DEAN WEIGAND
Project topic: circular design
Question: All things age sooner or later. How can planning obsolescence of things create value in terms of sustainable product development?
Date: 2022/23
Project: Masters thesis and Masters degree
Exhibitions:
Klima‘Con Saarbrücken 2024- Alumni Exhibition HBKSaar 2024
- German Design Graduates 2024
The washing machine M_ALPHA was designed under the topic of planned obsolescence as part of the master's thesis. During the practical research, which involved the disassembly of a washing machine, it became apparent that the defect in an electrical component weighing 0.000839 kg had caused a barely recyclable mountain of scrap of over 60 kg. The practical research showed that this defect is not an isolated case: Was the lifetime shortened on purpose, or was the aging process and deterioration not even considered in the design? It turned out that the latter was the case here. The practical work therefore examined the factors that contribute to the deterioration of washing machines and looked for potential solutions. It was important to develop a concept and design that can be implemented economically by companies and can drive real change. The result is the washing machine M_ALPHA, which has been designed for rental and sharing systems. The key aspects of the design work were the machine's reparability, the exchange of elements and components, the separation of materials, and recyclability.
FULL CONCEPT