2025

I designed an electric kettle that could be disassembled using only a screwdriver. Throughout this journey, I investigated the potential for circularity in household appliances and explored relationships among users, designers, and materials.

This project began with a simple question: What does it take to make kitchen appliances easier to fix and recycle? I focused on one common and straightforward small appliance, the electric kettle. I started by reverse-engineering and understanding the kettle's components, materials, and functions. Deconstructing the kettle revealed how design choices, often invisible to users, bond materials together, making repair and recycling nearly impossible.

After understanding the materiality of the kettle, it was time to gain insight into the users. I contacted a group of people who had previously used a kettle that eventually broke. I posed three questions: What part broke, did they repair it, and would they attempt to repair it if provided with the necessary tools and guidance? This research uncovered patterns indicating that people are more likely to fix or be encouraged to fix issues they recognize or understand (such as a worn-out power cable or an on/off switch malfunction), but they are less likely to address something they are unfamiliar with, like a faulty heating element.

During the design stage, I had two rules for making the kettle. First, to achieve circularity, the kettle should be easily disassembled, with each material separated from the others. Second, the kettle must follow the “Good Design” principles, a term that originated from a series of exhibitions by MoMA showcasing well-designed, functional, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing products. Afterward, the design adopted a participatory approach. I created sketches and 3D models, presenting them alongside the deconstructed kettle and research data to a group of fellow students to initiate a discussion on potential design decisions. The primary consensus was that revealing how the product functions through the appliance's form would encourage users to repair it more readily. This led to the inclusion of an exposed heating element, which enhances energy efficiency and can be replaced when necessary.

Design choices, such as the exposed heating element, may not be visually appealing, but can serve as a visual voice of a kettle that is repairable or recyclable. The conclusion of this study was not the design itself, but rather the explorations and questions posed along the way. What is the aesthetic identity of circular appliances? How does circularity fit into the concept of Good Design today? This project was an experiment in which I navigated a complex system of production, e-waste, the circular economy, and a culture of industrialization and consumption.