2134/18166
Ben Bridgens
Ben
Bridgens
Debra Lilley
Debra
Lilley
Grace Smalley
Grace
Smalley
K. Balasundaram
K.
Balasundaram
Aging gracefully to increase product longevity
Loughborough University
2015
Product lifetime
Graceful ageing
E-waste
Accelerated ageing
Wear
Design Practice and Management not elsewhere classified
2015-07-07 13:15:39
Conference contribution
https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/conference_contribution/Aging_gracefully_to_increase_product_longevity/9340085
Longer use and responsible disposal of rapidly discarded consumer electronics would slow
material throughput and reduce metal extraction rates and associated environmental impacts.
Although longevity is technically achievable, extending product lifetimes is more challenging when
devices become ‘tired’, ‘worn’ or ‘damaged’ as these attributes are believed to result in loss of value,
dissatisfaction and premature disposal. “Materials mediate the aging process in a tangible and
immediate way” (Chapman, 2014, p. 141), thus users’ sustained appreciation of materials will often
determine a product’s longevity regardless of physical durability and functional lifespan. This paper
presents the findings of a user-centred study which explores tactile and aesthetic responses to new
and artificially aged mobile phone cases made from leather, titanium, cork, plastic, rubber, walnut and
bamboo. The results indicate that preferences for the materials tested were extremely subjective, and
even a single participant was likely to have conflicting requirements for the characteristics of the
materials (for example, sleek and shiny yet easy to grip). Participants’ preconceptions about the
meaning and function of materials in a particular context strongly influenced their responses. The
ageing process had no effect on the position of the samples materials in preference order, but the
comments provided by participants gave useful insights into the variety of ways that wear and
damage can be interpreted by different people for different materials in a particular context.