PRODUCTCARE PROJECT

Abstract: project is about trying to create a concepts which represents responsible consumption and responsible production. Since my title of thesis is named “ Product Care Project” I have tried to think how products designed with care would look like. PROBLEM Through this project I am responding to intentionally produced goods for shorter life cycle and a strict control to prevent users to repair or maintain their belongings. This achieved by producing products repair unfriendly and also by controlling whole product development infrastructure to make an access of maintenance complicated for users. A user has no choice, but to buy a new product instead even trying to fix it. This manner of production should be a breach of consumer rights, but since buy, use shortly and discard culture is so embodied in our daily lives that majority of people do not care or does not dare to change it because of the pressure from the society. As a result, now we face an environmental and moral catastrophe which has to be changed. TRY TO GET A HOLISTIC VIEW OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND TRY TO ESTABLISH A ROLE AS A DESIGNER. Why and how we ended up that we to have change objects more and more often? Do people realized that they victims of industries planned obsolescence? Is that the only way of mass producing products to profit? Can repair friendly products exist in the market? In this project I have gained a holistic view of a product development. I have tried to get in touch with current system and try to imagine possible changes towards more responsible production and consumption. RESULTS As a result I have realized that repair friendly products can exist not only for DIY, Makers subculture society, but also for modern day businesses. The only step industry has to establish is to provide an equal connection between the user, the creator, and the product. Users also have to take actions by having a mind set not to overconsume and demand for better products. To express my thoughts I have designed headphones. HEADPHONES DESIGNED WITH CARE Headphones are modular. Modular means that it is also customizable based on customers needs. Modular means that product can last longer since parts are replaceable. The benefits of a modular product is that every part is valuable. Even a product stops functioning parts are reusable. Taking care of your object is also fun. I want to express that a moderate time investment in to an object can make it more valuable. So instead of offering an object with a very obvious solution to build or repair in few minutes, I would like to give a moderate amount of challenge as in principles of puzzle toys. Notes : A project is independent entirely carried out at Lund University School of Industrial Design LTH, Lund Sweden 2012. A project is graded at 30 credits ( ECTS), equivalent to 20 weeks of study. A degree after completing thesis project is Masters of Industrial Design from Lund University School of Industrial Design.