Mapping the 'Repair Landscape' Unlocks Sustainable Business Models

Why It Matters

Designers can leverage insights into repair practices to create products that are more easily maintained, repaired, and ultimately, longer-lasting. This shifts focus from linear 'take-make-dispose' models to more circular approaches, fostering a more sustainable relationship between consumers and products.

Key Finding

By studying how and why people repair things, we can identify ways to make products last longer and create businesses that support this, leading to less waste.

Key Findings

• Repair is a complex activity driven by diverse motivations, not just economic necessity.
• Mapping product-people interactions during repair reveals opportunities for product longevity and resource loop slowing.
• Understanding 'fragile-functionality' (performance failure, emotional disengagement, superseded technology) is key to designing for enduring products.

Research Evidence

Aim: How can mapping the 'landscape of repair' inform the development of sustainable business models and consumption patterns?

Method: Qualitative research, narrative collection, and landscape mapping.

Procedure: The research involved collecting narratives of repair to identify diverse people-product interactions and understand the characteristics and motivations behind repair activities. These interactions were then mapped across the product lifecycle, particularly during stages of 'fragile-functionality'.

Context: Product lifecycle, repair activities, sustainable business models, consumption patterns.

Design Principle

Design for longevity and repairability to foster sustainable consumption.

How to Apply

When designing a new product, actively research existing repair practices for similar items and interview potential users about their repair habits and attitudes. Consider modular design and the availability of spare parts.

Limitations

The study's findings may be context-dependent and vary across different product categories and cultures.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: This research shows that if we understand why people fix broken things, we can design products that last longer and create new ways for businesses to make money by repairing rather than just selling new items.

Why This Matters: Understanding repair is crucial for developing sustainable design solutions that reduce waste and conserve resources, aligning with global environmental goals.

Critical Thinking: To what extent does the 'emotional disengagement' with a product influence its repairability, and how can designers design to maintain or re-establish this connection?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research highlights the importance of understanding the 'repair landscape' to foster sustainable consumption. By mapping the diverse interactions and motivations surrounding product repair, designers can identify opportunities to create more enduring products and develop business models that support longevity, thereby contributing to a more circular economy.

Project Tips

• Investigate repair cafes or local repair shops to observe and interview people.
• Consider the emotional attachment users have to products when designing for repair.
• Think about how a product's 'end-of-life' can be extended through repair and refurbishment.

How to Use in IA

• Use the concept of the 'repair landscape' to justify design choices focused on longevity and serviceability.
• Reference the findings to support arguments for designing products that are easier to disassemble and repair.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of the product lifecycle beyond initial manufacture and use.
• Show how repair considerations can influence material selection and assembly methods.

Independent Variable: ["Motivations for repair","Product-people interactions during repair"]

Dependent Variable: ["Potential for product longevity","Opportunities for sustainable business models","Modes of consumption"]

Controlled Variables: ["Product type","User demographics","Socio-economic context"]

Strengths

• Provides a framework for understanding repair beyond simple functionality.
• Connects repair to broader concepts of sustainable business and consumption.

Critical Questions

• How can the 'landscape of repair' be effectively quantified for broader application?
• What are the economic barriers to widespread adoption of repair-centric business models?

Extended Essay Application

• Investigate the repairability of a specific product category, mapping user interactions and identifying design interventions to improve longevity.
• Develop a business proposal for a repair-focused service or product line based on the principles of the 'repair landscape'.

Source

A landscape of repair · The Centre for Sustainable Design, University of the Creative Arts · 2016