Uni Project - Research Questions - All views welcome!

[ForrestDump]

Gu'day Everyone!!

It's been a long time since I've been on the forum, but I was trying to think of somewhere where people love expressing there opinion and I landed back here!

So just to give you all the low down... a new project I am working on regards new design economies (you don’t need to understand that haha), it's basically a new way of looking at design and its life cycle, for example, designing a product that after it has been used it can be put back into the earth to grow the raw materials for a new product. Imagine if you could put an old bike in the ground and a new one would grow...

Two that I am looking into are:

- ‘Repair’ which you should all be familiar with!

- ‘Jugaad Innovation’ which isn't as obvious but we all do it. This is just a fancy name for all the bodge jobs we do, putting random objects in places to solve a problem that they were never intended for, a great example is that a friend made a chain tensioner with a steel rule and a cotton reel.

Here's a few research questions if you’d be so kind: (you can see them as you will, try and relate them to all products you have, not just bikes)

1 - If something of breaks what is you first thought?

2 - Would you attempt to repair it? if not then why?

3- During repair, would you do it properly or go for a cheap bodge solution?

4 - What would you do if you if you couldn’t or didn’t want to repair it?

5 - What do you think is limiting products from being repair easily by the owner?

6- If you had a choice of buying something that is rated as being simple and easier to repair when broken, would you buy this over the standard? Or would it just be more hassle to do everything yourself?

All replies are welcome, I hope you can all help, I appreciate that this is very wordy! Cheers guys!

James

Edit: I asked this further down so thought I would throw it in here.
What products/things do you all treasure and would much rather keep and fix than throw away completely and why?

Edited November 14, 2013 by ForrestDump

[trials26]

1 - If something of breaks what is you first thought?

what method is possible to interim repair that will enable further use of the part that has broken, or replace if this can't be done with anything available (or anything of low cost) and won't prevent the part from breaking again. Also how much it will cost to replace in corellation to how much it will cost to repair.

2 - Would you attempt to repair it? if not then why?

Yes, but dependent on effect and reason for repair, i.e. "to keep you going" or "to repair for a longer life span" I guess aesthetics would play a part in this descision also... for example a broken table leg, could possibly be fixed by adding a support (simple example) but this would be more favourable repair if the repair couldnt be seen?...

3- During repair, would you do it properly or go for a cheap bodge solution?

Do it properly to ensure maximum life of the product. But then would look to the cheapest and most effective solution.

4 - What would you do if you if you couldn’t or didn’t want to repair it?

Most likely save the broken part to help in repair something later or possible re-use of components for same / different application. Failing that it would be refused of.

5 - What do you think is limiting products from being repair easily by the owner?

Use of materials? complexity of designs?. Companies securing spare parts / sales of new parts by limiting a products ability to be repaired by the consumer.

6- If you had a choice of buying something that is rated as being simple and easier to repair when broken, would you buy this over the standard? Or would it just be more hassle to do everything yourself?

Yes, completely.

[aener]

1 - If something of breaks what is you first thought?

"How does it work?" If I know how it works, I might be able to find a way of repairing it, or bodging it back into a usable state.

2 - Would you attempt to repair it? if not then why?

Yes.

3 - During repair, would you do it properly or go for a cheap bodge solution?

If doing it properly was within my capacity (I have limited tools etc. so can't make my own custom bits) then I would, but if it's too involved or parts are expensive, I'd bodge it.

4 - What would you do if you if you couldn’t or didn’t want to repair it?

In order of preference: Bodge it (duct tape ), work around it, deal with it (brakes don't work - ride brakeless, car heaters don't work - just deal with the cold), or buy a replacement.

5 - What do you think is limiting products from being repair easily by the owner?

Closed-sourceness. In terms of software, if it's open-source and you have a problem, if you don't know how to fix it you can easily get in touch with people who might, or know other people that will.

Making things so you can't fix them - moulded plugs, three-pronged screws, and generally sealed units seems a very dirty tac-tic to make more money. Especially when it prevents you from fixing easily repairable problems.

6- If you had a choice of buying something that is rated as being simple and easier to repair when broken, would you buy this over the standard? Or would it just be more hassle to do everything yourself?

Yes, I much prefer that. I'd always go for Hope brakes as a full range of spares are readily available (and they're just better brakes in general ).

