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In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.

Large language models for identifying repurposing opportunities: a systematic evaluation

Dörnbach, Adrian; Sonntag, Sebastian; Selvarajah, Abinash; Nagarajah, Arun

Type:
Papers
DS 145: Proceedings of the DESIGN2026 19th International Design Conference
Year:
2026
Editor:
Štorga, M.; Škec, S.; Martinec, T.; Marjanović, D.; Pavković, N.
Author:
Dörnbach, Adrian; Sonntag, Sebastian; Selvarajah, Abinash; Nagarajah, Arun
Series:
DESIGN
Institution:
University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Page(s):
1251-1260
DOI number:
10.1017/pds.2026.10483
ISSN:
2732-527X (Online)
Abstract:
In a circular economy, repurposing extends product lifecycles and reduces resource use. However, identifying feasible repurposing opportunities remains challenging. This study therefore evaluates the capability of large language models to identify such repurposing scenarios and their relevant properties, using documented repurposing cases from peer-reviewed literature. Three models were tested, revealing potential in identifying repurposing scenarios, but also highlighting the need for structured methods and further research due to systematic limitations in property identification.
Keywords:
circular economy, sustainability, repurposing, large language model (LLM), multi-life products
DESIGN2026 - The 19th International Design Conference
Conferences

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