Given the urgent need for transitions towards sustainability in the design and manufacturing sectors that adhere to environmental limits, this study focuses on how to create targeted interventions within existing socio technical regimes that catalyse these transitions in the area of connected (smart) products. This category, which depends on both the hardware and software industries, introduces unique sustainability challenges and opportunities. Designing and manufacturing durable products requires a collaborative approach, given that the production of hardware and software is intricately linked to a global supply chain deeply embedded within the current production ecosystem and mass production values. To improve understanding and disseminate knowledge about product lifecycle extension, this work presents a co-investigation tool. This tool is based on insights from previous interviews and literature reviews, and it aims to promote collaboration among industry experts, such as designers and engineers, in how to implement product life extension strategies. A key aspect of our methodology is incorporating the perspectives of these industry players and acknowledging their pivotal role in realising sustainable solutions. Employing this conversation tool, we facilitated five focus groups with industry professionals to identify and formulate strategies for extending the lifespan of products. This paper details the design of the tool and the insights derived from the focus groups. The results of this study provide insightful pathways for firms engaged in sustainable product design and manufacturing, steering them towards a more sustainable future.

Designing longer-lasting connected products is a complex problem, as they include multiple components such as connectivity chipsets, batteries etc. Discussing longevity concepts with industry experts can therefore be challenging due to a lack of framework and ambiguous terminology. In this paper, we are proposing a tangible token kit called Connected Product Lifetime Extension Tokens (CPLET) that allows us to elicit data in interviews. CPLET includes longevity concepts derived from Design for sustainability and Sustainable ICT literature. We utilized CPLET as conversation enablers during semi-structured interviews with 16 participants from nine different companies in the audio industry. This paper introduces CPLET, and an overview of the longevity concepts currently applied to improve the longevity of connected sound products. Utilising such a complementary method contributed to richness of the data, simulated further reflections. guided and broadened the discussions and mitigated terminology confusion.

Repair activities have been in a long-term decline in the industrialized world; however, for the circular economy and a more sustainable future, repair is essential. To support repair activities through design, we adopt a practice theory lens to examine the user's computer self-repair dimension. Based on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and think-aloud sessions with participants with different levels of repair experience, we present a model that can help designers understand and identify the typical factors of computer self-repair practice. This model can aid designers in holistic design solutions that enable, recreate, and continue computer self-repair practice and design systems and solutions accordingly.

This paper presents the development of a new interview tools to conduct interviews by incorporating physical tokens embedded with concepts related to product longevity. The objective is to augment the depth and quality of qualitative interview data in the field of longevity and sustainability studies.

Extending the lifetime of the product, as one of the strategies for design for sustainability, may increase the value of the product in use, repair, recycle and disposal phases for a longer lifetime thereby decreasing demand for new manufacturing. However, employing these perspectives may be challenging and requires long development processes. In the current structure, small scale companies have a potential to be a significant actor in transition for sustainable manufacturing and design due to their agile development skills. We will present empirical data collected from eight participants regarding five small scale companies who design and manufacture long-lasting connected smart speakers. Key findings and implications highlight that small scale smart product producers strive to maintain control over design decisions in order to enhance the potential for long-lasting products; such companies thus need to be empowered towards distribution and decentralisation of design and manufacturing. To do so, (1) local manufacturing of the hardware is needed; (2) distributed and decentralised repair services need to be available to distribute the responsibility and increase the resilience of the product; (3) new types of intermediary relationships such as collaborating with local incubation centres and local initiatives should be encouraged; and (4) future designers may also need to practise their production skills and include open-source hardware and software development in their projects.

Designing longer lasting smart products need a longevity understanding that is informed by both Sustainable ICT and design for sustainability. By conducting a literature review in both areas, we are able to identify longevity related concepts. We briefly outline these ideas in the two fields before discussing their relationships to reveal how they can contribute to one another. By nourishing the viewpoint from both sides, we broaden our understanding of longevity. We conclude our research by highlighting the gaps that (1) there is a need for applicable coping strategies for smart products, (2) a fair division of responsibilities between the multiple actors, and (3) the need for more interdisciplinary research to clarify longevity considerations.