Upgradability and Adaptability in Sustainable Product Design: The Role of the QuChaNe Methodology

Product replacement is often driven by changes in users’ personal circumstances, contributing to shortened product lifespans and increased resource consumption. In this context, upgradability and adaptability are recognized as key design strategies for extending product lifespan, as they enable products to accommodate evolving user needs through functional enhancements or the integration of new features. By supporting continued use despite contextual changes, these attributes contribute to resource efficiency and the mitigation of environmental impacts associated with product obsolescence. Therefore, considering potential changes in users’ life contexts is essential during the early stages of the design process from a sustainability perspective. This study investigates the degree of upgradability and adaptability in conceptual outcomes generated by 28 designers using the QuChaNe methodology—a structured set of questions designed to elicit design concepts that address evolving user needs—with the aim of determining whether its application fosters concepts with greater potential for product lifespan extension. The results are compared with those obtained under a no-method condition (NM), in which the same participants generate concepts without using prescribed ideation method. To assess these attributes, an evaluation tool grounded in eco-design and circular economy principles was employed, given its capacity to encompass a comprehensive set of parameters related to upgradability and adaptability strategies. These parameters serve as indicators of the potential for product lifespan extension. The findings suggest that the use of scenario-based question sets facilitates the generation of a higher number of concepts oriented toward adaptable and upgradable products, thereby increasing their potential for product lifetime extension. These results highlight the potential of the QuChaNe methodology as a design support tool for integrating product lifetime extension strategies into early-stage product development, in line with circular economy principles.