Planned Obsolescence and Design for Maintenance

Planned obsolescence: when companies deliberately let their products fail or become obsolete so the consumer will buy another.

Planned obsolescence is often used to ensure a steady stream of sales. However, this is bad for the environment as it produces more waste.

Technology and clothing often have deliberately short lifespans because they are likely to go out of fashion.

Designed for maintenance: when a product is designed is it can be easily fixed

Design for maintenance is far better for the environment than planned obsolescence.

Ethics

Sometimes manufacturers cut costs by making unethical decisions.

These decisions might include

• Using cheaper overseas labour

• Using cheap materials

• Illegally disposing of waste

Customers are sometimes willing to pay higher prices for products they know to be ethically sourced.

The Environment

Designers must consider how their products will affect the environment.

If a product is made from renewable materials and doesn’t use much energy, it is more environmentally friendly.

There are environmental certifications available. FSC timber, for example, is sustainably sourced.