Ingrid Moons professor

Research Ingrid Moons

Research team

Expertise

Keywords : consumerbehaviour- sustainability- innovation- co-creation- multi method research My work consists of 80% collaboration at the Faculty of Business Economics (FBE) and 20% at the Faculty of Design Sciences. The research in which I specialized focuses on the adoption of sustainable innovations. On the one hand, this research is about motivational drivers in various market segments. Research was conducted for various product types, products with a high involvement (electric transport), low involvement (food) and services (travel). On the other hand, I engage in investigating how co-creation with different stakeholders can contribute to more sustainable solutions. These studies are part of VLAO and INTERREG projects (the adoption of co-creation and GLITCH). I further refine and specify my research together with five l PhD students. A user perspective looks at how innovations can contribute to the circular economy. Integrating the user experience and perception of materials with a technological view on materials to achieve more sustainable design solutions from the early start of the design process onwards is one example. Achieving more connection in society through urban agriculture and ensuring a more fair access to sustainable food through urban agriculture is a study that started in collaboration with the province and is now being continued in a doctoral project. Examples of other studies are: forms of cooperation that lead to sustainable innovation among SMEs, insights into the co-creative design process for hybrid products, more adapted forms of communication to children, which are increasingly being addressed by advertising in an integrated and interactive way, development of research methods that fit with today's fast-changing world in which we communicate in a more 'mobile' way. Journals in which I published an article are amongst others: Journal of cleaner production, IBR, Sustainability, Journal of Marketing Management, International Marketing Review, Ecological Economics , Journal of Marketing Communications, Young Consumers, Food Quality and Preference, Journal of Environmental Psychology, Journal of Marketing Trends Journal of Brand Management.

System change and innovation in the context of reusable packaging for circular economy on retail shelves (SIXPACK). 01/01/2024 - 31/12/2025

Abstract

In line with the EU Circular Action Plan, the beverage sector is at a turning point when it comes to packaging. Recent research from Zero Waste Europe shows that the top 4 packaging with the greatest environmental impact in Europe are beverage packaging. According to Article 26 in the PPWR, packaging for alcoholic beverages should be 75% reusable by 2040. With this consortium we want to offer a solution to this challenge by placing a reusable six-pack on the retail shelves, among the range of only disposable packaging. Based on an independent LCA by Copernicus University in Utrecht, we know that this return six-pack or 'Fillbee', in combination with reusable glass, emits 46% less CO2 than a can with a plastic foil, and 64% less CO2 than single-use glass in combination with a cardboard secondary packaging. While this solution has a very high chance of success, as a standardized supply chain for beverage crates already exists, there are a number of challenges involving the entire value chain. With this experiment we also want to take a first step towards standardized packaging in the food industry, by being able to scale up based on insights and learnings to put standardized packaging for food on retail shelves in the next phase.

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  • Research Project

Reuse in style Lab. 01/10/2022 - 30/09/2025

Abstract

The fashion industry has many problems regarding sustainability. One of these problems is the short lifecycle of clothing. Fast fashion lowers the number of times an item is worn which results in lots of waste. The focus of the PhD is the lifetime extension (LTE) of clothing and accessories. To achieve this LTE, there is a need for behavior change. Research shows that there are lots of barriers connected to achieve this behavior change. However, consumer who are more sustainable can motivate the industry to transition into a circular economy. The purpose is to gather knowledge on design for LTE and reuse. Quality and quality perception are the first and important variable to realize behavior change. To achieve reuse by the same user and/or different users, offered clothing must first meet objective and subjective quality requirements that are recognizable. The use phase must be designed in such a way that a long lifetime is facilitated by a lasting positive product experience and by quality assurance through maintenance and repair. First, a literature study will be done to explore the broad context of the subject. Knowledge will also be gained in close cooperation with fashion companies that play an exemplary role in a transition to a circular economy. From a systems analysis and innovation workshops, different design interventions will be detailed through cocreation and tested with end users through experiments. Next to that, qualitative and quantitative research such as surveys, (in-depth) interviews... will be done. The new design insights aim to be directly deployable by the fashion sector and (new) circular value chain partners. After the literature study is done, research questions can be formulated. The four focuses of the PhD will be formulated in four work packages. The overall challenge concerns a transition to a more circular fashion industry from the use phase, starting from the purchase or acquisition of the product. Next, 4 sub-challenges are defined: - Generate knowledge around how consumers can discover and recognize their own definition of qualitative, sustainable fashion products. - Generate knowledge around increasing perception of old/worn products through emotional connection/story. - Generate knowledge around increasing awareness of the user around perception of cleanliness to start maintaining more consciously - Generate knowledge to encourage users to repair faster instead of discarding to extend the lifespan.

