Things to change and develop over time.

How can we as Designers support the users to become active makers and so encourage a change in the industry? It is of major importance to understand and follow up with the consumers motivation to get involved. Different key enablers to involve a broader majority, need to be discovered. If the entry level is easy to reach, consumers tend to be more willing to participate. By offering achievable goals, the fear of mistakes can be reduced as well. Co-design and participatory design offer the user the opportunities to customise and change the products according to their wishes. Those design practises aim for designing products together with the user. This gives a new perspective to the current economical system, and challenges it through “greater democracy, improved empowerment and less domination(Fletcher and Grose, 2012, 144).” In the best case scenario, those products allow to be developed over time, living with their owner. Consumers cannot engage deeply with artefacts where there is no growth, no change, no narrative and only predictability(Chapman 2006, 128).” One of the only ways to design sustaining products, is to accept and work with the constant change in consumers desire. Products have to be designed in a way they adapt and are able to reflect the current feeling and mood of their owner. Products that are update-able and made for multi-purpose, like the Self-couture garments/bedding by Diane Steverlynck, offer new spaces for designers to become creative (http://www.dianesteverlynck.be/). Steverlynck's project shows how a 3-layerd bedding can be with the help of buttons be transformed into a dress, blouse and woolen cape. Garments that are modular, and can be refashioned according to the owners daily wardrobe, are more likely to sustain according to consumers fast changing desires (Flechter and Grose, 2012). 

One step of 3, transforming a bedding sheet into a dress. Image from www.dianesteverlynck.be