Is Repair the Future of Sustainability?

            How do developing nations contribute to the push for sustainable design? Potentially the answer lies in the culture surrounding repair. Jackson, Ahmed and Rifat’s research in Learning, Innovation, and Sustainability among Mobile Phone Repairers in Dhaka, Bangladesh vividly illustrates a society highly dependent on electronics repair.  The authors’ excellent work and dedication to observing and interviewing repairers in Bangladesh allow us to see how sustainable design makes an impact in the developing world.  Their research found that repairers in Dhaka are divided into two groups, brand repairers and independent repairers, the latter of which have their own shops, or work in collaboration with other individuals.  What differentiates these groups aside from education is that “brand repairers” (Jackson 3) are more likely to discard and replace components, whereas independent fixers are more apt to use exploratory methods and creative solutions.  The independent repairers and the Bhangari, who circulate through repair shops acquiring unwanted parts and redistributing them, are the ones that are contributing to the sustainable aspect of repair culture.  Repair is dynamic in that fixers constantly have to stay updated on technology, similar to the rapidly changing high-tech world of IoT.

            If you asked me how fixing things could be sustainable, I would have told you that the products should have been designed to be durable in the first place.  What Jackson and co.’s research demonstrates is how fragile design can create a “no waste” culture.  Independent repairers are adamant on coming up with creative solutions to fix mobile phones and other electronics rather than just replacing and discarding parts.  Additionally, the Bhangari ensure that no electrical components go to waste.  What can be reused gets salvaged and what cannot is sold to China for scrap.   Once again we see a thriving example of a sustainable circular economy, where producers repurpose as many items as possible and minimize waste.

            To encourage this culture of reusability, I believe designers should make user fixing products more user-friendly.  They could do this by employing some of the traditional principles of design.  Maybe include more affordances in the design of the electrical components so that fixers can more quickly locate where problems are, or give some feedback to indicate the mender’s progress.  Just like how users face gulfs of evaluation and execution when learning how to use an object and how it responds, repairers face the same obstacles when fixing items. (Norman 38).  If designers were able to bridge the gulfs on the repair side by including mechanisms that indicate whether electrical components of the object, such as a cell phone, are malfunctioning, they could bolster the thriving culture of reusability in places like Bangladesh. 

            Despite the current focus on sustainable design in the high-tech sector and IoT, repair seems to be a promising investment.  Making and repairing are certainly different ventures, but each strives to reduce wasted resources and create a greener future.

Works Cited

Jackson, Steven J., Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, and Rashidujjaman Rifat. "Learning, Innovation, and Sustainability among Mobile Phone Repairers in Dhaka, Bangladesh." Association for Computing Machinery (2014): n. pag. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.

Norman, Donald A. "Chapter 2: The Psychology of Everyday Actions." The Design of Everyday Things. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2013. N. pag. Print.