Ease of repair as a design ideal: A reflection on how open source models can support longer lasting ownership of, and care for, technology

In the same period, Dale Dougherty - co-founder of O'Reilly Media - was planning to start a new magazine: initially titled 'Hack', his daughter suggested the name 'Make', now adopted, for its connotations as a positive action and with the idea that everyone can and might like to make stuff (Corcocan, 2016). [...]today Make magazine features dozens of DIY technology projects and promotes a series of local community events called 'Maker Faires'. First of all, the bill addresses the issue of the large amount of electronic waste created by the inability to repair broken electronics affordably. Individuals can use 3D printers to print replacement parts of devices as well as to improve the parts in such a way they are less likely to break in the future (Weinberg, 2010). [...]printing replacement parts does not infringe, in many cases, copyright law and gives life to old devices by repurposing them through the assembly and combination of new printed parts. According to this model, products become more comparable to service platforms where repair practices and the engagement of a products users are embedded in the design (van Abel, 2012).