bebek Arabası Üzerinden Bir İnceleme

Abstract

Bu çalışma, kısa ömürlü ürünler kategorisinde değerlendirilen bebek arabalarını sürdürülebilirlik perspektifinden ele alarak erken elden çıkarma olgusunu tasarım odaklı yaklaşımlarla dönüştürmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Bebek arabaları; bebeğin hızlı gelişimine bağlı olarak değişen kullanım ihtiyaçları, mekanik aşınma, hijyen algısı, onarım zorlukları ve depolama problemleri nedeniyle sınırlı bir kullanım ömrüne sahiptir. Çoğu zaman işlevsel değerini korumasına rağmen kullanım dışı kalmaktadır. Literatür incelendiğinde kısa kullanım süresi, hijyen algısı, bakım/onarım zorluğu, ikinci el kullanımındaki güven sorunu ve bireysel sahiplik ihtiyacı olmak üzere beş temel problem alanı saptanmıştır. Çalışmada, belirlenen problemlere yanıt verebilmek amacıyla Döngüsel Ekonomi ve Ürün-Servis Sistemleri prensipleriyle uyumlu bir çerçeve sunulmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, dönüşebilen ürün yapısı, hizmet odaklı modülerlik, sökülebilir ve kişiselleştirilebilir bileşen yapısı ile ürünün kullanım geçmişinin izlenebilirliğini sağlayan tasarım stratejileri geliştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın bebek arabalarında ürün kullanım ömrünü uzatmaya yönelik tasarım yaklaşımlarına kavramsal bir alt yapı sunarak kısa ömürlü tüketim mallarının sürdürülebilir kullanımına ilişkin tasarım odaklı akademik tartışmalara katkı sağlaması hedeflenmektedir.

Keywords

• Bebek Arabaları
• Döngüsel ekonomi
• Kısa Ömürlü Ürünler
• Ürün-Servis Sistemleri.

References

1. Ackermann, L. (2018). Design for product care: Enhancing consumers’ repair and maintenance activities. The Design Journal, 21(4), 543–551. https://doi.org/10.1080/14606925.2018.1469331
2. Bakker, C., Wang, F., Huisman, J., & den Hollander, M. (2014). Products that go round: Exploring product life extension models. Journal of Cleaner Production, 69, 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.01.028
3. Bardhi, F., & Eckhardt, G. M. (2012). Access-based consumption: The case of car sharing. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(4), 881–898. https://doi.org/10.1086/666376
4. Baxter, W. L., Aurisicchio, M., & Childs, P. R. (2017). Contaminated Interaction: Another Barrier to Circular Material Flows. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 21, 507–516. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12612
5. Bocken, N. M. P., de Pauw, I., Bakker, C., & van der Grinten, B. (2016). Product design and business model strategies for a circular economy. Journal of Industrial and Production Engineering, 33(5), 308–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681015.2016.1172124
6. Bocken, N. M. P., Strupeit, L., Whalen, K., & Nußholz, J. L. K. (2019). A review and evaluation of circular business model innovation tools. Sustainability, 11(8), 2210. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11082210
7. Camacho-Otero, J., Boks, C., & Pettersen, I. N. (2018). Consumption in the circular economy: A literature review of consumer behavior towards circular solutions. Sustainability, 10(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082758
8. Cooper, T. (2010). The significance of product longevity. In T. Cooper (Ed.), Longer lasting products: Alternatives to the throwaway society (pp. 3–36). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315592930

9. Frahm, L. B., Mugge, R., & Laursen, L. N. (2025). Walk a mile in someone's sweaty second-hand shoes: Differences in motivations and barriers for second-hand products. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108307
10. Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M. P., & Hultink, E. J. (2017). The Circular Economy – A new sustainability paradigm? Journal of Cleaner Production, 143, 757–768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048
11. Govindan, K., Soleimani, H., & Kannan, D. (2015). Reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chain: A comprehensive review to explore the future. European Journal of Operational Research, 240(3), 603–626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2014.07.012
12. Gullstrand Edbring, E., Lehner, M., & Mont, O. (2016). Exploring consumer attitudes towards alternative models of consumption: Motivations and barriers for renting, sharing and brushing up on second-hand consumption. Journal of Cleaner Production, 123, 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.10.107
13. Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., & Hekkert, M. (2017). Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 127, 221–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005 Market Research Future. (2026, September 17). Baby stroller market (2026–2035). https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/baby-stroller-market-29595
14. Mont, O. K. (2002). Clarifying the concept of product–service system. Journal of Cleaner Production, 10(3), 237–245. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-6526(01)00039-7
15. Mont, O., Dalhammar, C., & Jacobsson, N. (2006). A new business model for baby prams based on leasing and product remanufacturing. Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(17), 1509–1518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.01.024
16. Piscicelli, L., Cooper, T., & Fisher, T. (2015). The role of values in collaborative consumption: Insights from a product-service system for lending and borrowing in the UK. Journal of Cleaner Production, 97, 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.07.032
17. Pozo Arcos, B., Dangal, S., Bakker, C., Faludi, J., & Balkenende, R. (2021). Faults in consumer products are difficult to diagnose, and design is to blame: A user observation study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128741
18. Stahel, W. R. (2016). The circular economy. Nature, 531(7595), 435–438. https://doi.org/10.1038/531435a Sumter, D., Bakker, C., & Balkenende, R. (2018). The role of product design in creating circular business models: A case study on the lease and refurbishment of baby strollers. Sustainability, 10(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10072415
19. Tukker, A. (2004). Eight types of product-service system: Eight ways to sustainability? Business Strategy and the Environment, 13(4), 246–260. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.414
20. Tukker, A. (2015). Product-Services for a Resource-Efficient and Circular Economy–A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 97, 76–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.11.049
21. Urbinati, A., Chiaroni, D., & Chiesa, V. (2017). Towards a new taxonomy of Circular Economy business models. Journal of Cleaner Production, 168, 487–498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.047
22. Waight, E. (2013). Eco babies: Reducing a parent's ecological footprint with second-hand consumer goods. International Journal of Green Economics, 7(2), 197–211. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJGE.2013.057444
23. Wastling, T., Charnley, F., & Moreno, M. (2018). Design for Circular Behaviour: Considering users in a Circular Economy. Sustainability, 10(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061743