To Create the Perfect Self-Repair Experience for an Induction Hob

Abstract: This project was performed in collaboration with Electrolux and takes off in the transition towards a circular economy where products are considered to have multiple life cycles and need to be designed to be able to cycle longer through maintenance and repair. Electronics are rarely designed to fit into circularity thus an induction hob was chosen to show this principle. The research question for this project was therefore how an induction hob should be designed and what other tools are needed to enable a non-experienced user to repair it to provide the perfect repair experience. The project began with a literature study which investigated the concept of circular economy, also how to design for circularity and sustainability. It moved on to investigating why people get rid of products and why people don’t get rid of products. It was found that there are many barriers at the individual’s level and at a structural level, as that people feel that they should replace their products after some time, as well as economical aspects. The main reasons why people keep their products are the emotional attachment to product or that it cost less than to repair than replace the product. A user study was performed to investigate the repair experience for an induction hob today. It was done through letting people disassemble an induction hob while they answered questions about the experience. The insights from the literature and the user studies were narrowed down to the following problems to be solved: Easy diagnosis, easy opening, identification, and replacement of the broken module. Concepts were prototyped and more rounds of user studies were performed with these. The final concept lets the hob stay in the counter while the repair is performed. It contains a tray which resembles a “bento box” in which the internal modules are placed that also functions as a hiding area for the cables in the hob. A new opening mechanism has been designed and the internal modules are now more approachable. The final result only considers barriers for repair at the individual’s level, lowering them to make the repair process easier. The diagnosis has become simpler through the NFC tag and the provided instructions and identification of modules was easier because of the icons. The design follows the Electrolux brand guidelines and gives the user the feeling that they can touch and replace the modules. Also, an electrical safety system has been added. The final concept gives a non-experienced user the tools and confidence to perform the repair themselves. When the user has performed the repair themselves, they are more prone to keep the hob for longer.