Care to Repair: Design for the Circular Economy

The exhibition showcases work by students in the second year of the BA(Hons) Sustainable Product Design course at Falmouth University. The course teaches students how to design innovative solutions that address global challenges, engaging with social innovation, environmental and economic sustainability.

The Right to Repair is a global movement established to empower consumers to be able to fix the products
they own when they stop working. The approach enables access to the tools and parts needed for repairs, and the information required (such as manufacturer’s manuals) to understand how to disassemble, fix the problem, and reassemble a product. Being able to repair products to extend their longevity is a critical part of the circular economy.

The students were asked to design a small domestic appliance embracing Right to Repair and circular
design thinking. They explored opportunities for products that heat, such as toasters and kettles, products that move, such as kitchen scales and fans, or products that do both, such as hairdryers and heaters. The students were challenged to develop products with a 100 year life span that encourage environmentally sustainable behaviour.

This was a live project brief supported by design consultancy, Bang Creations. The company have much expertise in the development of consumer products and shared their own approaches to sustainable product design as part of the module.