In a predominantly linear economy, premature replacement of consumer electronics accelerates CO₂ emissions, resource scarcity, e-waste, and pollution. Focusing on vacuum cleaners as high-volume small appliances, this project uses consumer behaviour factors as a leverage point to design digital interventions that motivate consumers to repair.

The project, commissioned by Techniek Nederland, operates at the intersection of industry networks and academic research, serving as a bridge between several nationwide initiatives.

Activties were guided by the main research question (RQ): How can a repair platform address consumer needs, integrate stakeholder roles, and improve diagnostics in electronics repair to motivate repair practices?

Five sub-questions further explore category-specific repair challenges, critical consumer behavioural factors, diagnostics journeys, stakeholder dynamics, and intervention prioritisation.

To answer these questions, a mixed-method design approach was employed, combining literature review, expert interviews, product analysis, consumer research, and benchmarking of existing platforms. Insights from these activities were translated into a design vision, objectives and criteria. These informed further ideation workshops, concept development, and platform interventions, which were iteratively refined against the evaluation criteria.
The main outcomes of the project are twofold:
- A research-grounded set of design criteria for professional repair platforms, serving as a reference to inform digital interventions in the repair domain.
- A final platform concept spanning two horizons: a near-term Repair Prompt Studio enabling consumers to build diagnostic prompts and use for external AI tools, and a longer-term RepAIr Platform centralising repair data, adapting diagnostic pathways, and integrating solutions.

The design was evaluated through a user testing and consolidated into a strategic roadmap, outlining actionable steps toward the project’s overarching vision of creating a cultural shift towards repair willingness.

This thesis connects theoretical insights from consumer behaviour research with tangible digital interventions, providing industry stakeholders with actionable tools to enhance current repair practices.