Reevaluating Obsolescence

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Re-evaluating Obsolescence

• Brian Burns
• School of Industrial Design
• Carleton University Ottawa Canada
• Design Council London April 2006

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Obsolescence The Early Days

• In the 1930s and more noticeably in the 1950s
  and 60s the USA saw obsolescence as a potential
  economic tool to encourage new ideas, to avert
  stagnation, to get workers working to earn money
  to buy new things.

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• However, due to its geographic nature, products
  in the USA needed to be reliable.
• Style became the tool for proposed Planned
  Obsolescence.

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The notion of This Years Model is still in use
in North America today, but.as the Ford Edsel
will attest Planned Obsolescence was largely
unsuccessful.
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Once the public were working, they were merely
encouraged to consume and to throwaway as part of
the so-called American Dream. Resources were
plentiful, the 2nd World War was won, Hollywood
became the dream factory, and the Throwaway
Society was born.
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This was not Planned Obsolescence, but more a
response to wealth creation with decadence and an
expectation for a constantly changing world.

• But the US were still masters of durability and
  reliability and design for perceived value.

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At that time most of our perceptions were based
on the concept of the World as an Infinite
Planet. The first glimmer that this was not a
viable direction would only appear with the Oil
Crisis in the 1970s.
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Questions

• Is the Automobile an Infinite World Product?
• Is the Bicycle a Finite World Product?

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Over the years there have been many attempts to
classify Obsolescence. Usually, as a negative
concept. Vance Packards first notions of
Function, Quality, Desirability and
Psychological. More recently Economic and
Technologic have come into use.
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but Obsolescence isnt new, and it isnt an
invention.
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Obsolescence is, however, largely
inevitable. Our challenge, in this finite world,
is to learn to live with itappropriately.
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Things have value because we think they have,
and for no other reason. - Bruce Archer

• Everything put together
• sooner or later falls apart.
• - Paul Simon

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Four Modes of Obsolescence

• Aesthetic
• Social
• Technologic
• Economic

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Aesthetic Obsolescence
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Aesthetic Obsolescence

• 1. Appearance perhaps due to Wear and Tear
  (hence Newness and Useness).
• 2. Fashion, Trend or Style.

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Social Obsolescence
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Social Obsolescence

• 1. Society stops doing something, like going to
  church, or using the hula hoop, or smoking.
• 2. The law (or standards) force us to change.

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Technologic Obsolescence
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Technologic Obsolescence
When a functioning product is made obsolete by a
newer one as a result of changing technology -
From slide rules to calculators, from gramophones
to iPods, and from typewriters to computers.
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Questions
Could making longer-lasting products in a fast
changing technological environment create more
waste?
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While Antiques have value for many reasons, are
some merely examples of product failure because
they lasted too long?
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Economic Obsolescence
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Economic Obsolescence
When repair, maintenance or upgrade is just too
costly to be justified. - From the sofa being
too expensive to re-upholster to the computer
printer that just stopped working, and from the
4th service call on the refrigerator to 150 Sony
appliance.
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Combinations
North American example - When a fully functioning
domestic appliance is discarded due to aesthetics
(an avocado coloured refrigerator!)
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Some Other Considerations
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) User / Product
Symbiosis Product Maturation
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Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Life cycle analysis has become a very useful tool
to help identify costs, waste, and impacts -
particularly in the Manufacture and Discard
Phases.
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However, it is in the Use Phase that Value must
be maximised (optimised), and the Symbiosis
between the User and the Product becomes
significant.
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User / Product Symbiosis
Most designers attempt to offer the following for
the User 1. Match Expectations 2. Minimise
Embarrassment 3. Respect Dignity 4. Maximise
Satisfaction
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Product Maturation

• There are generally five distinct phases
• 1.Invention
• 2.Reliable Prototype/Batch Production
• 3.First Generation Product
• 4.Integrated Product
• 5.Mature Product

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Question
How long should a product last?
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Answer
Rather than attempt to maximise it, product life
needs be optimised. .and the reasons are many,
and mostly related to the need to minimise wasted
utility and value.
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Dilemma

• Only in the mature phase of a products evolution
  can legislation or voluntary standards usually be
  successful in optimising product life.
• Product waste created in fast developing
  technologies is difficult to control and monitor.

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Our Current Situation
Consumer markets are inundated with
technologically fast-changing products in
immature markets in which repair and upgrade is
seen to be prohibitively expensive.
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The computing and communications industry,
involving perhaps the most wasteful technological
evolutions ever, epitomises many of our concerns
with wasteful obsolescence.
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Our Goals?
1. Reduce wasteful product life practices by
respecting the modes of obsolescence. 2. Enhance
product value by encouraging appropriate
user/product symbiosis. 3. Evolve innovative
sustainable product life design strategies
dynamic stability.
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Thank you.