These days, household appliances are not designed to be easy to repair, nor recycle. The “Design for Disassembly” class at the Institute of Industrial Design at Austria’s FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, tasks students with doing better than the industry.
Industrial Design student Roland Moritz answered this assignment with his Open:Wash project.
Open:Wash is a modular kit-based washing machine designed with a clear focus on repairability and openness.
Discreet, integrated prompts regularly guide users through the machine’s care and maintenance.
Innovative technical solutions replace complex assemblies, significantly reducing the number of potential failure points and the risk of breakdowns. Wherever possible, standardized off-the-shelf components are used, ensuring that the machine can still be repaired independently long after production has ended.
You can see more Institute of Industrial Design student projects here.