Why do things break so quickly these days?

Remember the days when products were built to last? When a refrigerator was passed down through generation like a cherished heirloom? Or when a simple Nokia 3310 could survive a nuclear apocalypse? Those were the days when consumption meant something different. Our homes, once filled with sturdy, long-lasting items, now resemble ever-changing showcases for the latest trends. Today, it feels durability has been traded for disposability. Something's undeniably broken in this cycle of consume, discard, repeat.

The Rise of Consumer Engineering : When Durability Met Disposability

Much of this shift can be attributed to an approach known as consumer engineering, or planned obsolescence. This strategy by the manufacturers involves deliberately ensuring that the current version of a given product will become outdated or useless within a known time period. This proactive move guarantees that consumers will seek replacements in the future, thus bolstering demand. While some argue this approach is a necessary part of modern capitalism, many contend that it is a manipulative and unethical practice that takes advantage of consumers and runs counter to sustainability best practices for the planet.

Consumer engineering often pushes manufacturers to prioritize profit over product longevity, leading to cheaper materials, disposable designs, and a decline in overall quality. The roots of this approach can be traced back to the 1930s when Henry Ford's was just happy selling a car in any colour as long as it was black. This was then countered by GM's yearly introduction of cars in different colors to break Ford's monopoly.

Another common example of planned obsolescence is the Phoebus cartel. This was an international cartel that controlled the manufacture and sale of incandescent light bulbs in much of Europe and North America between 1925–1939. The cartel took over market territories and lowered the useful life of such bulbs.

What role did the consumers play furthering consumer engineering -As we progressed through the 20th century, rapid automation and industrialization led to increased and faster production. Concurrently, consumers had more spending power due to higher earnings and easier access to credit. Media channels like Print, TV, Radio, and later the internet, targeted consumers to buy not just what they needed, but what they desired. The same is the reason why we line up every year for that newer version of Apple phone.

This led to change in mentality and approach of both i.e. manufacturers and consumers. In summary the change was,

'Fast and Often' for the producers?

and

'Use and Throw' for the consumers.

'Fast and Often' in the Digital Era

Wait,? what ?? ‘Fast and Often’ approach? Does is not resemble Agile and CD (continuous deployment) approach that I and several others advocate and practice in the Digital world.

Yes this is what happens in tech companies as well. Top tech companies deploy code in production thousands of times a day. The 'fast and often' approach is necessary for a faster time to market and helps test market hypotheses and tailor products for target customers.

While this is undeniably beneficial, it comes with risks. Take, for example, the recent widespread outage at CrowdStrike, attributed to a defective update. Although the root cause analysis will reveal the exact issues, it raises the question: could the relentless pursuit of speed introduce risks? The answer lies not in choosing between speed and quality but in balancing both.

Ok back to consumer engineering: What can we do about it

While the above approach of consumer engineering is a contributing factor, the problem of product fragility is more complex. It's rooted in a broader system that prioritizes short-term gains over long-term sustainability.

Sustainability: The Fourth Pillar of Design Thinking

Many of us use Design Thinking approach to design and build our products and services.? The traditional design thinking framework focuses on desirability, feasibility, and viability ( DFV) falls short in addressing the urgent need for sustainable solutions. To create truly impactful and enduring products and services, we must incorporate sustainability as a fourth and equally critical pillar. Circular Design

Circular Economy: A Cornerstone of Sustainability

A circular economy aims to eliminate waste and continually use resources. Unlike the traditional linear model—extract, produce, consume, dispose.

circularity emphasizes- reuse, repair, remanufacture, and recycling.

Example: check out Fairphone, they claim they are changing the way products are made for the planet and easy repairability.

Sustainable Development

Adopting the triple bottom line (TBL) approach, which focuses on profit, people, and the planet, can guide us towards more sustainable practices.

Right to Repair: Expanding Consumer and Environmental Rights

The 'use and throw' culture needs to shift towards repairability. Expanding the right to repair can empower consumers and contribute significantly to environmental conservation.

Right to repair refers to the social movement of citizens putting pressure on manufacturers and governments to enact laws protecting a right to repair.

Countries around the world have started considering right to repair legislation. Here is a map of countries who currently have a repair rights movement.

https://www.repair.org/

India is one of countries to have such legislation. More info at

https://righttorepairindia.gov.in/index.php

Conclusion

The durability of products from yesteryears is something we can strive to reclaim. By rethinking our approaches and incorporating sustainability into the very core of our design and production processes, we can create products that not only meet the demands of today but also endure the test of time. The future of consumerism lies in balancing speed with quality and integrating long-term sustainability into every facet of production.

#consumerengineering #crowdstrike #circulareconomy #circularity #agile # fragile #righttorepair # designthinking #fairphone Fairphone World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO Emily Brearley PhD David Bland IDEO Department of Consumer Affairs World Economic Forum

#COP29 #ClimateAction