This document was produced as part of a master's degree in Product Design at the Matosinhos School of Arts and Design and is based on the development of a footwear design project conceived for a Circular Economy (CE). The project aims to respond to the needs of the ever-changing world around us, and as creatives we have to redesign the world for the benefit of people, the environment, society and the economy. This project was conceived for a circular economy that presents itself as an economic alternative to the current Linear Economy (LE). This new economic model can be a strategy for managing natural resources and creating economic value through closed material cycles and new business models. 

Some creatives and institutions around the world have begun to follow this circular model and apply its concepts to products and business models. It can sometimes be difficult to make the transition from the current linear business model management to a CE.
However, the Circular Design Guide provides some methods/tools that help with the design methodology and can thus assist in the transition to a circular economy model.

Nowadays, the topic of the circular economy has become very important. The research for this project discusses the CE as an ideal model for environmental and economic sustainability and also how designers can act in this economic context. This research and product development was achieved through observational studies, data collection and analysis of the CE context and footwear design. The principles and concepts of this economic model (CE) were applied in this project with the aim of understanding current management and how to redesign a circular product for the footwear market in order to contribute to an economic transition. Thus, a concept and prototype of a footwear model were developed to demonstrate the approach of the methodological tools of Circular Design.