Innovation After Dark
The future of innovation isn’t simply in creating more, new and different things — it’s about designing better, smarter, more circular and regenerative experiences. Innovation after Dark illuminates circular economy principles and tools used to highlight new innovation opportunities across every industry.
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Unlike traditional sustainable design approaches, this method reveals through a series of real-world case studies how businesses, designers, and leaders succeed in uncertainty—leveraging emerging trends, overlooked markets, and radical sustainability to create lasting impact.
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Are You Ready to Innovate Beyond the Obvious?
Circularity starts with intention.
Design teams have a powerful opportunity to lead the shift toward circular practices, driving innovation and sustainability within their organizations. By securing executive buy-in and forging strategic partnerships, we can unlock new business models, reduce waste, and create long-term value—transforming challenges into competitive advantages.
Embracing circularity requires a complete rethinking of business models, products, services, and organizational strategies. The IDK Toolkit provides the frameworks, case studies, and step-by-step tools to help companies identify key opportunities, integrate circular principles, and empower design teams to drive real impact. With clear guidance and actionable strategies, IDK equips designer and leaders to navigate the transition to a regenerative, future-ready business.
What Happens When The Sun Goes Down?
The Original model Sony’s Sunrise/Sunset Model, was coined in the 80's, a framework the company used to identify iconic product design and the proliferation of spin-off products to drive market adaption—exemplified by the Sony Walkman. While it revolutionized personal audio, it also contributed to a disposable electronics culture that continues today.
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But how much electronic waste (e-waste) did products like the Walkman create? And what does our future look like if we don’t rethink our approach to electronics?
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While exact figures for Walkman-specific waste are unavailable, we can estimate its impact:
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Over 200 million Sony Walkman units were sold between 1979 and the early 2000s.
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Cassette players, batteries, headphones, and accessories were discarded in landfills, as recycling programs were nearly nonexistent.
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The rise of CD players, MP3 players, and smartphones led to fast obsolescence and mass disposal of consumer electronics.
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The Walkman was just one example of how rapid change drives shorter product lifespans and more waste.
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The After Dark
Reality
As of 2025, electronic waste is at an all-time high:
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The world produces over 62 million metric tons of e-waste annually—more than double the weight of the Great Wall of China.
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Less than 20% of e-waste is formally recycled, meaning the rest ends up in landfills or is informally processed, often in unsafe conditions.
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Consumer electronics—smartphones, laptops, wearables, and accessories—are the fastest-growing waste category.
What Happens If We Don’t Change?
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If we continue at this pace, projections for 2030 are alarming:
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Global e-waste is expected to exceed 82 million metric tons per year—a 30% increase in just five years.
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The amount of discarded smartphones alone will reach 7 billion units—enough to circle the Earth more than 50 times.
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Critical materials like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth metals will become scarcer, making electronics more expensive and environmentally destructive to produce.
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Without a shift in design, recycling, and circular economy practices, we are headed toward an unsustainable and toxic future.
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New Sunrise Opportunities
How Can We Reverse the Trend?
Innovation must move beyond the Sunset Model—where old tech is discarded—and embrace a Regenerative Circular Model that prioritizes:
✅ Modular design – Devices built for repair, upgrade, and reuse (Fairphone, Framework Laptops)
✅ Take-back programs – Manufacturers taking responsibility for e-waste (Apple, Dell, Sony’s Road to Zero)
✅ Material innovation – Recyclable and biodegradable electronics (biodegradable circuit boards, reclaimed rare-earth metals)
✅ Policy & consumer shifts – Right-to-repair laws and sustainable tech adoption
The future of innovation isn’t just about creating the next Walkman—it’s about designing technology that doesn’t become tomorrow’s waste.
What role will you play in the next wave of sustainable innovation?
HOW TO STOP TAKE, MAKE, DISPOSE DESIGN?
It takes intention and thoughtfulness to shift from our traditional system that we design for today. The future depends on six key components to work together in order for this model to shift successfully. Learn what they are and how to implement them.
A HANDBOOK FOR DESIGN THINKING & CIRCULARITY
This guide reveals how others succeed in uncertainty—sharing case studies and tools that help navigate emerging trends, overlooked market opportunities, and radical approaches to innovation to create lasting sustainable impact and a more regenerative and circular economy.
Discover new tools and techniques:
The Midnight Tipping Point – Knowing when to push bold ideas into the mainstream
The Lunar Leap – High-risk, high-reward strategies that redefine industries
The Shadow Market Advantage – Spotting hidden opportunities before competitors do
The Circular Revolution – Turning sustainability into a business superpower
Case Studies – Real-world companies thriving in the unseen economy
Are You Ready to Innovate Beyond the Obvious?
Get the tools to navigate the future—Pre-Order Now!
Experience Innovation After Dark
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INNOVATION AFTER DARK
BOOK & WORKBOOK
Innovation After Dark is your comprehensive guide to implementing circular economy principles, packed with case studies, frameworks, and real-world applications. This book provides a step-by-step approach to rethinking products, services, space design, business models, and supply chains for long-term sustainability.
INNOVATION AFTER DARK
ONLINE COURSE & EDUCATORS TOOLKIT
Innovation After Dark MasterClass is an interactive, self-paced learning experience designed to help teams apply circular and regenerative strategies in the form of guided workshops and design sprints. Through expert-led lessons, hands-on exercises, and real-world examples, you and your team will gain the tools needed to drive impactful change in your organization and across your category.
INNOVATION AFTER DARK
EVENTS & GATHERINGS
Our live, in-person and virtual gatherings of industry leaders, designers, and sustainability pioneers exploring the future of circular business. Featuring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities, these events will equip you with the insights and connections to accelerate your circular innovation journey.
Innovation After Dark
What happens when the sun goes down?
IN THE KNOW
The key levers of resilient circularity like across six disconnected dimensions of the economy. Gaining a vantage point of where the gaps exist today, help you and your organization think smarter about the opportunities of circularity.
TEACH INNOVATION AFTER DARK CASES
Innovation After Dark pedagogical materials, are now becoming available for universities and in counties around the world, these go beyond the standard case-based method to illuminate uncharted territory.
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Check out our wealth of cases and teaching materials to teach Innovation After Dark concepts in your class.
INNOVATION AFTER DARK SPRINT
Learn how to leave no waste behind. Discover how to think circular and regenerative, while identifying ways to lower your cost through simplicity and subtraction and identify new revenue streams and business model opportunities, fast.
“LOVED this course. We started using these tools right away, 100% practical tools, helped me communicate to both my team and executives in my organization!” Amalia C., Google
Join thousands of leaders like you who are creating more circular, innovative companies, products, and services that build resiliency for your business future and connect your business into the network of the circular economy.
DESIGN THINKING FOR A CIRCULAR & REGENERATIVE ECONOMY