Display Repair: Battling Premature Obsolescence in Smartphones by Stimulating Repair Actions

With over 6 billion smartphones in use worldwide, high emissions and a considerable amount of e-waste, there is a need for a more sustainable approach. One such an approach is prolonging the use-times of smartphones, and for that repair should be popularised. This thesis examines how to prolong the use-time of smartphones through stimulating repair actions. The most occurring defect is to the display, while using the smartphone for one more year after a display repair saves about 20 percent in greenhouse gas emissions. For users to choose repair over replacement, repair needs to be affordable, accessible, and attractive, which current repair options do not adequately deliver. Smartphones can also be designed more reliable and repairable to support repairs and prolong use-times. These strategies need to be balanced with the smartphone’s competitiveness for a sizeable impact.Therefore, a repair platform is proposed for stimulating repair, alongside a repairable smartphone that aims at further triggering repair actions and competing with high-end smartphones for a sizeable impact. A collaboration between repair shops and manufacturers needs to deliver value to the user. The proposed system delivers accessibility by creating a repair network of independent shops, which gains user trust by offering original parts and warranty. It makes repair more attractive by reducing the time and effort it takes and giving users insight into their environmental contribution. This creates value for repair shops by delivering customers and enabling quicker turnaround times. The manufacturer benefits by receiving the old parts, being more in control of their supply chain and gaining a strengthened competitive positioning. By being more accessible and attractive, users are more motivated to repair. Affordability is the third factor necessary for favourable repair yet this is only achieved in part by quicker repair times. It needs to be further investigated how to reduce the costs of spare parts. This thesis contributes by combining the need for a repair network with repairable smartphones. A repair network needs more repairable smartphones, and a repairable smartphone needs a well-functioning repair network.Integrated Product Design and Strategic Product DesignStrategic Product DesignIntegrated Product Desig