How the critical evaluation of new and emerging technologies informs design decisions

Planned Obsolescence:

Business Perspectives	Consumer/Environmental Impacts
Ensures repeat purchases and revenue streams Allows for cheaper initial product pricing Drives continuous innovation cycles	Creates excessive e-waste (53 million tonnes/year globally) Exploits consumers through forced upgrades Undermines sustainable design principles

Examples: Smartphone battery sealing, printer ink chip restrictions

Design for Maintenance:

Advantages	Disadvantages
Extends product lifespan (reduces waste) Modular components enable repairs/upgrades Creates secondary markets for parts	Higher initial production costs Requires consumer education Reduces repeat purchase revenue

Examples: Fairphone modular smartphones, Patagonia repair programs

Ethical Considerations:

• Data Privacy: IoT devices collecting user behavior data
• Labor Practices: Conflict minerals in electronics
• Algorithmic Bias: AI design reinforcing stereotypes
• Example: Facial recognition systems performing poorly on darker skin tones

Environmental Factors:

• Circular Design: Cradle-to-cradle product lifecycles
• Energy Use: Bitcoin mining consuming more electricity than Argentina
• Material Sourcing: Rare earth element extraction impacts
• Example: Apple's robot "Daisy" disassembling 200 iPhones/hour for recycling

Evaluation Framework: STAR method (Sustainability, Technicality, Affordability, Responsibility)

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