Planned Obsolescence: the Elephant in the Room
Designing products with a specific lifespan is a common practice among manufacturers, but planned obsolescence is often misunderstood —where products are deliberately designed to fail or become outdated after a certain time. The reality, however, is likely more nuanced. Companies typically design products to meet a particular life requirement based on performance, cost, and market demands. While this approach offers several advantages, it also presents challenges for consumers and broader societal issues.
What is obsolescence?
While designing products to meet specific life requirements has advantages, it can lead to issues when not handled transparently. This design strategy often manifests in several ways:
🧩 Functional Obsolescence: Products are sometimes designed with components that have a limited lifespan, such as batteries that can’t be replaced or parts that wear out quickly. While this can help lower the upfront costs, it may leave consumers frustrated when products fail sooner than expected, leading to concerns over durability and value.
🧩 Perceived Obsolescence: Some companies release newer models with only slight modifications, making older products seem out of date even when they remain fully functional. This strategy can drive repeat purchases, but it risks alienating consumers who feel pressured to replace items unnecessarily, contributing to waste and a culture of overconsumption.
🧩 Systemic Obsolescence: Software updates or changes in technology ecosystems can make older devices incompatible with new systems or applications, pushing users to upgrade sooner than they would have otherwise. While keeping technology current is important, it can leave consumers feeling trapped in a cycle of forced upgrades, particularly when software degrades performance on older devices.
These strategies can generate consumer dissatisfaction, as they impact perceptions of product quality and longevity. Consumers may feel that companies are prioritising profits over creating lasting, valuable products, which can damage brand loyalty.
Planned Obsolescence vs Perceived Obsolescence
Bringing Balance to the Picture
There’s two sides to every story, and we cannot pretend that short product lifetimes are merely a result of “Malicious Compliance” by manufacturers; the total picture is nuanced well beyond the words below, but we felt it important to share more context.
Why Design for a Specific Product Life?
Creating products with a defined lifespan can lead to significant benefits for both companies and consumers. For manufacturers, it allows for more efficient resource allocation, reducing development costs and enabling quicker product cycles. This can lead to cheaper products for consumers, making technology and goods more accessible. It also enables companies to balance innovation with profitability, offering new features and models at regular intervals that keep pace with market trends and consumer expectations.
The Trade-offs of Product Life Design
However, designing products with a predetermined lifespan comes with trade-offs. On the one hand, it can result in lower production costs and reduced prices for consumers. On the other hand, it can impact consumers' perceptions of product quality. When products wear out or become outdated sooner than expected, it can create frustration, diminish brand loyalty, and lead to the perception that companies prioritise short-term profit over long-term value.
Moreover, there are environmental consequences. A shorter product life can contribute to increased waste and resource consumption, as consumers are compelled to replace products more frequently. Lower costs can also encourage overconsumption, where consumers purchase more items than necessary, further accelerating the cycle of disposal and replacement. This pattern not only strains natural resources but also exacerbates environmental sustainability issues, particularly if products are not easily recyclable or repairable. As more products are manufactured and discarded, the pressure on ecosystems and waste management systems increases, amplifying the environmental impact.
The modern revision of Cost/Quality/Time where Quality is un-compromised in exchange for Scope
Striking a Balance
For companies, the challenge lies in striking a balance between delivering affordable products and maintaining quality and sustainability. By focusing on longevity, repairability, and upgradability, manufacturers can reduce the negative impacts associated with shorter product life cycles while still offering value to consumers. In the end, consumers benefit from products that are not only more durable but also environmentally responsible.
Regulatory and Consumer Response
In response to increasing consumer dissatisfaction and heightened awareness of environmental issues, governments and regulatory bodies are beginning to address concerns around product lifespan and sustainability. For example, the European Union's Right to Repair legislation is a significant step towards promoting product longevity by requiring manufacturers to make products easier to repair and maintain. This legislation not only aims to extend the life of products but also to reduce e-waste and encourage more sustainable consumption patterns.
At the same time, consumers are becoming more informed and vocal about their expectations for durability and transparency. There is a growing demand for products that last longer, can be easily repaired, and are produced with sustainability in mind. Many consumers are now considering a product's environmental impact and lifecycle in their purchasing decisions, pushing companies to rethink their design and manufacturing processes.
In response, some companies are proactively offering solutions such as extended warranties, repair services, and modular designs that allow for easy upgrades or part replacements. These initiatives reflect a shift towards meeting consumer demand for more sustainable, long-lasting products and demonstrate the potential for businesses to align profitability with environmental responsibility.
Examples of Positive Progress in the Context
Patagonia
Sustainability Focus: Patagonia has been a leader in sustainable manufacturing practices for years. They emphasise transparency in their supply chain and use recycled materials in many of their products.
Product Longevity: The company offers a repair program called “Worn Wear,” encouraging customers to repair their clothes rather than replace them. They also offer extensive warranties on their products.
Sustainable Marketing. Credit: Patagonia
Fairphone
Sustainability Focus: Fairphone produces modular smartphones that are designed to last longer and be easily repaired or upgraded. They are committed to ethical sourcing of materials and improving working conditions in their supply chain.
Product Longevity: The modular design of their phones allows users to replace individual components, reducing the need to buy entirely new devices.
IKEA
Sustainability Focus: IKEA has committed to becoming a fully circular and climate-positive business by 2030, focusing on using renewable and recycled materials in their products.
Product Longevity: They now offer a buy-back program where customers can sell their used furniture back to IKEA, promoting reuse and extending product life. IKEA also offers spare parts for many of its products, supporting long-term use.
Timbuk2
Sustainability Focus: Timbuk2, a bag manufacturer, focuses on sustainable production by using durable materials and reducing waste in their operations.
Product Longevity: They offer a “Lifetime Warranty” for many of their products and a repair program to help extend the life of their bags.
Designing products with a specific lifespan can have significant downsides for consumers, including financial pressure, diminished trust in brands, and negative environmental consequences. As awareness of these issues grows, regulatory bodies and consumers alike are advocating for change, driving a shift towards more durable, repairable, and sustainable products. For manufacturers, embracing transparency, focusing on product longevity, and offering repairability may not only satisfy consumer demand but also foster long-term customer loyalty and contribute to a more sustainable, circular economy.
❔How have product life spans influenced your purchasing decisions or business practices? Share this post on social media to spark conversation about the value of durable, repairable products and support for more sustainable consumption.❔