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  • Research Project

REuse Lab. 01/09/2022 - 15/02/2025

Abstract

The REuse Lab is a service platform that supports industry in the circular transition throughout the implementation and development of reusable alternatives for single-use products. The REuse Lab excels in the generation of applicable knowledge and insights in technical quality assurance, quality perception through trust and ease of use and experience, and for the optimisation of quality assurance through the value chain and new services. The multidisciplinary REuse Lab offers expertise to address, in cocreation with companies and sectors, the barriers that hinder or delay the introduction of products for reuse, through data collection in a scientific experimental setting. Building further on current research, this IOF funding allows the REuse Lab to develop the necessary basic business structure to leverage new funding from both third and fourth funding stream.

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  • Research Project

Attractive maintenance to extend product lifetime: Exploration of the designerly opportunities from a user-centred perspective. 01/10/2021 - 30/09/2025

Abstract

Within the current linear economy, resources are rapidly depleting. Products with a short lifetime are often discarded for various reasons without being used to their full potential. The objective of this research is to investigate the opportunities to lengthen the lifetime of products through maintenance and repair, from the users' perspective. We focus on products in the cycling context with a short lifetime (such as cycling parts, clothing and helmets, drink bottles, …) to narrow the field and provide an innovative design context with a wide variety of products and innovation (design and production) in Flanders. Starting from a literature review, a theoretical framework will be compiled that encompasses both product attributes and psychological-ownership variables, which influence the willingness of a user to lengthen their products' lifetime. Influences of these variables will be explored through qualitative and quantitative research. Next, the relations between these variables, as well as their effect on the actions of users will be investigated. Using the results from these research steps, four products from the cycling industry will be redesigned to facilitate optimal maintenance and repair intentions for users. The effect of these optimisations will be analysed through qualitative research, such as concept tests and in-depth interviews. Together with innovative managers/designers in the cycling industry as well as other related industries, the implications of such new products will be analysed and viable strategies explored. The aimed outcome of this research project consists of the following: (i) a fundamental understanding of the motivations of users to lengthen the lifetime of their product through maintenance and repair, (ii) strategies for designers to optimize products and create attractive maintenance and repair actions and (iii) learnings, strategies and models for businesses/manufacturers to address changes in their industry as a result of implementation of these guidelines.

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  • Research Project

Enriched nature": A system design to make leisure time in nature more accessible to disadvantaged groups. 01/06/2021 - 31/05/2023

Abstract

With its leisure offer, the province of Antwerp strongly focuses on experiencing greenery and nature, but notes that disadvantaged groups do not make optimal use of this. Research has shown that contact with nature has a positive effect on people's well-being. Using methods of human-centred and systemic design, the project maps the barriers to participation. Possible intervention models are defined on the basis of system maps, in co-creation with the target group and other stakeholders.

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  • Research Project

Leisure time in a circle: how can we make the province's leisure time offer fit even better in a circular economic model. 01/10/2019 - 30/09/2021

Abstract

With its recreation facilities the province of Antwerp addresses a basic need (wellbeing, health and leisure). The challenge that is central to this research project is to turn these into 'smart' facilities that create value for different stakeholders and adapt it to a circular economic paradigm. Based on insights from consumer behaviour, product-service design and social sciences, we aim for a research design in which different stakeholders co-create a sustainable (planet, profit, people) leisure model with a 'provincial domain' as case study.

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  • Research Project

Food justice and citizen-driven governance of urban agriculture. Assessing the co-creative design of multi-stakeholder governance of urban agriculture initiatives. 01/10/2018 - 30/09/2022

Abstract

Food justice and citizen-driven governance of urban agriculture. Assessing the co-creative design of multi-stakeholder governance of urban agriculture initiatives Food has been absent as a concern for urban studies. This proposal reframes food as an urban question through a focus on citizen-driven governance of urban agriculture (UA) and its role in stimulating food justice. UA is a fast developing field and challenges top-down as well as bottom-up urban planning. This project responds to the need to improve our understanding of how multi-stakeholder governance models can be designed to enhance UA's contribution to food justice. The proposed research consists of three research phases. It starts with an overview of the state of the art literature from social sciences (sociology and political sciences), economic sciences (marketing and human behaviour) and design sciences (service design, design for complex systems). All influential parameteres are mapped into a digital system. The second research phases starts by mapping all urban agricultural initiatives in Flandres, based on the research outcomes and variables from the first research phase. A semi-qualitative research is set up (n=50) to evaluate the existing initiatives on their strenghts and weakenesses (eg. actors involved, contribution to food fairness, use of open spaces). The aim is to gain insights in the way citizens and other stakeholders govern urban agricultural initiatives and with what kind of mechanisms concerning inclusion and exclusion they are confronted. The third research phase consists of a co-creative seven steps design process (alternation of workshops, field research, concept development, concept testing) that gives input for the governance and the creation of three urban agricultural initiatives. The aim of this Participatory Research (PAR) phase is to gain insight in the complexity of governance processes by means of initiating co-creative interventions (common problem, common goal, common value creation) and to learn from their effects. The three studies will result in a report with recommendations to enrich the existing literature. The researchers aim to publish four scientific articles. Given the scope of the proposed research, the researchers moreover aim for a wider validation and desimilation of the results.