[*gentlydoesit]

1. Arse!

2. Yes

3. Propperly (dependant on experience there of)

4.depends what it is. Save of chuck dependant of value (monetary or personal)

5. Abundance of brakages versus skill sets learned

6. Maintainable works for me

[ForrestDump]

Cheers guys, great replies and feedback! The problem I am trying to overcome is that peoples mindsets sway towards 'if it breaks then I'll buy a new one', that said, obviously not everything can be fixed.

I want to increase the users confidence in being able to disassemble products themselves with little/if any tooling.

[*gentlydoesit]

To construct useable products in that vain takes years of complex engineering solutions and patents before a product will ever hit the marketplace, and the cost implications against the mass produced chinesse costs may not stack up. Were in a throw away age now, and technological advances mean most products are obsolete a few years after production. Good luck with changing the populous views though

[ForrestDump]

To construct useable products in that vain takes years of complex engineering solutions and patents before a product will ever hit the marketplace, and the cost implications against the mass produced chinesse costs may not stack up. Were in a throw away age now, and technological advances mean most products are obsolete a few years after production. Good luck with changing the populous views though

This is true, everyone is used to the technology we don't necessarily need and we crave that, I recon we can strip things down to their essentials making it easier to produce and understand. The point of this is to change that, even if it is a concept to propose an idea... Just to set the scene, I am a Product Design student in my final year, I understand what you were saying.

[J.KYDD]

1 - If something of breaks what is you first thought?

Is it under warranty? Was it cheap or expensive? How long have I had it? If it was cheap or I've had it for quite a while, I'd probably just throw it and replace it

2 - Would you attempt to repair it? if not then why?

If I deemed it something I could do, then yeah I'd have a fiddle.

3- During repair, would you do it properly or go for a cheap bodge solution?

Again, I suppose it depends on the cost of the item. Any repair I'd bother taking on I'd want to do it properly. If it was just a quick fix until I replaced it, then I'd probably just bodge it

4 - What would you do if you if you couldn’t or didn’t want to repair it?

Throw it out. Or, if I was getting another, then keep it/parts of it for spares

5 - What do you think is limiting products from being repair easily by the owner?

Lack of spares made available from manufacturer/supplier. Moulded parts rather than multiple parts which can be taken apart

6- If you had a choice of buying something that is rated as being simple and easier to repair when broken, would you buy this over the standard? Or would it just be more hassle to do everything yourself?

Again, depends on how much more it costs over a standard version and how much I'd use it. If it was an item I use all the time, rely on, or is expensive anyway, then I'd likely spend the extra

Edited November 14, 2013 by J.KYDD

[ForrestDump]

Cheers Josh, it's good to get a range of different comments. Just to help explain a little more...

A company called Dualit produce a toaster that may be very expensive, but it is completely repairable. While many people buy a bog standard on which is much cheaper, and potentially more likely to break, this Dualit toaster may be cheaper in the long run, a toaster for life.

I think it is possible to do this with more products, much like how you would sew a new button onto a shirt if you loose it, a product that would hopefully change the mindset of throwing away without second thought.

What products do you all treasure and would much rather keep and fix than throw away completely and why?

[PatJsy]

1 - If something of breaks what is you first thought?

"Ahh f*ck..."

2 - Would you attempt to repair it? if not then why?

If it's something I think I can do - yes. If I don't think I can, I normally see what I can do, youtube's always good... If I'm going to throw it away I might as well give it a go

3- During repair, would you do it properly or go for a cheap bodge solution?

Bodge job if I need a quick fix asap but always try to do it properly

4 - What would you do if you if you couldn’t or didn’t want to repair it?

See if someone else can and if repairing is too much of a pain in the arse/too expensive I replace it

5 - What do you think is limiting products from being repair easily by the owner?

Re-designing products to make them simpler will probably impact their functionality etc and may add extra cost. Now that I think of it though, it's probably in a company's best interest - if my toaster broke I wouldn't buy the same one, I'd

try a different company

6- If you had a choice of buying something that is rated as being simple and easier to repair when broken, would you buy this over the standard? Or would it just be more hassle to do everything yourself?

All depends on the cost and other features!

[*gentlydoesit]

A toaster is for life not just for christmas

I was brought up 'make do n mend' . I value everything I own.. the way I look at it, when an employer ect pays me they're buying my time, as I only get one go around my time is important and anything i buy represents hours of my life. As most of my skills relate to fixing things I keep as many of my posetions for as long as I can.

some of the most important things I own are my tools, most are guaranteed for life and somone else fixes or replaces them. That princable applied to the toaster may be a better solution. There will inevitably be some numpty with his finger in the wall socket