Cosmetic obsolescence, characterised by visible wear that diminishes a product’s perceived value, contributes to premature replacement. While material ageing can add to a product’s identity, practical guidance for designing products that age gracefully is lacking. This project focuses on how designers can use ageing and changing materials to stimulate product retention.

A research-through-design approach was employed. The literature on replacement behaviour and perceptions of material ageing was combined with user research and an observational study of worn headphones to form key takeaways. These takeaways guided ideation and prototyping for headphones that age gracefully. Design directions were generalised into early strategy principles and refined through an expert session, a creative session, and coach meetings. The scope of this project is limited to cosmetic obsolescence; functional strategies, such as modularity and repair, are excluded.

The resulting Design Toolkit for Gracefully Ageing Products supports designers in addressing cosmetic obsolescence. It presents four strategies: Prevent (protect against wear), Heal (enable maintenance), Hide (camouflage wear), and Show (highlight wear as a value).

The final concept demonstrates the toolkit and integrates the four strategies into a coherent design called Scratch Art. The concept focuses on Show: A black coating wears away to reveal coloured scratches, redefining the perception of wear in plastic. It prevents dirt buildup at the cup-headband connection through a connection design that reduces dirt accumulation. It heals through washable cushions that restore cleanliness. Lastly, it hides dirt with a patterned mesh that visually masks stains.