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  • Research Project

GLITCH 01/06/2018 - 31/05/2021

Abstract

Glitch investigates the opportunities of a co-creative methodology in the domain of greenhouses cultivation. The aim of the project is the co-creation of product services that generate more durable and environmental friendly solutions in the domain of energy reduction and air quality. By using co-creative techniques, the end solutions will have a better fit with the needs and wants of the divers stakeholders and especially with these of the end-user.

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  • Research Project

Development and validation of a new framework for the integration of technical and consumer-experience-based materials selection throughout the design process. 01/10/2017 - 30/09/2021

Abstract

With the emergence of new materials, the available set of materials is rapidly growing both in type and number, each with their own characteristics and applications. Hence, materials selection in product design is a complex and costly process. Since people interact with materials through products, the products' materials should not only meet technical qualifications, but also appeal to the senses of the consumer, attribute specific meanings, provoke intended emotions, and be context-specific. Consequently, industrial design engineers should be supported in integrating these different material understandings, and especially in taking the consumer perspective into account. This research will focus on closing the knowledge gap in continuous materials selection support - customised to the evolving multidisciplinary needs of industrial design engineering - throughout the entire design process, with special focus upon consumer-centred aspects of design. The success of new products depends upon their adoption by end consumers and, therefore, particular attention should be paid to designing products in such a way that they appeal to these consumers and their consumption context [1]. The overall research objective is to develop and test a generic framework to support early (new) materials decisions, integrating technical and consumer-experiential aspects. The conceptual basis of the study project combines two methodologies: 'Research in Design Context' and 'Design Inclusive Research', that provide frameworks in which 'design' is considered as an evolving research process to arrive at a new product that is both technically optimal and consumer-centred. A stepwise research design combines existing data (literature review), consumer insights (workshops), insights in motives and criteria for material choices (qualitative research, quantitative model building with professionals) and case studies (validating of the methodology with companies) The research project thus attempts to provide and test a methodology to bridge the current technical - consumer-experiential imbalance in industrial design engineering and to enhance the consumer perspective in this process. It can also improve the adoption of new materials and products. The theoretical and methodological contribution is that the project aims at developing and testing a new framework for materials selection in the design process that integrates both perspectives, for an increased adoption of newly developed products in the market place. A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches and inductive and deductive reasoning in a mixed methods approach is used.

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  • Research Project

Urban agriculture as an alternative to classic green structures in an urbanized environment: economic and spatial analysis. 01/01/2017 - 31/12/2018

Abstract

Research objective: which economic models are suitable for maintaining the open green space in an urbanized environment in a profitable way via urban agriculture? How can economically profitable green structures be built into an urbanized environment?

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  • Research Project

Ideating Hybrid Product Service Systems. 01/10/2015 - 30/09/2019

Abstract

The aim of the project is to define a methodology to develop hybrid product/service system combinations (PSS), The project focusses on the domain of industrial product development. A process approach is defined and relevant stakeholders are identified. The research starts by an extensive literature overview that discloses the differences in the FEI between the development of a service, a product and a digital application and gives insights in the need for a more integrated system. This will be followed by a qualitative research with experts. Case studies are further used to map different development processes which lead to the mapping of patterns in the current development approach.

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  • Research Project

The adoption of cocreation processes 01/09/2015 - 31/12/2016

Abstract

The project aims to develop tools by which drivers and constraints occuring throughout co-creation processes can be mapped and can be used to facilitate the whole process. Special attention is given to multiple stakeholder co creation, and co creation in a B2B context also with SME's. The focuss of the project is on organisational and personal drivers and constraints underlying the process. The process is considered over the different phases of the innovation process, from idea-generation to market introduction. The state of the art as reported in literature will be combined with best practices in a first roadmap concept. The process will be made more transparant and solutions are proposed for difficulties occuring during the co creation traject. Qualitative research ans case base resarch will give us more insights to make the roadmap more concrete. We further aim to develop concrete measurable output parameters for compagnies involved in co-creaation processes.

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  • Research Project

An investigation into the cross-cultural differences in the adoption process of electric cars 01/02/2015 - 31/12/2015

Abstract

In my PhD thesis I developed a model of the adoption of the electric car and empirically tested it in Flanders. The current project extends that work in an international context, as follows: 1. Empirically test the electric car adoption model in various European countries 2. Test an alternative model, based on ethical determinants, in various European countries 3. Explain differences between these countries based on cultural frameworks.

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  • Research Project