Right to Repair

“How can we design for longevity and repairability?” More and more of the tech products we use are designed with built-in obsolescence, making repairs difficult or even impossible for consumers to do on their own. But, a growing movement is pushing back against this trend, advocating for consumers' rights to repair their own devices and equipment. In Episode 11 of To Be Designed, host Ryan Kalgreen chats about the Right to Repair social movement, the importance of designing for longevity, and how recent legislation is helping mitigate environmental damage caused by large tech companies. He also discusses the progress that has been made in securing Right to Repair legislation and pushback from corporations. Later Ryan is joined by Sriman, Sam, and Nico to discuss how reports from the Federal Trade Commission led to the introduction of consumer repair programs from Google, Samsung, and Apple. They also dive into how designing for longer product life spans results in less environmental waste and how consumers can ultimately benefit from increased competition in the repair sector. ---- Writing, Editing, and Production by Ryan Kalgreen with help from Sriman Narayanan. Conversation with Samantha Stevens, Nico Petry-Mitchel, and Sriman Narayanan. Marketing by Asha Yearwood. Music by Spencer Spivy. Special thanks to Mark Schumacher and Casey Russell. Sponsored by the Segal Design Institute at Northwestern University.